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BURNSIDE'S 'MUD MARCH'-HE IS RELIEVED.

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they had made on the President's attempts to assail our stalled and

mind.

Returning to the army, Gen. Burnside soon ascertained that certain details of the proposed cavalry movement had transpired-in fact, he was assured by Gen. Pleasanton that they were known among Secessionists in Washington two or three days after his first interview with the President -so he abandoned that movement; intending to make one somewhat different, in the course of a few days.

This new movement contemplated a crossing in force at Banks's and at the United States fords, above Fredericksburg; the crossing below being also made, or at least menaced, as originally proposed: and again his preparations were perfected and his army now put" in motion; when, at 10 P. M., there burst over it one of the severest and most trying storms ever experienced in that region. Snow, driving sleet, pouring rain, a general breaking up of the roads, hitherto hard and dry, and a chaos of the elements which rendered locomotion impossible and life under the drenching sky scarcely endurable, arrested that advance at its outset, and fixed our army in the mire wherein it for hours wretchedly, sullenly, hopelessly floundered. Daylight exposed to the enemy across the stream movements which were intended to be consummated under the cover of night: they were not foolish enough, had they been able, to squander their men and animals in

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struggling forces; but they guarded the fords so strongly that Burnside was glad to order his men back to their old camps-some of which they had burned on quitting, in the confident expectation that they should nevermore need them.

Gen. Burnside, having discovered, as he believed, the officers who had paralyzed his efforts by fomenting discontent in his army, and by disheartening communications to Washington, now prepared a general order (No. 8'), dismissing them from the service; but, on the advice of a trusted friend, decided to submit it to the President before giving it publicity or effect. He did so; and the President, after consultation with his official advisers, decided, instead of approving the order, to relieve Gen. Burnside from command; which was accordingly done: the order stating that Gen. B. was so relieved at his own request-against which, Gen. B. remonstrated as most unjust, pressing his demand that his resignation should be accepted instead; but he was finally persuaded to withdraw it, and agree to serve wherever his aid might be required, allowing any order to be published that might be deemed essential to the public weal. Thus ended" his command of the Army of the Potomac.

During this Winter and the ensuing Spring, a number of raids were made by the Rebel cavalry: one" Taylor, were relieved from duty with this army.

Jan. 28. Gen. Sumner, at his own request, and Gen. Franklin, with expressive silence, were relieved by the same order. Gen. Sumner died soon afterward, at Syracuse, N. Y. 24 Dec. 25, 1862.

The somber cloud is lighted by a single flash, not of victory, but of humor. In a Rebel raid far within our lines, Gen. Stoughton, a young Vermont Brigadier, was taken in his bed, near Fairfax Court House, and, with his guards and five horses, hurried off across the Rappahannock. Some one spoke of the loss to Mr. Lincoln next morning: "Yes," said the President; "that of the horses is bad; but I can make another General in 5 minutes."

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by J. E. B. Stuart across the Rappa- | the very great advantage enjoyed by hannock to Dumfries, where 25 Rebel raiders in the readiness of the wagons and some 200 prisoners were White inhabitants to give them intaken, and thence toward Alexandria | formation, and even to scout in quest and around Fairfax Court House, of it, throughout that dreary Winter, burning the railroad bridge across that nothing that might be asserted the Accotink, and returning in tri- of Rebel audacity or Federal imbeumph with their spoils; another," cility is absolutely incredible. by a party of Imboden's troopers, farther west, from the Valley to Romney, where the guards of a supply train were surprised and routed: 72 men, 106 horses, and 27 wagons taken and carried off; a third," by Fitz Hugh Lee, across the Rappahannock, near Falmouth, surprising a camp, and taking 150 prisoners, with a loss of 14 men; a fourth," by Gen. W. E. Jones, in the Valley, routing two regiments of Milroy's cavalry, and taking 200 prisoners, with a loss of 4 men only; while a more daring raid was made by Maj. White, of Jones's command, across the Potomac at Poolesville, taking 77 prisoners. Lee further reports that Capt. Randolph, of the Black Horse cavalry, by various raids into Fauquier county, captures over 200 prisoners and several hundred stand of arms; and that Lt. Moseby (whose name now makes its first appearance in a bulletin) "has done much to harass the enemy; attacking him boldly on several occasions, and capturing many prisoners." One or two minor cavalry exploits, recited by Lee in General Order No. 29,' read too much like romance to be embodied in sober history; yet such was the depression on our side in Virginia, such the elation and confidence on the other, such

