" T I - y ' - I - , - " i -- -
, r , : ' f " -; i L t r - . - v . . .
I -. - - . - " 1- '-vCr-' i - ' ; "-r-f'; I . J v - , .
'AY, i I . ' '""'.'.'"'" !iisAv, J'lv. i .b)jy vAv.ytA '
5- i-
7--'
vol: Lj.m
NOl
r: r , 1 - -j ; i ; i-. c . -
1"- -' - - "
' K A RATTGH WEDNESDAY , MORNLNfG JANirAEiY.7 1863.
, r -..
iC-.
d -
j,,;
- -
1 r
. 1
- 1
.!
7,
. I
J TL 'I
m
-'
of fair delightful peae
1 . ': Hn wara'd b-r Dirty raee to live like brothers.?
UAVTIIGIU N. C. v
r ATaRDY MORNING; JAN'Y 3,
1863.
v : s'-X::-. glorious ifEiys i v : .
Tier year -1863 waa ushered in teith glo
rious '; news froia the Southwest. : ; Bragg's
Tictory rearMurfreesboro,, in Tennessee, and
the gallant; and up to the last accounts; sUor
cessful -defence ot V tcKSDurg, . inspire ioe
ftrorige'st hopes .that our, formefCtliasUrs in
the Southwest are to,he followed ly successes
" r -: so substantial that they "will induce the Yan-
- 'Mcees to giye up this war" for our. subjugation
1 not only as ft bad, but : as an impracticable
- job. . . On cur Northern border, the Yankees
: 'r done x- for for months to come. The re-
- port, that Burnsido does notlntend to go into
: wint er '-quarters we ."bclieye to s be utterly
; : rwithout foundation;,: The elements will com
:-' pel him to do so, if. he does not wish to see
his army destroyed;, Jt cannot keep" the field
' -UZ CUUJlO IUU,: ilVQc - WU- mo nuuiV)
then, we look forward with, confidence io , a
" tmeedV" and -successful termination of this
wicJtea.war. .
i, '---- ' ' V '" m-
: "! ' tTIIE -TEN REGIMENT "BIIXT
Under this caption the Standard of Wednes
day last publishes the- JJ ill introduced by
Judge Person in the House of Commons and
the subetituto offered for-it by Messrs Gns-
Bom and Cowles;' accompanying them.with
comments in favor of the latter. From these
comments womaka the following extract :
: "Now, let tha ho'npst reader carefullj consider
the two bills abora giTen. . .-.Which, we ask, is
TnrKtconstMiant'with 'the Constitution, the wants
of the Confederate government, the necessities of
toe times, las wuoesoi: toe poopie, wiia justice
'-; - and riht? ' "Which, if cither are. is most in con-
yt i Cictj or likely to bring on a conflict with the Con-
- federate government r llaaa toe bill ox the mi
" .- -. -nority,' and point out a particle of evidence that
Z ; . U was designed to .bring the State into, conflict
:"r . v ? ita the Confederate go?crnmenU ' There b not
. , a shadow of it. '..'-X' " T-;; - ' " . ,
i ' We do not deem it necesaary to publish
. , both Bills 'entire, and shall content ourself
-with-laying before" oorreadersth at portion of
.m Mh '' yp'i'-n o tno class .or par
sons from which tha proposed force for State
purposes is to be raised-' : - : -. r -' ? , " C
- f .The following is from the. Bill reported by
Judge Person r t: " ' ': - v
JL BILL T OEOUnZE TB E STATE BESXRTXS. " ;
SlCTloJr .1. t enacted by the General Asscm
, - ' blyof the State of North Carolina; and it is hereby
: , ; enacted by Vie the authority of. the same, That the
I ' -Governor be authorized and required to call oat
! - Ave thousand troops, to be 6tyled,the State Be
.aerves,' from among the able-bodied men between
the agta of eighteen ajid forty-five years, who
are not in the actual ervico of 4ho Confederate
. . States, or liable to be "called Into that service by
- virtue of the acts of Congress, commonlj known
" as the CoBscriptioo, and the act for Exemptions
r-.- -,; supplemental tfieroto. v. " - .
' ".' - - -Here it will be seen, that the class from
- whieK it is proposed: to. raise the , Troops is
J - confined to those persons between the ages of
. . , eighteen and" forty-five ".who are not in tho
-s actual service of the Confederate States, or
liable .to be called into that service by virtue
of the acts of. Congress commonly known as
tho Conscription and'the act for Exemption
Bupplementa!rthereto.,,;V'ilere theD, so far
from there'being a'confiiot with the Confed-
crate Government contemplated, such a con
tingency is carefully guarded against.' Not
BO, tuouga, wiia m ouosutuie; . iiere it is:
A. Bll'-Jt TOBAlSK'Tfx THOUSAND VOLTXXTMB3
"1 . Toa tnx DEvrxc or,TEtz stats.
