umns of attack at every discharge. They fought hard and well, those gallant men, but no living being could stand against that frightful tempest of bullet, ball, and shell, and before the day was half over dead and dying by thousands strewed the field and every charge was driven back in dismay.

Finally, as a last resort, Burnside ordered Hooker to cross with the men still under his command, saying, "That crest must be carried to-night!" Hooker surveyed the field and hastened back to Burnside, telling him that the effort was hopeless, and begging him to desist. The day's misfortunes had half maddened the unfortunate commander and he would listen to no remonstrance, saying that the works could and must be taken. Hooker accordingly sent out Humphreys's division, four thousand strong, in the terrible path which French, Hancock, and Howard had followed to slaughter. They were directed to march with empty muskets and to use the bayonet only.

They had no opportunity for a bayonet charge. When near the fatal stone wall before which death had reaped so fatal a harvest, they were met with a terrible storm of rifle bullets, seventeen hundred of them being prostrated on the field, and the remainder driven in utter dismay down the blood-stained hills. Night soon after closed the awful contest, leaving the army of the Potomac fifteen thousand weaker than it had been that morning. Lee had probably lost not more than onethird of that number.

Burnside, seemingly half distracted by his losses, was eager to renew the attack with his own old corps, the ninth, on the following morning, but the brave Sumner, whose men had lost so heavily the day before, dissuaded him from the mad effort, and nearly every

general in the army joined in the protest. He therefore reluctantly agreed to desist, and during the night of the 15th the entire army was withdrawn across the river and the pontoon bridges were taken up, leaving Lee master of the field.

When the news of this terrible and, as it seemed to many, useless slaughter spread through the country there was a general feeling of horror, mingled in many quarters with execration. Burnside was regarded as a butcher or an imbecile and the Government was bitterly blamed for replacing McClellan with such a man. For a time his reputation lay under a dark cloud, the feeling of the people being shared by his officers and men, who lost all faith in his ability as a commander.

Burnside made no effort to shift the responsibility for the blame. It lay in considerable measure on those who had delayed the coming of the pontoons, but he made no excuses. Eager to retrieve the disaster, he formed new plans for an advance on Richmond, proposing to make a feint of crossing the Rappahannock above Fredericksburg, and then to flank Lee by crossing with his whole army below. At the same time twenty-five thousand cavalry were to sweep through the country in the rear of Lee's army, cutting his communications, destroying railroads and bridges, and doing all the damage possible.

These projected movements were checked by an order from the President, telling him not to undertake any active operations without his knowledge. Surprised by this order, for he had been given full powers of action, Burnside instantly recalled the cavalry expedition and hastened to Washington to learn what it meant. The President informed him that the officers

in his army had sent word to Washington that the feeling of the men was so bitterly against him that no movement he might undertake would be safe. As for the cavalry expedition, Lee had in some way been informed of it and it would be dangerous to attempt.

Despite all this, Burnside determined to carry out his plan of flanking Lee. The cavalry expedition was withdrawn, but the army was put in motion, General Couch being directed to make a feint below the city, while Hooker and Franklin crossed above. All was in readiness to make the crossing on the night of December 20, but that night there came a terrific storm of wind, snow, sleet, and rain, and the troops who were marching towards the fords found themselves mired and held almost immovable. Wagons and guns sank hub deep in mud, and morning dawned before an attempt could be made to cross.

The foe now quickly discovered what was in progress and made quick movements to contest the fords. As for Burnside, it was impossible to get his bridges into position in time to act effectively, and the army remained stalled in the mud until its three days' rations were nearly consumed, while the supply trains could. not come up. It was then led back to its old position. The futile attempt was known in the army as the "Mud March." The elements had worked to the discomfiture of the unlucky commander.

Burnside now proceeded to Washington and laid complaints before the President against a number of his generals, Hooker heading the list. He accused them of "fomenting discontent in the army" and asked for their dismissal from the service. Lincoln was perplexed. He could not consent to the dismissal

or suspension of these important officers, and after a long talk with the irate commander it was finally agreed that he should be relieved of his command. This was done, and Hooker was appointed to succeed him.

In March, 1863, Burnside was given the command of the army of the Ohio, taking with him his old corps, the ninth, and coming into coöperation with the army of the Cumberland. The ninth corps was withdrawn from his army to the aid of Grant in his operations against Vicksburg, but with the remainder Burnside advanced to coöperate with Rosecrans, and in August advanced upon and took possession of Knoxville, in east Tennessee, it being evacuated by General Buckner on his approach. He also sent a force to Cumberland Gap, captured the garrison holding it, and restored that important pass to the National Government. The whole surrounding district was cleared of Confederate soldiers, and the many Unionists of east Tennessee, most of whom had been hiding in the mountains, hailed the coming of the Stars and Stripes with enthusiastic demonstrations of loyalty.

This movement was not accepted by the Confederate leaders with equanimity. Various detachments of troops entered the region and Burnside was kept busy, his force being divided up to hold numerous points. After the defeat of Rosecrans at Chickamauga by the aid of Longstreet a more vigorous effort was made to drive out Burnside, Longstreet being detached and sent against him with his veterans. Bragg had weakened his army in the effort and Grant, quick to see the error his antagonist had made, sent word to Burnside to hold on to Knoxville, keeping Longstreet there while he dealt with Bragg. He would send him succor as

soon as possible and perhaps Longstreet and his men might be captured.

When Longstreet appeared in the vicinity of Knoxville, he was met by Burnside's advance detachments and several sharp engagements took place. Longstreet pushed on rapidly, and at Campbellville Burnside was so hotly pressed that he had to abandon his trains or fight. He chose the latter, repulsed his foe after a sharp engagement, and then hurried to the shelter of his intrenchments at Knoxville, when he soon found himself invested by Longstreet.

Knoxville, standing on the northern bank of Holston River, a large portion of it on a table-land and one hundred and fifty feet above the stream, is well adapted to stand a siege, and Burnside's engineers quickly surrounded it with defensive works. Captain Poe directed their erection, and we are told that "under Poe's hands rifle-pits appeared as if by magic and every hill-top of the vast semicircle around Knoxville, from Temperance Hall to College Hill, frowned with cannon and bristled with bayonets."

Burnside, in fact, was soon so strongly intrenched that he felt he had little to fear except a failure of his supplies. These the famous cavalry leaders Wheeler and Forrest were engaged in cutting off, while Longstreet pressed the siege briskly, hoping to compel a surrender by starvation in a few days. He was well aware of the weakness of Bragg and hoped quickly to get back to his aid.

Not content with cutting off the channels of supply, Longstreet pushed the siege vigorously, and on November 25 succeeded in capturing a knoll which commanded Fort Saunders, five hundred feet away. His exultation over this success was dashed by the news