25 Feb. 16. 26 Feb. 25. 27 Feb. 26. 28 Jan. 26.

29 So Gen. Hooker testified before the Committee on the Conduct of the War. But this

When General Hooker assumed command of the Army of the Potomac, its spirit and efficiency were at a very low ebb. Desertions were at the rate of 200 per day; soldiers clandestinely receiving citizens' clothing by express from relatives and others to facilitate their efforts to escape from a service wherein they had lost all heart. The number shown by the rolls to be absent from their regiments was no less than 2,922 officers and 81,964 non-commissioned" officers and soldiers-many of them in hospitals, on leave, or detached on duty; but a majority, probably, had deserted. The frequency, audacity, and success, of the Rebel cavalry raids that Winter forcibly indicate the elation and confidence felt on one side, the apathy, born of despondency, on the other. Superior as its enormous total probably includes all who had deserted from the regiments composing that army since they were severally organized, as well as the sick and wounded in hospitals.

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HOOKER'S ADVANCE-STONEMAN'S ORDERS.

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numbers still were, it is questionable | now be retiring on Richmond. The spirit of Hooker's instructions is embodied in these sentences:

that this army was a full match, on equal ground, for its more homogeneous, better disciplined, more selfassured, more determined antagonist. Gen. Hooker very properly devoted the two ensuing months to improving the discipline, perfecting the organization, and exalting the spirit of his men; with such success that he had, before their close, an army equal in numbers and efficiency to any ever seen on this continent, except that which Gen. McClellan com-. manded during the first three months of 1861. Its infantry was nearly, if not quite, 100,000 strong; its artillery not less than 10,000, every way well appointed; while its cavalry, numbering 13,000, needed only a fair field and a leader to prove itself the most effective body of horsemen ever brigaded on American soil. Horses and forage having both become scarce in the South, there was not, and never had been, any cavalry force connected with any Rebel army that could stand against it.

Being at length ready, Hooker dispatched" Stoneman, with most of his cavalry," up the north side of the river, with instructions to cross, at discretion, above the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, strike Fitz Hugh Lee's cavalry brigade (computed at 2,000) near Culpepper Court House, capture Gordonsville, and then pounce on the Fredericksburg and Richmond Railroad near Saxton's Junction, cutting telegraphs, railroads, burning bridges, &c., thence toward Richmond, fighting at every opportunity, and harassing by every means the retreat of the Rebel army, which, it was calculated, would

April 13.

"Let your watchword be fight, and let all your orders be fight, fight, fight; bearing in mind that time is as valuable to the General as the Rebel carcasses.

"It devolves upon you, General, to take the initiative in the forward movement of command must depend, in a great measure, this grand army; and on you and your noble the extent and brilliancy of our success. solution, are every thing in war; and espeBear in mind that celerity, audacity, and recially is it the case with the command you have, and the enterprise on which you are

about to embark."

These instructions seem to have been at once terse and perspicuous, plainly indicating what was expected, and why it was required; yet leaving ample discretion to him who was to give them effect. Yet it is hard to repress a suspicion that irony lurks in such language, when addressed to an officer like George D. Stoneman.

Our cavalry, carefully screening its movements from the enemy, marched two days westward, and had thrown across one division, when a rain raised the river so rapidly that this vanguard was recalled, swimming its horses; and a succession of April storms kept the streams so full and impetuous, while the roads were rendered so bad, that a fresh advance was postponed to the 27th; Gen. Hooker giving the order for the movement of his infantry and artillery next day.

The time was well chosen. Longstreet, with three divisions, had been detached from Lee's army, and was operating against Gen. Peck below the James; and it is not probable that Lee had much, if any, over 60,000 men on the Rappahannock. True, his position at Fredericksburg was

"He says 13,000, in his testimony before the Committee on the Conduct of the War. VOL. II.-23

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