- gzcTi. 1. Beit enacted by 'the General As
. scmbly o f thi State of North Carolina and it is
hereby tru x'eted by he authority of the same, That
" the Gover.lior bt-, and is hereby authorized to ac
:cept -the scr kea of any- bumber of volunteers,
.r not exceeding in the whole ten thousand men, of
any perons ov"er the age of eighteea yean, who
are not tn the. actual service of the Confederate
n States, and to or ganiza them into cwmpanic'hat--talions
or regime nta, brigades or divi8ipna,'and to
ff. - mruier mem into me service oi mo tsv.ve, and to
V 1 f " 8UDJecte to the command oL-the Governor, as
Jf !T'tb--oMutituUonal commander of the militarv
forces of the State
This Bill woul 4 necessitate a conflict with
the Confederate authorities, for it authoxiies.
. tne raismg oi oia .te iToops from any class
- otTmen over eig hteen years of 'age not now
Jr in t&e service of e - fnnfilArfttA . Rtata
...'.Now, as the Con script Law applies to all be
: ', tweeu eighteen s aid fort v-five. how can anv
iweep uii e ages pe accepted ana mus.-1
tered into tho .service of, North Carolina
without a dow might violation and nullifica-
- tion oi that li w by North Carolina ? Need
f we ask! whjch, if eitheriof thee.e Bills) is
.most in cor iflicCor likely to brine, on a -con-
" flict with ihe Confederate Government?". Is
there a jaan livbg, with two ideas in his
head, w'hVcanuot scelhat' the 'original Bill
' roprses to prevents eonflicl,' whila the sub"
. stiiUte- deliberateljr seeks it ! . The JCon-
8erTativea,?.'of tie LegUature may thank
' their.organ for convicting them of an attempt
;. at nullification,' which wo hope the -Senate
I will defeat;-'' K - 7-- "' v ':
- T - -
: .tlBERAL CONTRIBUTION. . : ; 1
s ;'. The people of Petersburg, by a unanimous
y"vvote, have. instructed the Common Council of
, that City to appropriate tho sum of 10,000
- to the relief of the people of Fredericksburg.
REV. H. J GRAVES, t
' .We learn that the charge upon Which this
individual was arrested by the uonreaerate
Government was, that inst before tne oatues
near Richmond he , went" into McClelland
lines and cdmrnusicated to him all the plans
of our officers. I He has been surrendered to
the authorities of this State .on the demand
of the Iiegislature, and wiir be tried for the
alleged t)ffence.; As the "testimony in tho
possession "of , the Confederat e authorities was
deemed sufficient t to warrant his arrest we
presume that the Solicitor prosecuting him in.
this State will see to it that it is forthcoming
c . -- : ' i , ..
---:i: the state ioxjiukaj'. :c
We learn from the las t number, of the
above named piper that Ji W. ; AlbertsoUj
Esq., lato of Perquimans County, has become
its Associate Editor. Mr. A; makes his .bow
to the Publid in a brief but very appropriate
Salutatory. We welcome him to the ranks
of tho corps editorial. ,: " j.
. , - i . ; : " r- r
THE i STANDARD'S ASSA"OXT UPON
", GEN.' WINDER. : 1
We are requested by a responsible gentle
man to state that the eharge o the Standard
that Gen. Winder is an infamous tyrant,
was based: upon information furnished to it
by the liev. Mr. (i raves, himself a suspected
tory r spy. - '. j ;" :
, V " ! V i the Baieigh "Register,
THE REV. K. J. GRAVS AND THE
i "- ; ;. -:. 'standard man.-,;; fy-'.x
In the last issue of .the Standard, its editor ful
minates the following conservative" editorial on
the subject of Mr. Graves' recent arrest t -
"But eyery man is presumed Vto be innocent
until proved guilty, yet -Mr. iiraves-.nas been
treated as a lelon by Gen Winder. ; ne used tne
irroBsest. and most insulting : language towards
Mr.. Graves, a minister of the Gospel, and an un
armed prisoner in. his bane's ; and it Is said he
alluded also in the most insulting terms - to the
people Of North Carolina, 'pronouncing them f a
a a nest or traitors." uoea ibis miamous ly-
- . J . . II T At- - . M
raat act and speak for President Davis I Surely,
surely not Then let him be hurled from the
place which he disgraces by His, vulgarity and
tyranny.w ' : '.' . .
Now.Jwe would like to know from the Standard
man on whose authority he4 ventures to make this
grav.e cnarge against Gen. winder. if it be
that of his Rev-Yankee friend and suspected
spy, Graves, it will prove' almost 'as reliable and
truthful as his malicious - charges generally are,
and I have no hesitation in pronouncing ' it an
infrtTnnn' nhfll nh . fifn. VVtnn. " Thn triiA
hearted and patriotic- Ladies of North Carolina
seem to have a very different appreciation of Gen.
Winder's feelings and acts towards oar people
and brave soldiers from the Rev. Mr. Graves and
the Standard man, for while the latter are invent
ing and publishing "infamous" lies about him,
the former are manifesting their gratitude 'and
affection to him in the shape of a "very, valuable
and'acceplable present. . As a proof of this, the
Richmond Examiner of Tuesday morning says :
General Winder, the military commandant of
Richmond, was yesterday made the recipient of a
very valuable and acceptable present from an as
sociation of ladies of . .North- Carolina, made
hrougb their representative, Mr, Snead. The
eslimocial is a token of their regard for the very
generous manner the General has always facilita-
ted tne lorwaraina; oi meaicwes, pacsagej, 9-0.,
Intended for the North Carolina soldiers, and the
interest he has evinced generally in their wel-
I would simply ask, who are the best judges
-and exponents of Gen. Winder's sentiments and j
opinions of JNortn Carolina, our motners, wives
aad sisters, or the -Yankee Graves and his sympa
thizing friend Holden T .
