SUMNER’S “RIGHT GRAND DIVISION.’’

117

My corps again bivouacked in the town, and they were not allowed fireslest they should draw the fire of the enemy’s artillery.

At 2 o’clock in the morning Burnside came to my headquarters near thecenter of the town. I was lying down at the time. He asked me to tell hima bout the battle, and we talked for about an hour. I told him everythingthat had occurred. “ And now,” I said, “ General Burnside, you must knowthat everything that could be done by troops was done by the Second Coi'ps.”He said, “ Couch , I know that; I am perfectly satisfied that yon did yourbest.” He gave no intimation of his plans for the next day. He was cheerful111 his tone and did not seem greatly oppressed, but it was plain that he felthe had led us to a great disaster, and one knowing him so long and well asMyself could see that he wished his body was also lying in front of Marye’sHeights. I never felt so badly for a man in my life.

The next day, Sunday, the 14th, our men began digging trenches along thee dge of the town. We were on the alert, for there was some fear of anas sault. Of course

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there is no need ofdenying that afterthe battle the menbecame strained.

The pressure offight carries ythrough, but afterA is all over and

y Ql l have been warehouse IN FREDERICKSBURG used as a hospital.

shipped yon do

lj(| t feel very pugnacious. The men, knowing that they had been unsuc-cessful were in a nervous state, and officers suffered also from the reaction,the worst of it being that the mass of the army had lost confidence in its

commander.

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About midday of the 14th Burnside called a council of war, in which it wasccrded to fall back, but to hold Fredericksburg. No attack was made bythat day, though Burnside had said that he should renew the assault ona rye’s Hill, with his old Ninth Corps, and that he would place himself atj 8 head. General Getty of that corps, a very gallant officer, touched me as. T as sed him and said: “ I understand that Burnside has given out that he^tends to lead seventeen regiments to the attack.” He urged me strongly0 dissuade him if possible, as it would be a perfect slaughter of men.

At the council Hooker expressed himself as against the movement of1 ctreat, saying, “We must fight those people. We are over there and weffiist %ht them.” But, as I remember, he did not advocate the plan of0 dmg Fredericksburg if we were not to renew the fight. I urged that the^ m y ^as not in a condition, after our repulse, to renew the assault, but thatought to hold Fredericksburg at all hazards. I had an argument with^Otteral Burnside upon that point, telling him that I was willing to have himr ° w all the responsibility upon me; that if we held the town we should