CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA.,
January 23, 1863.
I have not written to you for several days, for the reasons
that I have had no opportunity, and that I was aware all letters from the camp
were stopped in Washington, so that there was no use in writing. On the 19th,
in the night, we received orders to move the next day. On the 20th, the whole
army moved from their camp to a position four miles up the river, where
crossing places had previously been selected. Everything went off very well up
to about 8 P. M. of the 20th. The army reached its position. The pontoons,
artillery and all other accessories were up in time, and we all thought the
next morning the bridges would be thrown over and we should be at it. But man
proposes and God disposes. About 9 P. M. a terrific storm of wind and rain set
in and continued all night. At once I saw the game was up. The next day the
roads were almost impassable; the pontoons, in attempting to get them to the
water's edge, stuck on the bank, and a hundred men could not budge them.
Instead of six bridges being thrown over by 8 A. M., it was found late in the
day that the materials for one only could be got to the water's edge. Burnside
visited us, and soon saw the state of the case. Still in hopes something might
happen, he directed we should remain in position. All that night, the 21st, and
the next day, the 22d, it continued to rain, and the roads to get into such a
condition, that early yesterday, the 22d, I had to turn out the whole of my
corps, fifteen thousand men, and go to work and bridge with logs, or corduroy,
as it is called, nearly the whole road from our camp to the crossing place,
eight miles. The men worked cheerfully at this, which was accomplished by early
this morning, and Burnside having recalled the army to its old camp, we have
been all day getting our artillery back, and to-morrow the infantry will
return, thus consuming two days to get back, when it took only a few hours to
get there. I never felt so disappointed and sorry for any one in my life as I
did for Burnside. He really seems to have even the elements against him. I told
him warmly, when I saw him, how sorry I felt, and that I had almost rather have
lost a limb than that the storm should have occurred. He seemed quite
philosophical, said he could not resist the elements and perhaps it was as
well, for that his movement had been most strongly opposed and some of his
generals had told him he was leading the men to a slaughter pen; and I am sorry
to say there were many men, and among them generals high in command, who openly
rejoiced at the storm and the obstacle it presented. We were very much amused
to see in the papers to-day, flaming accounts of our crossing, of the battle,
and of Hooker being mortally wounded. I hope you did not attach any importance
to these absurd reports, which, when I saw, I feared you might have been
anxious. I presumed the truth had been telegraphed and that you would know the
storm had frustrated our plans. The plan was based on the presumption that we
would take the enemy unawares, at least so far as the place of crossing was
concerned, and I believe, but for the storm, we should have succeeded in this.
What will be done now I cannot imagine, the mud is at present several feet
thick wherever any wagons pass over a road, and if the weather from this time,
should at all resemble that of last year, it will effectually stop all
operations for two months to come.
I did not see George1 during our fiasco, though I
was at one time bivouacked near a part of his regiment, but his company was not
with that part.
Doubleday has been assigned to the Reserves, which is a good
thing for me, for now they will think a great deal more of me than before.
__________
1 Son of General Meade.
SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George
Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 348-9
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