The Standard man seems to think that he is
charged with two important and responsible "con
servative" duties first.-to misrepresent ;and de
nounce the Government, and to bark, growl and
snap at all of its officers, .from ! the President
down to its humblest supporter. The second, to
defend, eulogize and . gather under! the protection
of his fatherly-- wings aU those who. render' thedfZ
selves suspicious andinimical-tothe safety and
-well being of our government and peopl But
why shouliwrregret any position this jmaas?
sume7or be surprised at any cause he advocates.
iTrom his own confession it is all ;for party pur
poses and plunder f He spent many ears of his
valuable t in defaming and abusing the Whigs
of the State. He is noja exhausting his peculiar
talents in defaming, and abusing the Democrats
of the Confederacy ail for' party purposes.
Ton years ag he denounced Govj , Vance as an
abolitionist and an enemy of the South j one year
from this date, he may bo. denouncing him as a
pro slavery enemy of the North; that, too, may be
for' parly 'purposes and plunder Poor Holden!
while he merits and will Teceive tho contempt of
every highminded, patriotic man; and woman of
the Stat?, we can Jut mingle a little , pitywith"
ou contempt. Poor Holden ! ;;. J i.
AN OLD CITIZEN.
" Waki Forest, Dec. ,31, 1862.'
fNoT Much .or a.Victout." The Yankee pa
pers claim "brilliant .victory" for General Pos
ter in North Carolina, yet it requires two columns
and a half .of closely printed matffer to publish
a list of the. killed and -wounded : and a correspon
dent says 'it- is impossible to send a : list of the
missing, which may turn up in a day or two."
A few more such victories, would blow the Aboli
tion army in North Carolina sky high." . '
Randolph. Couktt. ijsaac -H. Foust, Esq
has boon elected to the Commons from Bandoipb,
.to, fill .the vacancy -occasioned by the resignation
'of Jonathan '3rorth1.Esq., the State Treasurer. '
The Natchez Courier cf the 1 1th instant says :
"We veryxauch regret to learn yesterday of the
severe sickness Xt Bt. BeVr Bishop Green, at his
residence in Jackson, JTisa. It is said that he IS
in very health, and afflicted nigh unto death."
.J "
- FUMTHER NORTUE11N NEW
Vv ":r'.-U"i-Tr? v.. -:'y ' ' ' -
-,vmake the following extracts -fronT
ern'papers of the25th and. 26th ultimoi
forth--
THJC SITUATION THX A DKSPERATIOIT 'Of a
irOBTB WHAT HAS BEEN " QAJNKD .W .
VTAE THE NORTH SICK.; OT ,,THE 1;WAR
SUES TOR A2T XARLT . FSACX. . . . . ; -, - ; --.
THIS
Aim
S TO
r Ne
The New -Tork Herald presents usjreaue
with the following Christmas box on the war
1 ; Our prospecU ? are gloomy "enough. ;TVve are
approaching the end of the second y eat of be
war, the Government' has expended over a. thou
sand millions of money ; two hundred thousand
loyal soldiers have been sacrificed in their heroic
devotion to the Union causer web aye, in round
numbers, an army of a million of menj in the
field, a navy numbermg between tnree ana iour
hundred jewels of war and employing Jhirty
thmisand'menr' we are snending-- hardlr less than
,hree millions of dollars day, and, while a .bill
jrovidicg for another thousand millions of pub
ic debt Is pending , before Congress, pur tar-pay-.,
ng people, in contemplation of all these heavy
burdens, and disheartened by repeated disasters
and failures, are earnestly inquiring,, what are
our prospects. . : . -, "i,'-f t
'i We have fought . many bloody battles. The
Union .forces havo effected a lodgment here and
there in every rebellious State ; several aouotiui
States, by hard fighting, have been reclaimed, and
Mt iva .lva . hardlv accomDlished " more ! than" a
break here and therB through the crust of! the re
bellion.; Its heart," only one hunorea auaj twenty
miles from Washington, remains unioucnea, ana
each succeeding effort to reach it has thus far only
faulted in disaDDoiitmeht,' disasters and disgrace.
TTi violent - and fanatical abolition measures of
the last Con eress have fused all parlies; and all
classes in the jevolted States into the party of re-
sistance-to the last extremity ; while thelate re
nulsa of the most powerful army of the Union
has revived the hopea of the rebel leaders in the
oariT nottiAmflnt, oi me war in moir t isvouf
through European intervention.". There Js every
rAuon to annrehend. too." unless we give some
heavv'ahd crushing blows to this rebellion before
the return of springy that Mr. Lincoln will have
to meet Louis Napoleon as an active ally of the
rebels, or submit to, bis suggestions of peace upon
tne, D8SI8 OI iftQ luueeuucut uvuvugiu v"
eracy. .' -J- i - I
Overwholmmff as are tne mnuary iorcea, ia
rilitifts. means" and resourceaof the .loyal, folates,
wa know that their neoDle are Decpming sick oi
this desolating, costly and unpromising -war
OrilCIAL HISTORY OS" THE BATTLE Off PRFJJE
i
RICESBURQ REPORT OF. THE CONGRESSIOK'AL
OOMMITTKE APPOIKTED TO INVESTIGATE THE
1 -PACTS
DEPDSITlOK OP GENERAL BURNSLDE
The Committee raised in the Yankee Congress
to inquire into the faets relating to the recent bat
tie at Fredericksburg; Virginia, and particularly
as to whal officer or Officers are responsible for the
assault, have returned to Washington, aftr a vis
it to the army, and made their report, i Deposi
tions were taken from Generals Burnside, Sura-
neri'Pranklin, Hooker," Woodbury and Haupt ;
and oa their retqrn to Washington J Goner:!
