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FRANKLIN’S MEN CHARGING ACROSS THE RAILROAO.

FRANKLIN’S “LEFT GRAND DIVISION.”

BY WILLIAM FARKAR SMITH. BREVET MAJOR-GENERAL, IT. S. A.

W HEN General Burnside assumed tlie command of the Army of thePotomac on the 9th of November, 1862, he gave up the immensestrategic advantage which McClellan had gained, and led the army to Fal-mouth on the Rappahannock River, opposite the city of Fredericksburg . Afew days after his arrival on the Rappahannock he called a council of war.It was a conference rather than a council, for he stated that he called thegenerals together to make known something of his plans, and not to put anyquestion before them for decision. The grand division commanders, Sumner,Franklin, and Hooker, were present, and also, I think, the corps commanders.I was present as commander of the Sixth Army Corps. The entire army wasmassed within a few miles of Falmouth, and the first object was to cross theriver in our front, and gain a fair field for a battle. From the same groundHooker afterward marched north-west, and by a series of fine movementsplaced himself in a position to offer battle at Chancellorsville on at leastequal terms. The outcome of Hooker’s campaign belied its beginning, but itled to the battle of Gettysburg , which more than compensated in results forthe previous failure. J

General Burnside opened the conference by stating that within a few dayshe proposed to cross the river to offer battle to General Lee , and that aftera close study of the reports of his engineers he had chosen Skinker’s Neck as

j When General Burnside determined to occupyFredericksburg it was not held by a large force ofthe enemy. A body of cavalry, sent from Warren-ton, could have seized the place without seriousopposition, and could have held it until the advanceof the infantry came up. In the preliminary discus-sion of the move from Warrenton to Fredericks-

burg , the notion that a serious battle was necessaryto enable the army to get into Fredericksburg wasnot entertained by any one. Sumner, who had theadvance, reported that when he arrived at Fal-mouth he could even then have occupied Freder-icksburg without opposition, had his orders justifiedhim in crossing the river.—W. B. Franklin.

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