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move; but I could not tell him, as the general did not know himself. While I was at Warrenton he proposed this movement, and he was directed to make all preparations for it, but not to begin it until the President was consulted. I returned on the afternoon of the 13th, and I think, on the morning of the 14th, I had an interview with the President, in which he consented to General Burnside's plans, and I immediately telegraphed to him to go ahead as he had proposed. I understood that there was considerable delay in getting the boats from Aquia down to the Rappahannock River, on account of the bad roads, difficulty of transportation, &c., but no other delay than that which would naturally occur over a rough country like that; and accidental delay in laying the bridges was reported to me, from the experience of the pontoniers who laid the upper bridges; there was considerable delay in that. We could not commence the repair of the railroad until General Burnside took possession of it, as it was all in the possession of the enemy. That was understood between him and General Haupt, in my presence. General Haupt went out with me to make the arrangement for repairing the roads as early as possible. I remember the conversation; he could not land any thing, but would have every thing down ready as soon as he could, and when he found General Burnside was in possession, he would commence."

Soon after the battle of Fredericksburg, General Burnside devised a new plan for attacking the enemy in his front, in connection with which a cavalry raid was projected. A force of two thousand five hundred men was to proceed to Kelly's Ford, where one thousand were to cross and destroy the bridges over the Rapidan, and continue through to Suffolk, blowing up and destroying bridges on the route. The other fifteen hundred men were to proceed in different directions to distract the attention of the enemy, while a general movement was to be made across the river. On the 26th of December, an order was issued for the men to take three days' cooked rations, and ten days' rations in wagons, and be ready to move at twelve hours' notice.

At this time occurred a remarkable intrigue, which is best given in the words of the committee:

"Shortly after that order was issued, General John Newton and General John Cochrane the one commanding a division and the other a brigade, in the left grand division, under General William B. Franklin-came up to Washington on leave of absence. Previous to obtaining leave of absence from General Franklin, they informed him and General William F. Smith, that when they came to Washington they should take the opportunity to represent to some one in authority here the dispirited condition of the army, and the danger there was in attempting any movement against the enemy at that time.

"When they reached Washington, General Cochrane, as he states, endeavored to find certain members of Congress, to whom to make the desired communication. Failing to find them, he determined to seek an interview with the President for the purpose of making the communication directly to him. On proceeding to the President's house, he there met Secretary Seward, to whom he explained the object of his being there, and the general purport of his proposed communication to the President, and requested him to procure an interview for them, which Mr. Seward promised to do, and which he did do.

"That day the interview took place, and General Newton opened the subject to the President. At first the President, as General Newton expresses it, 'very naturally conceived that they had come there

for the purpose of injuring General Burnside, and suggesting some other person to fill his place.' General Newton states, that while he firmly believed that the principal cause of the dispirited condition of the army was the want of confidence in the military capacity of General Burnside, he deemed it improper to say so to the President right square out,' and therefore endeavored to convey the same idea indirectly. When asked if he considered it any less improper to do such a thing indirectly than it was to do it directly, he qualified his previous assertion by saying that his object was to inform the President of what he considered to be the condition of the army, in the hope that the President would make inquiry and learn the true cause for himself. Upon perceiving this impression upon the mind of the President, Generals Newton and Cochrane state that they hasterred to assure the President that he was entirely mistaken, and so far succeeded that at the close of the interview the President said to them he was glad they had called upon him, and that he hoped that good would result from the interview."

"To return to General Burnside. The cavalry expedition had started; the brigade of infantry detailed to accompany it had crossed the Rappahannock at Richards's Ford, and returned by way of Ellis's Ford, leaving the way clear for the cavalry to cross at Kelly's Ford. The day they had arranged to make the crossing, General Burnside received from the President the following telegram:

"I have good reason for saying that you must not make a general movement with. out letting me know of it.'"

General Burnside states that he could not imagine at the time what reason the President could have for sending him such a telegram. None of the officers of his command, except one or two of his staff who had remained in camp, had been told any thing of his plan beyond the simple fact that a movement was to be made. He could only suppose that the dispatch related in some way to important military movements in other parts of the country, in which it was necessary to have co-operation.

"Upon the receipt of that telegram, steps were immediately taken to halt the cavalry expedition where it then was (at Kelly's Ford) until further orders. A portion of it was shortly afterwards sent off to intercept Stuart, who had just made a raid to Dumfries and the neighborhood of Fairfax Court-House, which it failed to do.

"General Burnside came to Washington to ascertain from the President the true state of the case. He was informed by the President that some general officers from the Army of the Potomac, whose names he declined to give, had called upon him and represented that General Burnside contemplated soon making a movement, and that the army was so dispirited and demoralized, that any attempt to make a movement at that time must result in disaster; that no prominent officers in the Army of the Potomac were in favor of any movement at that time.

