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rations, with ten days supply in the wagons, together with a supply of forage, beef cattle, ammunition, and other stores, and for the entire army to be ready to move at twelve hours notice.
It is not worth while to give the details of this intended movement.
It will be enough to say that the cavalry had already started upon it, and the necessary orders were prepared for all the forces, when I received from the
President a despatch in the following words:
I have good reasons for saying that you must not make a general movement without first letting me know of it.
I at once countermanded the order and proceeded to
Washington, and was told by the
President that some
General officers of my command had represented to him that the army was not in condition to move, and he was induced by their statement to telegraph me as he did.
Soon after this I made the fourth attempt, which was to cross at the fords above
Falmouth, and moved the entire command for that purpose; but owing to a severe storm, which rendered the roads almost impassable, together with other obstacles, I was forced to return the army to its old position.
Many difficulties had presented themselves to me in the exercise of the command of this army.
I was the first officer to take charge of it after its first commander had been relieved; I had not been identified with the
Peninsular campaign, and was unacquainted with a large portion of its officers.
The season was very far advanced, which rendered all military movements precarious.
The army had not been paid for several months, which caused great dissatisfaction among the soldiers and their friends at home, and increased the number of desertions to a fearful extent, and, in short, there was much gloom and despondency throughout the entire command.
When to this is added the fact that there was a lack of confidence on the part of many of the officers in my ability to handle the army, it does not seem so strange that success did not attend my efforts.
I made four distinct attempts between the ninth day of November, 1862, and the twenty-fifth day of January, 1863.
The first failed for want of pontoons; the second was the
battle of Fredericksburg; the third was stopped by the
President; and the fourth was defeated by the elements and other causes.
After the last attempt to move, I was, on the twenty-fifth day of January, 1863, relieved of the command of the Army of the Potomac.
I am not disposed to complain of my lack of success in the exercise of the command, and in view of the glorious results which have since attended the movements of this gallant army, I am quite willing to believe that my removal was for the best.
The courage and heroism displayed by the army at the
battle of Fredericksburg has not been excelled during the war, and the memories of the brave officers and men who fell on that field will ever be cherished and honored by a grateful country.
To the staff officers of my headquarters and to those gentlemen who so kindly volunteered their services for the day, I am indebted for their cheerful and hearty co-operation and assistance.
The great numbers which necessarily composed the staff render it impossible to individualize, and for fear of doing injustice by making improper distinctions, I must content myself with simply thanking them in a body.
The list of casualties, as shown by the reports of the grand division commanders, were as given below.
I would state that a large proportion of the wounds were slight, not requiring hospital attention, and many reported as missing proved to be stragglers, and returned to their respective commands:
| | killed. | wounded. | missing. |
| right Grand division. | | | |
| Second Corps | 390 | 2,903 | 540 |
| Ninth Corps | 101 | 1,030 | 197 |
| Total | 491 | 3,933 | 737 |
| left Grand division. | | | |
| First Corps | 323 | 2,368 | 588 |
| Sixth Corps | 50 | 329 | 65 |
| Total | 373 | 2,697 | 653 |
| centre Grand division. | | | |
| Fifth Corps | 192 | 1,684 | 564 |
| Third Corps | 124 | 714 | 191 |
| Total | 316 | 2,398 | 755 |
| Recapitulation. | | | |
| Right Grand Division | 491 | 3,933 | 737 |
| Left Grand Division | 373 | 2,697 | 653 |
| Centre Grand Division | 316 | 2,398 | 755 |
| Total | 1,180 | 9,028 | 2,145 |
I have the honor to be,
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