Halleck, and all the facts relating to the batlo
at Fredericksburg, the movements of 'ttte army
under General Barnside, the forwarding of pon
toons and suppiie, are bo fully and clearly stated
in the depositions, that the committee report the
testimony without comment. As a matter of offi
cial history, we copy the deposition of General
Burnside. It exposes his programme from step
to step, shows what was his ;plan and how it was
oiled, and gives, in substance, a rapid review of
the Yankee army since the removal of McClel-
ian - ; - ; , i . -
Mai or General Burnside. sworn by the Chair
man Question You have seen the resolution of
the Senate under which this committee is now act-
xfg will you now; go on and in your own way,
without Questioning, ; cave such, account of the
matters embraced in that resolution as you may
consider necessary and proper ? . : i
- Answer In order tnat tne wcoie mawer may
be entirely understood, it may be well toj go back
a little. " r,;t ... . : . !. .
Question Very well. Alate your statement in
your own way.
. Answer W nen, uiwr iu uatiiia ui aiiumauj,
General McClellan decided to cross the, Potomac,
I said to him that, in my opinion, be would nevir
be able to take this j army on mat route beyond
the Bappahanncfck, unless he succeeded in'fighting
the enemy at some place on this side. That if he
Eroposed to go to Richmond by land n would
ave to go by way of Fredericksburg; and in that
he partially agreed with me. . After we had start
ed we had anot her : conversation on that subject
and several other officers were present.
On the 7th or 8th qNqvember, I received an
'orderjjom'the President of the United States, di
recting ma to take commana ot tne army of tne
Potomac, apa aiso a copy oi mo araer relieving
General McClellan from that command. This or
der was conveyed to me by General Buckingham,
who was attached to the War Department. .
After getting over my surprise the tjhock--I
told General Buckingham thft it was was ja matter
that required very serious thought. Thlt I did
not want the command. That it had been offer
ed to me twice before and I did riot feel that I
could take it:: I counselled wljhtwoof my staff
officers in regard to it, for, I should think, an
hour and a half. They urged upon- me that I had
no rights as a soldier, to diaobeythe ' orer, and
that I had already expressed to the Government
my unwillingness to- take the. command I told
them what my views were with reference to my
ability to exercise such a command which views
were those Iliad already unreservedly expressed
that I was pot com petenf tocomman such a"
large army as this." J T t had said the sam'ething
oyer andover again to the President and Secreta
ry of War; and also that if matters could be satis
factorily arranged '.with General McCldllan, he
thought he coeld command tha Army of! the Eo
tomao better than any other General in it, but
they had studied the subject moie than I nadnd
knew more about their obligations to General McA
Clellau than I did. ; There had been some conver
sation with, regard to the removal of General 316
ClollaU when he was bringing his army from be-i
fore Bichmond. . ' ) -if- . --:-,:;;;
The first of thosi conversations with the Presi
dent and Secretary of War occurred at that time,
and thereafter Geaeral McCjellan had got back
Washington, and' before the commencement of
the .Maryland campaign, there was another, con
venation of the same kind, and on both of these
occasions. I expressed tothe President the- opin
ion that I did not think there was any one who
could do as moon with that army as Genfral Mc
Clellan could, if matters could beso arranged ar
10 remove their objections to him." -'.
Vtfter I had conversed with my staff officers I
went to see General .McClellan himself, and lie
agreed with them; that this was an order which
I, rs a soldier,- had to obey. He said that he could
not retain the command, for he, as a soldier would
have to obey the order directing him to give up ;
that command. !:.! : r : ' -- ' -
. In the midst of a violent snow storm, : with the
army in a position that I knew little of (I had
previously commanded but one corps upon the ex
treme right, and had been upon the extreme right
and.in the advance since the -campaign begun,!
proDaDiyanew less man any otnar corps comman
der of the position and relative strength 'of the
several corps of the army. I - ' . . . j
; ; General Halleck .canie down to see me pi& the
llthl of November." On Hho 9th I jmsde out a
plan of operations in accordance with,,the order of
General Hallecky which directed me not only to
take corhmand.hut also to state what I proposed to
do with it. That plan I wrote on th nibrning of
the 9th of November, 'and sent it by jpecil" mes.
senger to Washington. I can furnish the, Convr
mittee a copy of the plan if they desire'itl ; I do
not have it here noW., . . f
- Question State the substance of it, if you
please. ... . . ; . '. - , . . ...