"General Burnside informed the President that none of his officers had been informed what his plan was, and then proceeded to explain

it in detail to the President. He urged upon the President to grant him permission to carry it out; but the President declined to do so at that time. General Halleck and Secretary Stanton were sent for, and then learned, for the first time, of the President's action in stopping the movement; although General Halleck was previously aware that a movement was contemplated by General Burnside. General Halleck, with General Burnside, held that the officers who had made these representations to the President should be at once dismissed the service. General Burnside remained here at that time for two days, but no conclusion was reached upon the subject.

"When he returned to his camp he learned that many of the details of the general movement, and the details of the cavalry expedition, had become known to the rebel sympathizers in Washington, thereby rendering that plan impracticable. When asked to whom he had communicated his plans, he stated that he had told no one in Washington, except the President, Secretary Stanton, and General Halleck; and in his camp none knew of it, except one or two of his staff officers, who remained in camp all the time. He professed himself unable to tell how his plans had become known to the enemy."

General Burnside then devised a new plan, and proceeded to put it in execution, but was obliged to abandon it because of the inclemency of the weather and the opposition of his officers. He then prepared Order No. 8, which dismissed Generals Hooker, Brooks, and Newton from the service, and relieved other officers of their commands, subject to the approval of the President. The publication of the order was delayed until General Burnside went to Washington and laid it before the President, whom he asked to sanction it or accept his resignation. The President acknowledged that Burnside was right, but declined to decide until he had consulted his advisers. After doing so, he relieved Burnside from the command of the Army of the Potomac, and appointed General Hooker in his place. Thereupon General Burnside insisted that his resignation be accepted. This the President declined to do; and, after some urging, General Burnside consented to take a leave of absence for thirty days, with the understanding that at the end of that time he should be assigned to duty, as he deemed it improper to hold a commission as major-general and receive his pay without rendering service therefor. Burnside objected to the wording of the order which relieved him from his command, and which stated that it was 66 at his own request," as being unjust to him, and unfounded in fact; but upon the representation that any other order would do injury to the cause, he consented to let it remain as it then read.

On January 26th, General Hooker assumed command of the Army of the Potomac, and by an order issued by the War Department on the 28th, Sumner and Franklin were relieved from duty with the army, the former at his own request.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Situation in Kentucky.-Bragg's Invasion.-Mumfordsville.-Buell's Advance.— Perrysville.-Retreat of the Enemy.-Features of Campaign.

On the retreat of Beauregard's forces from Corinth, the main body, under Bragg, fell back upon Tupello, Mississippi. General Kirby Smith was at Chattanooga, and there was also a force at Knoxville. These drew their supplies mainly over the railroad from Atlanta, Georgia. At the same time Grant held the line of West Tennessee, from Iuka to Memphis. General Buell remained at Stevenson, holding the Memphis and Charleston Railroad from that point westward, and threatening Chattanooga, and General Rosecrans was in command of Pope's old troops. Early in June the guerrillas became very active in the lower counties of Kentucky, under Colonel John Morgan. On the 10th of June, General Buell left Corinth, in the direction of Chattanooga, and took positions at Battle Creek, Huntsville, and McMinnsville. In the mean time, General Bragg had suddenly broken up his camp, and, by forced marches through Alabama and Georgia, reached Chattanooga in advance of Buell. His force was then composed of three corps, of fifteen thousand men each, under Generals Hardee, Polk, and Kirby Smith, which were severally occupied in preparations for an advance into the heart of Kentucky, for the purpose of obtaining supplies, and of recruiting their ranks from the secessionists of the State, while Morgan was very active with his guerrillas, in the hope that the people of Kentucky would rise. On the 5th of July, Lebanon, at the termination of the Nashville and Louisville Railroad, was taken by them, while Murfreesboro', in Tennessee, was captured at the same time by a guerrilla force under Colonel Forrest. A Federal force at Cynthiana was defeated by Morgan, and Henderson occupied. Clarksville was captured, with large military stores, and a Federal force at Gallatin repulsed. At this time, August 22d, Kirby Smith, with a considerable force, forming the advance of Bragg's army of invasion, broke camp from Knoxville, passed the Big Creek Gap, and marched upon Richmond, Kentucky, the capital of Madison County, and fifty miles southeast of Frankfort. A Federal force held the place, composed of nine regiments, with nine guns, and a squadron of Kentucky horse, under Generals Manson and Crufts. This force attacked Smith four miles south of Richmond, on August 30th, and was defeated, with the loss of several pieces of artillery. As the retreat began, General Nelson, arriving from Lexington, endeavored to rally the troops, but was wounded, and obliged to retire. This defeat uncovered the State capital to the enemy's advance. The Legislature was then in session, and immediately adjourned to Louisville, carrying the archives of the State and the treasure of the banks. The Governor, James F. Robinson, issued a proclamation, calling upon all citizens to rally to the defence of the State.

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