Show I V AMERICANS UNDER FIRE k By Albert lbert Pay Payson son THE MUD MARCH This is the he story ol of ot ota a Civil war l maneuver that Is known to history as The Mud March and which shows show Americans under fire not only from the enemy but from fr n the elements themselves General Burnside commanded the I Union Army of the Potomac The leadership o of that crack Union force I Iwas was a pitfall which broke the neck of more than one lofty military reputation tation for as soon as one commander proved himself unable to make good against the Confederates ho lie was deposed deposed de do- posed and his Job was given to another another another an an- other man 1 Generals who mho had done doile dolle brilliant nt service in minor positions were put in charge of the Army of ot the Potomac one one after another only to score more or less ghastly failures and and ando to o obe be re re- re- re moved Just now now now-in in January o of of it 5 it was Burnsides Burnside's turn to r realize how other men in hi hip own predicament ha had had- felt He had been outfought and outgeneraled outgeneraled out out- at Fredericksburg by the Confederates under L Lee e and Stonewall Jackson The wa department was dissatisfied with his work Unless he could win a strikingly brilliant su suc- suc iI cess cess and and win It ft mighty quickly quickly quickly-he he was slated for removal from c com com- m- m mand THE PLAN THAT FATE UPSET The Army of ot tho the Potomac lay at atone atone atone one side of the ice edged Rappahannock nock flock river riv f. f Along the other side was the Confederate army Both guarded I jeal Jealously the f fords al and ridges Bridges of the rIver to Prevent att attack ck The time was midwinter midwinter- midwinter a a season when wholesale military operations were not to be ex ex- ex- ex I It was on this tills detail of unexpectedness unexpectedness un un- un expectedness that Burnside relied In Ina ina ina a stupendously daring plan that he lie lienow now made to save his leadership He learned that Banks' Banks ford about five miles mUes above Fredericksburg was defended by a mere handful of Con Con- federates Ho decided to move the main body of his army secretly and andi swiftly i 1 to this point point- cross the ford and 5 by hurried mar marches es to fall fail upon T Lee Lees Lee's s left flank before the tho Confederate commander commander should havo have time to prepare prepare prepare pre- pre pare for fr so audacious a move moye Suddenness and total unexpectedness unexpected unexpected- ness were the qu qualities most needed to make mako this attack a success Vie Vic t tory ry might well vell mean the routing of the whole Southern army and the restoring re reo re- re storing of Burnsides Burnside's shaky prestige STUCK Tu K IN THE MUD The ford in winter was too deep deep td be waded so Burnside ordered up a set of 01 twenty pontoons to bridge It for his advancing army January 20 was tho dat set for th tho great maneu- maneu aeu ver A X Un Union n division n had been l cen sent se several eral miles downstream I to maRe make a pretended effort to cross the river at another point and thus thus' to prevent prevent the I Confederates from suspecting an attack attack at at- tack at Banks' Banks I ford The rhe road were hard frozen go so tl that thit it the tle heaviest ar ar- t could be moved over them with I ease S Strict secrecy was maintained I Everything seemed favorable for Burnsides Burnside's venture re The night of 1 2 20 was ras to bo he P passed ed in bringIng bringing bring bring bring- ing the ng pont pontoons to the ford in placing plat ing them J in posItion and wd NIs s massing the nr il for dawn army y crossing the river at 1 I Then Theft h ar at dusk dURk jURt as th the work be j gnu gaD Mn the January set in I. I UP went Yent tho tile 1 temperature r a I Down jump came caine the rain In torI tor tor- rents By By dawn of the the Rappahannock Rap Rap- I was no longer ft 0 mere creek but a 3 wide and raging river The flinty ground all all' aro arou around jId d it if ultras was turned into at swamp waIst I deco deen In soft mud There were only fifteen pontoons at the river edge edgo The he remaining five needful to span span the stream were a amile mile or or two away An attempt was made to load them on wagons and brn bring them up ui Tile Tho wagons sank to the hubs In m end i-end d and stuck there So did aid did the artillery caissons The inI in in- I fantry waded above their knees in slime Th The horses horses begged bogged down t Through the downpour of warm rain j i tho the teamsters worked like slaves to toI I move the It was no use I For nearly two days the futile labor continued By this time all chance of ot secrecy ecy was gone gono The Confederate pickets on the far side of the stream S1 sit down roared with laughter at o of f their foes' foes hopeless efforts One ne of them m y yelled jeeringly across tlc floo i Stick to tent it Yanks When the tile rain lets lots un m well we'll como across and find help you yon build your metty bridge e The TIle great Ian was wac a dismal dinal aI fail fail- 1 ur ur gave a e. e un he and anil nd h he accented v l. l 8 stately esi resignation hJ his almost ot instant removal from c command I Col Copyright ht 1918 1915 b by th Tress Co the New Naw Y York rI i lIvening Evening World |