Answer 1 state in -substance, That : j
: I thought it advisable to concentrate thej army
in the noighborhocd of Warren ton,' to make ; a
small ; movement across the Rappahannock : as a
teint, witn a view to divert the attenuonof the en-
J eray, and lead them, to believe, we " were going to
move in the direction of Gordonsville, and then
to make a rapid movement of the whole army to
Fredericksburg on this side of the Kappahahnock.
As my reasons for that I stated that the further
we got into the interior of Virginia, the : longer
wculd be our line of communications,!, and-the
greater would be the difficulty we would have in
keeping them open, as theencmy had ugbnoor
right flank a corps that at almost any; Ume;could,
by. a-apid movement, seriously embarrass us. If
we were caught by the elements so far from our
base of supplies, and at the same time in the ene
my's country,' where they had means of getting
info?matipn that we had not, it mighty I thpught,
provedisastrous to the army, as wa bad but one
line of rail way by which to supply iti ' 1 . ;
In moving upon Fredericksburg we would all
the lime be as near Washington as would the en
emy, and after arriving at Fredoricksburg we
WPuld be at a point nearer to- Ricbmoni-tban we
wuld be evdh if we should take Gordonsviller
On the Gordonsville line the enemy, in my lopin-
iod, wouiajios give us a aecisive name at any.
piace tnis siae oi Kicnmono. xney would defend
Gordonsville until euch timo as they had Je& they
had given ns a check, and then with so' many lines
of railroad open to them they would move ' upon
llichmond, eri upon Lynchburg, and, in either
case the difficulty of following them' would be
very great. .'".'!', ,".;"; "j 'i-'
In conriectipn with this movement, I requested
that barges filled with provisions and forage ejhould
be floated to Aquia Creek, where they: coul easi
ly be landed; materials be collected for the recon
struction of the wharves there, and that all, the
wagons in Washington, that could possibly be.
scared, be filled with bajd bread and small (com
missary stores, and with a large uumberj of beef
cattle be started down to Fredericksburel oh the
road by way of Dumfries,' and that.thU wagon
train and heard of Bcaty e should be preceded by a
pontoon train largeenough to span the Kappahan
nock twice. . ' ' J , ; I.
; I stated that this wagon train could move in per
fect safety, because it would bef all the time be
tween our army and .the Potomac; or, ia pths?r.
words, our army would be all tho time - bet ween
the enemy and that train But at Uie samekime,
I said that if a cavalry escort bould not be furnish
ed from Washington I would send Isorne! of my
cavalry to guard the train. ' '
On the morning of the 14th of Novemb srj feel
ing uneasy in reference to the pontoons; as I had
not heard of their starting, I directed ray. Chief
Engineer to telegraph again with reference to
them., . J ';;; '.. . -I . .,
Question To whom did he telegraph ?
Answer Ho telegraphed to .ixonpral iWfocd
bnry or to Major Spaulding. It subsequently ap
peared that that was tho first tL;.j ver had heard
of my wish to have the pontoca train' started
down lor Fredericksburg, although the authori
ties in Washington had had my plan sento them
on the 9th of November; and it had also been dis
covered by General -Halleck and .General Meigs
at my headquarters on the night of t'fre lltli and
12th Of November, and after discussing Jt fully
there, they sat down and sent telegrams to Wash
ington, which, as 1 1 supposed, oovered fully! the
case, and would secure the starting of the pontoon
trains at once. . j . t ! .
In reply to the telegram I had ordered to be
sent General Woodbury telegraphed back Uhat
the pontoons would start .on Sunday morninsr rro-
l II J i - 1 . r - . . . . I
Daoiy, anu ceriamiy on jMonaay jmorning, wmch-1
wouia nave Deen on tne ltstn or 17th of Novem
ber, and would have been in time. They did
not, however, start until the 19lh, and on that
day it commenced raining, which delayed them
so much, and the roads became so bad that when.
the tram got to Dumfries they .floated the ton-
toons off the w&gpns, sent to iYaehington for a
steamer, and carried them down to Aquia Creek
by water, sending tne wagons around by land.
The-pontooR did not get here until the 22d oi 23d
of November. ' -1 . ! '
On the 15th of November,! started the column
down the road' to Fredericksburg, not knowing1.
t l . .1.1 j 1 ' . -
anyimng aooui ine aeiay in tne starting oil tne
pontoons, because Uie telegram announcing ' the
Welay did not"reach 'Wafrenfoii' Junction until I
had left to come down nere with the troops, and
the telegram did not reach me until I arrived
here, on the morning of the 19th, when iit ,'was
handed to me by an orderly who had brought it
clown to Warrenton Junction. I
After reaching here, I saw at once that there
was no cnance lor crossing tne KappahanQock
with the army at that time. It commenced rain;
ing, and the river began to rise, hot to any great
extent, but I did not. know how much it might
rise.. . lnere was no means: of crossing except by
going up to the fords, and it would be impossible
to do that because of the inability to supply the
troops after they should cross, r : f 1 1
.General Sumner, with his .command, arrived
here in advance. He sent to me, asklngi he
should cross the river. He.was very much tempt
ed to take his own corps ;acrss to Fredericksburg
by a ford near' Falmouth, as there waJ .no enmy
there except' very Email force? j ;; 1 1 w
! .1 did not think it advisable that he should cross
at that time. . The plan I had in conW'-'plation
was, if the stores nd those bridges had come here
as JL expected, to throw "pumners whole core
across. the Rappahannock 'Fill the wagons with
as many small stores as wo could, and having bee
cattle along formea, then to make a rapid move
ment down in the direction of Richmond, and; try
to. meet the enemy and fight a battle before Jack-
Jackson was in the valley, and felt that there was.
