“A. E. BURNSIDE,
Major-General Commanding.”
He immediately proceeded to organize the army into three Grand Divisions—the Second and Ninth Corps, under Sumner, comprising the right; Third and Fifth, under Hooker, the centre; and First and Sixth, under Franklin, the left. Gen. Smith succeeded Franklin in the command of the Sixth Corps, and Gen. Howe was placed in charge of the Division.
We had now obtained possession of all the Gaps in the Blue Ridge. But we had merely locked the door after the escape of the animal, for the enemy, instead of being cooped up in the Shenandoah Valley, were in advance of us, well on their way to Culpepper. After mature deliberation and consultation with Gen. Halleck, who had arrived at Warrenton, Gen. Burnside decided to march rapidly to Fredericksburg, cross the Rappahannock at that place, and pushing southward, seize some point on the railroad, and fight a battle with Lee before he could mass all his forces. His reasons for choosing this route in preference to the one by Gordonsville, he has since stated, as follows: “The further we got into the interior of Virginia the larger would be our line of communications, and the greater would be the difficulty we would have in keeping them open, as the enemy had on our right flank a Corps that at almost any time could, by a rapid movement, seriously embarrass us. If we were caught by the elements so far from our base of supplies, and at the same time in the enemy’s country, where they had means of getting information that we had not, it might, I thought, prove disastrous to the army, as we had but one line of railway by which to supply it. In moving upon Fredericksburg, we would all the time be as near Washington as would the enemy; and after arriving at Fredericksburg, we would be at a point nearer Richmond than we would be even if we should take Gordonsville. On the Gordonsville line the enemy, in my opinion, would not give us a decisive battle at any place this side of Richmond. They could defend Gordonsville until such time as they felt they had given us a check, and then with so many lines of rail open to them, they would move upon Richmond or Lynchburg, and, in either case, the difficulty of following them would be very great.” Gen. Halleck agreed to have the pontoons ready for him at Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg, on his arrival.
Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 15th and 16th, the army started in a south-easterly direction in three columns, with the exception of a small force, which bore off towards Culpepper, to mislead and cause the enemy to think we were going to advance in that direction. The Thirty-third broke camp early on Sunday, and marching sixteen miles, encamped in a beautiful grove near Catlett’s Station. The men were in fine spirits, and moved rapidly over the good roads, inspired with the hope that they were now going to Richmond without fail.
The first day’s march presented nothing worthy of interest, unless it was the worn-out and ruined plantations which were seen on every side. Upon halting at one we found the mansion, situated back from the road, entirely deserted. Windows, doors, and everything of a combustible nature, had disappeared from the once splendid dwelling. Near by were a number of rude log huts, occupied by negroes. A bevy of children sallied out to inspect us as we rode up, betraying all that eager curiosity peculiar to the African race. They, together with a few helpless old men and women, were the sole occupants of the place. From them we learned that it belonged to a second cousin of John Randolph of Roanoke, who had died a few weeks before, and was buried beneath a tall oak in front of the mansion. The widow had gone to Fredericksburg, taking with her what effects she could.
Monday morning the reveille was sounded very early, and by six o’clock the Regiment was on its way. The march lay through a country more barren and desolate, if possible, than that north of Warrenton, presenting the worst features of a slave region. “Snatching” and “jayhawking” continued to be the order of the day, as when in the Loudon Valley. “How are you, Stuart?” “I believe this horse came from Pennsylvania;” “This is a Maryland pig;” were among the oft repeated responses made to the rebel farmers, who expostulated with the boys for making way with their animals. Very little satisfaction could be obtained from the “invaders.” War the Virginians wanted, and war they should now have to their hearts’ content. After a march of fourteen miles, we bivouacked near the mouth of Acquia Creek.
A Virginia Sowing Machine.
Tuesday we proceeded about fourteen miles further, and encamped near Stafford Court House, between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, about ten miles from the latter.
The right and centre Divisions had now arrived in the vicinity of Falmouth, but no pontoons greeted the eye of Gen. Burnside. The Washington authorities had neglected to forward these essentials for crossing the river, and the rapid and successful marching had been to no purpose. In a day or two more the enemy would be on hand, fortifying the Fredericksburg Heights, and resisting our passage. How great must have been the Commanding General’s disappointment and anger at this phase of affairs! All his plans foiled; the whole campaign a failure; simply because some one had “forgotten to give the order” for forwarding a few pontoons.