FRANKLIN’S “LEFT GRAND DIVISION.”
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met and looked over the situation as it then appeared to ns. We ima.ni-Gously agreed that there was hut one thing to do, and that was to put theforty thousand men of the Left Grand Division into columns of assault onthe right and left of the Richmond road, carry the ridge, and turn Lee’s rightflank at any cost. To do this the Sixth Corps must be relieved from its posi-tion in line, where it was covering the bridge. This could only be done afterflark, but as it would take some time to get the columns formed, and as it wasNecessary that the men should get some rest before morning, the work of prep-aration must begin directly after dusk. I 11 coming to this conclusion we hadconsidered the fact that Lee being on the exterior had longer lines than those°f our army, and that therefore he could not have force enough on his right1° resist an assault by forty thousand men, and that the demonstration madecn his left would prevent the withdrawal of any of his force from that flank,besides this we had in front of Reynolds open country of sufficient width toturii the hills which terminated to the right of the Richmond road.
About 5 p. m. General Burnside came to the left wing, and after he hadtaken a hurried gallop along the lines General Franklin asked him to go toAis tent, and there gave him the above-described plan as the only one that1,1 °nr judgment offered a fair hope of success. When General Burnside leftUs w e were all of the opinion that he agreed with us, and the last request,Urgently pressed upon him, was that he should at once give the order forBirney’s and Sickles’s divisions of the Third Corps (Hooker’s Center Granddivision) to cross the bridge and be ready to begin to relieve the Sixth Corps1,1 the lines at dusk. Under the supposition that the orders asked for would80011 be received, General Franklin gave General Reynolds and myself ordersj:° flo all the preliminary work possible; which being done, we returned togeneral Franklin’s headquarters to await the arrival of the messenger fromGeneral Burnside. As the precious time passed by we fell to discussing thecondition of affairs. Burnside had proposed to effect a surprise, and nowGore Lee could be attacked he would have had forty-eight hours for concen-1 at ion against us and for fortifying his positions on the hills. Burnside hadPd’sisted in crossing the river after all hope of a surprise had faded away,Gffi now we must fight our way out under great disadvantages. Had Burnsideeen forced into a move by the Administration? Under the circumstances'^°uld he make a desperate fight or only go far enough to keep up appearances ?Whatever was in store for us the Left Grand Division was a unit in senti-Gent; the men were brave and well disciplined, and we felt sure that withforty thousand men we could force back Lee’s right flank and get ater position for a general battle, if one were then necessary. Wouldlll 'nside adopt our plan, and if so, why this delay which was costing us soGuch valuable time ? We had all known Burnside socially, long and inti-ffiately^ but in his new position of grave responsibility he was to us entirely11 ‘Allows
-The weary hours of that long winter night wore away in this profitlessReiner until about 3 o’clock, when General Reynolds said: “ I know I havev d work ahead of me and I must get some sleep. Send for me if I am