force enough en the upper Rappahannock' to take
care of him. He: felt as soon as the lenemy knew
of our crossing down here, the forces under Jack-i
son would be recalled, and he wanted to meet ibis
force and beat it before Jackaoa eould-mak a
iuction with- them, or "before Jackson could come
down "on our flank and perhaps 'cripple usi II 5"
t jl caa recoinmenaea uiai. tusi ; supplies snquia
beent to the mouth of the Rappahannock. With:
a view of establishing a depot at Port Royal after
we advanced ; v: l-'.-'
After it wai ' ascertained -that: there ; must be a
delay, and that, the 'enemy had concentrate in
such force as to make it very drfficullo cross.
t by a number ofbridge3.'We commenced
bringing up from Aquia creek all the pontoons
we . could. After enough . of these .had ; ben
brought un to build the bridzea. calledseveral
counefte of war to. decide about crossing the Jap
pahannock. It was first 'decided to cross down
at. Snicker's Neck; about twelve miles below here.
Bet our demonstration was simply for. the wir-
poseof .drawing down there as , large a force of
the cn6mT as riossible. I then d?idv? .:ln evns
here, because in the lire t "place, I fUt satisfied that
they xlid not expect us to cross here, but down be-
low. - In the next place, I felt satisfied that this
was the place to fight the most decisive battle, be
cause if we could divide, their forceaL by pressing
their linei at one or two points, separating their
left from, their right, then a vigorous attack with
the. whole army would succeed in breaking their
army in pieces. - .V, - ' - '
The' enemy had cut a road along the rear of the
line of , heights, where we made our attack, by
means of -which they connected the two wings of
men army, ana avoiuea a long aeiour rouna
through, a bad country'Pi-- :V; ft
y X obtained from a coloured man from the other
side of the tuwn, information in . regard. -to this
new road, which; proved to he corrects I wanted
to obtain, possession ef that new road, and hst
Waa my reason for making an attack on the ex
treme left. ..'I did hot intend to make an attack
on the right until that position .had been taken,
which T supposed would stagger the enemy by
cutting their , line in two, and -then I proposed to
make a direct attack on their front and drive them
outof-.their works. . -f:.rv-.;: i
. lncceeded in building six bridges and in tak
ing the whole army across. The two attacks were
made, and we were repulsed -still ,hpldine a por
tion of the ground we had fought Upon,lut not
our extreme: advance, f -Thai night I went, all
over the field on our . right In fact, I was with
the officers and men until daylight- ! I found the
feeling to be rather against an attack the next
morning. Sin fact it was decidedly ' against it.; ff--;
Preturned to my headquarters, and after a con
versation with General Sumner told him "that I
wanted, him to order the Ninth Army Corps,
which was the corps I originally commanded, to
form the next morning a column of attack by
regiments. It consisted of some eighteen eld
regiments and some new ones, and desired the
column to make a direct attack upon the enemy's
works. I thought that these regiments by driv
ing quickly up after each other"would be able to
carry the stone wall and the batteries in front,
forcing the enemy into their next line and ' by
joining in with them they , would, not' be able to
fire upon us to any great extent.. I left General
Sumner with. that understanding! and directed
him to give the order. ';.',-'' y::,: ; . ; . " :
The order was given, and the, order of attack
was formed. On thenext morning, just before
the column was to have started, General Sumner
came up to me and said : ''General," I hope
you will desist from this attack. I do not know
of any general -officer who approves of it, and I
think it will prove disastrous to the army," To
advice of that krftd from General Sumner, who
has always been in favour of our advance when
ever it Was possible, caused me to hesitate. I kept
the column , of attack formed, ; and; sent over for
the division and corps commanders and -consulted
with them.1 They, unanimously voted against the
attack.'. . I : then went over to see the officers of
the command on the other side, and found that
the same opinion prevailed among them- - .. '
I then sent for General Franklin, who was on
the left, and he was of exactly the same opinion;
This caused me to decide that I ought not to make
the attack I had comtemplaled, and besides inas
much as the-President of the United States had
told me not to be in haste in making this attack.
That he would give me all the support he could,
but he did not want the army of the Potomac de
stroyed. -I felt that I- could not take the respon
sibility ot ordering the attack, notwithstanding
my own bejief at the time . that the works of the
enemy couiu oe carrieu. .. ' f -
Id theafternoon of that day I again saw the
officers and told them that I had decided to with
draw to this side of the river; all our forces ex
cept enough to hold the town and the Jmdge
heads, but should keep the bridges there for future
operations in case we wanted to cross again. ; .
