"A storm arose soon after. Just before sunset, the general and his staff
re-crossed the river to the north side. I separated from him in order to
see to the destruction of some works of the enemy on the south side of
the river, which perfectly commanded our bridges. Whilst I was looking
after them, in the darkness, to see that they had been destroyed as
directed, an engineer officer reported to me that our bridges had been
carried away, or were being carried away, by the flood. I found the
chief engineer, Capt. Comstock; and we proceeded together to examine
the bridges, and we found that they were all utterly impassable. I then
proceeded to Gen. Meade's camp, and reported the condition of affairs to
him. All communication with Gen. Hooker being cut off, Gen. Meade called
the corps commanders together; and, as the result of that conference, I
believe, by order of Gen. Couch at any rate, I was directed to stop the
movement of the artillery, which was withdrawn from the lines, and let
them resume their positions, thus suspending the crossing. On my return
to the bridges, I found that one had been re-established, and the
batteries that were down there had commenced re-crossing the river. I
then sought Gen. Hooker up, on the north side of the river, and proposed
to him to postpone the movement for one day, as it was certain we could
not all cross over in a night. I stated to him that I doubted whether
we could more than get the artillery, which was ordered to cross first,
over before daylight: he refused to postpone the movement, and it
proceeded. No opposition was made by the enemy, nor was the movement
disturbed, except by the attempt to place batteries on the points from
which our bridges could be reached, and to command which I had already
posted the necessary batteries on my own responsibility. A cannonade
ensued, and they were driven off with loss, and one of their caissons
exploded: we lost three or four men killed, and a few horses, in this
affair. That is about all that I remember."
Gen. Barnes's brigade assisted in taking up the bridges; and all were
safely withdrawn by four P.M. on Wednesday, under superintendence of
Major Spaulding of the engineer brigade.
All who participated in this retreat will remember the precarious
position of the masses of troops, huddled together at the bridge-heads
as in a cul-de-sac, during this eventful night, and the long-drawn
breath of relief as the hours after dawn passed, and no further
disposition to attack was manifested by Lee. This general was doubtless
profoundly grateful that the Army of the Potomac should retire across
the Rappahannock, and leave his troops to the hard-earned rest they
needed so much more than ourselves; but little thanks are due to Hooker,
who was, it seems, on the north side of the river during these critical
moments, that the casualties of the campaign were not doubled by a final
assault on the part of Lee, while we lay in this perilous situation,
and the unmolested retreat turned into another passage of the Beresina.
Providentially, the artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia had
expended almost its last round of ammunition previous to this time.
But several hospitals of wounded, in care of a number of medical
officers and stewards, were left behind, to be removed a few days later
under a flag of truce.