I accordingly ordered the withdrawal, leaving
General Hooker to conduct the withdrawal of our
forces from' the town and General Franklin to
conduct it on our left. During that evening I
received a note from General Hooker, and ab?ut
ten o'clock at night General r- Butterfield came
Lover with a message from General ;Hooker, stat
ing that he (General Hooker) .felt it his duty to
represent to me tne condition in wnica I was
leaving the town and the troops in it. 'After a
long communication on the subject with General
Butterfield, I felt that the troops I propose! to
leave behind would not be able to bold the town:
I then partially ; decided to withdraw the whole
command, which was a still more perilous opera
tion. It commenced raining, which to some ex
tent was assistance! to us, but a very bad thing in
the moving of troops. I thought over the mat
ter for about two hourss, and about one o'clock I
sent an order to withdraw the whole force, which
was successfully accomplished, - r v 's
There had been a great deal of division of
opinion among the corps commanders as to the
place of crossing, but after all the discussion upon
the subject the decision to crossover here, I un-
uersioou, was weu rtueivea uy au oi mem.
roSTEB'S 0PSRATI0N8 LET NOETH CAROLIUi. CON-
e Herald of the 25th gave a glowing ac
count of the splendid achievements of Gen. Fos
ter in North Carolina, but on the next day, the
26th, it seems to have had its eyes opened to the
fact that Foster's raid did not result in such great
things, after all. In an editorial on that da it
says.: ;.-',';: i -:"f-f. ; 4 . ; v;'-
jxne oruiianvseries oi operations unaer venerai
Foster, of which we published such an intefest
ingtaccountyesterday, would form, one of the
most satisfactory chapters in the history of the
war -if the . objects in . view had been serious or
well considered. Whilst, however; they will
serve as lasting memorials of the courage and
unflinching endurance of our " brave .soldier,, as
welt as of the energy, and strategio skill of their
commander, they will have to be classed -amongst
the many ill-directed efforts which have distin
guished this campaign on our side. ' What, ve
ask. have been the 'actual results of the expedi
M. .... . . . 3 .
tion TThfee or four bridges destroyed; a Jfewl
niies OI rauwy iteiegrapa unea wrn up, ana
. -1 3 i:i t i . : j
a quantity oi property uselessly consignea to tne
flacfles. Every military man knows that the in
terruption of the ; repel tinea of communication
. rt. . 1 ' J I - X .
tnus eneeiea can oo repaira iu iw aays, or w a
a week at the farthest, so that all tbatbaa been gain
ed, hy the sacrifices in men and money which the-j
expedition nas cost is me aestrucuou oi property
to the amount, as it is stated, of a million of dof-
Jars, the loss of which can in no way seriously
damage or cripple the! internal defences: of the
enemy. '''::'''iV-'-:
The expedition should never I, have i been at
tempted unless it was Intended, to hold tb rail
road junction at Golds boroV '.which commands
the" Atlantic seaboard line and constitutes the
channel through' which Kichmond receives its
supplies from Georgia, SouthJDaroIioa and North
Carolina The only result of the flate efforrwill
be to arouse the attention-of the rebels to the im
portance ofeoncentrating such a force tber cs
Will defy any further attempts onuur pari 10 cat
this. important link in their lines pf communica
tion except with an oyer whelming force; . It is
the more te be regretted from the evidence which
it has afforded of the facility with, which, under,
proper conditions, thia long coveted object might
have been effected; But the attempt and -. the
failure are of. sv piece with all the other brilliaat
efforts of Washington generalship. , vWhat a pity
that so mucj dash- and 'heroism .on the part of
both, officers and -men should have been thrown
away on (an enterprise, which, like the assault oi
the enemy's lines :at Fredericksburg, was destin
ed from the first to be fruitless.- , ' ' .
STILL ATEP. FKOM-tHE NOUTH.V .
The Richmond Enqurref makes' up the folio 1'
Ing summary from the TJalUmj?re American ef
the evening of the 27th ult: V, I , ,'v: , .'I
. Washington correspondents all agree that Lin- 1
coin is resolved 'to staRd by : his : emancipation
prwiHinauQa unu Tfui issue a supplementary pro
xlamatb.n :on the - Tet; Jan uary, ind icating the
States and parts of Statea' in, which; 'slavery U
The 'Herald?sayg that Seward will remain ia- 1
the Cabinet only upon condition1 thai thn
vative policy advocated by him be adonted b th
Administration.' He is said to I be violently op-
posed to Abraham's negfo proclamation, 't ' f- :
Under head'of 'news from Washington the
American'f eaysthat in diplomatic circles the
event next in importance to thji Fredericksburg '
defeat is considered to bertha certainty that tha
Emperor Napoleon will, at his (New Year recep
tion, inform Minis tor' Dj ton that the sufferings .
of Franfie will no longer permit him to delay
treating iheVnited States and the tbnfcderaU"
States ro . terminate the ; wasteful, war . An ap
peal, popular and influential throughout Europe,
w (expected from tho Emperbf, and the au-.
uicuutwuu. v ? vue v x reaca jorce . in Jalexioo
a wf a . tn t v v -
w wuvuu men.., xnei juepartment of.. State
at Washington 'has permitted thn Mnmn
of raUroad.Ues, &o., from New York to Jisxieo
for the French military .railroad, notwithstand
ing the rempritrances of 'the Mexican Minister- '
Gov. Seymour'B Message, it iis said, will make',
a studied and venomous attack ion New England,
and perhaps Intimate a Willingness for her expul
sion from; the Union aa a neceiaary step to induce
the South to return. - .., . J. . - ." .
McClellan was to have arrived in ; Washington ' 1 1
last; Sunday as .a witness in Porter's court mar-: i ' i
tial.. ;. fyff - - ; .... .-
.The "Herald" says there is roaiba 'to believe
that Lincoln will Tetorn: to 'Congress, with hU-
objections, the" bill; for the. erebtion of v Western
Virginia into a separate State. ' : , , . . : V
r.' Pierpont has writtan Lincolh a letter Jn regard '
to the admission of the so-called State, in wblch
he says that the "refusal of ,the President to sign
the bill will bo a fatal blow to thie loyalists of tho
State, and tantamount to thoif 1 dofiTery to tho 4
tender mercies of the Richmond regency Tl , f .
"Attorney General Bates regards the admission H
of West Virginia as unconstitutlonaL -. . t j ' . i
,'? The .VAmericaa" states that the Army of liie '
Potomac will not go into wintcri Quarters. ' .
- . A detachment of . Yankeon.. under
Kelly, occupied ; Winchester on Tuesday last.
Oar pickets quietly. withdrew. - . ' r ;
r Aiaetauea account or the blowing5 up of tho
Yankee iron clad "Cairo? in thej Yaitoo river, by
a Confederate torpedo, says that !tho vessel'sunk
fn seven minutes. In the jeremiad over her los,
it is stated that the mounted thirteen excellent
TgunS. and has home part in maiy ongagements.-
Anoiner war steamer nas been added to Adml - '
raljldilne's - squadron in tne West Indies, to
overawe or punish Commodore .Wilke's interfer
ence with English commerce.. J-"-' ' " i .;
;j FinancialtUGold 134tal34'f..-'. wu- V
THE PEACE FEELING AT THIS NOTRU-
A BOLD LETTER FROM H0N..WM.' B.
REED. : ''. :- v J. :':' ' - ... i ' -
We nr.d In the Phjladelphia paperss a" very ,
'significant and. out-spoken letter from Hon. VYH
UamP.Roed, one of the ablest &nd most influen
tial Democratic leaders In Perinsylvania, in reply
w au mviiuiuu iu Bbwuu a party gatuering YY 0
copy !the letter ln fullf, ; '! ; - f .
, Cuicsnut Hill, nicar PiiiLADELjnii, l
'';-iC -4 f,;i v', Novei!uber,6lfl862. . f y
-''' QkntlejIen : "Nothing wtjuld give, mo" more
pleasure than to unite in.the .leslivaf in honor of
the recent victoryin Pennsylvania, but the short
.notice,:. and-some"" personal considerations with'
which I need not .trouble yon, prevent it.- Let
me liope that ; before long -J may congratulate
you' on the fruit of this political .succe in the
restoration . of the functions, . of Constitutional
Government at the North, antf an honorable
peacei Jl is my firm belief that- the paramount
wish -of tie masses of the North is for peace,
thdugh .timidity, c.considerallonsHnlslaken In
my "opinion of expediency .prevent them from
saying bo. . It. haa been partfof the policy of tho
Administration to crush out this craving of a
common: humanity, and to denounce as traitors
those who think I do, that blood enough .has ''
been shed already, ; TbIs has! been acquiesced in
teo long. There are thousands who think with
me, whose property is endangered whose'indus
try is; paral vcd fathers -and mothers who are
praying anxiously for; the return ot their chil
dren from the battle i field, or1 waiting for the stern
doom that takes them frpm those who are lefj at ,
home.V.Thia prayer wirl ' soon. find ulteraoce
and the community,. weary of war and bloodshed; .
weary of debt and taxation, ,of- the tax collector '
and the recruiting sergeant weary of the ambu- ''. t
lance of the wounded and the hearse of the dead ' 1
will hail with estacy beyond J control, 1 the hour :
when flags of. permanent true shall be displayed j
at Washington-end Richmond. I am old enough -to
remember the peace of -1815, and, the loy it ex- ' '
cited ; but it was as nothing in coaoparuon with y J
what;ouri Will be wLen this brothers war is over. r
s Whett'peace cot is or before it comes-r-If :the
madness of thqso in power -prolongs this dreary
conflict will come the dayu( responsibility ; and
part of' the duty ol the Democratic party will be
to 'enforce:' this tern account, The Houe of
Representatives at Harrisburg will be stricjjy tha
Grand Inquest o'Lthis Common wealth; and It will J
have work enough pa haod. On it will devolve !
the dutv to inquire . into the con ductof this war.
so far as Pennsylvania is concerned, and to know
it ner autnoriues nave Deen iaiiniui to tneir locai i
trust. . The ' bitter cry Of the Roman Emperor
for his lost legions is echoed by Pennsylvania ask
ing why her-gallant reserves were sacrificed and
cut to peices on distant battlefields, and her own ;
frontier left open to -invasion atrd .insult. Gene
ral Stuart's Unresisted raid through two of the"
most populous . and loyal countiw of Pennsylva- j
nia", circling as he didjn defiance near the capital i
of, the State, is to the authorities tho most dis-j
graceful incident of this ! war. It was bloodless ,
by mere accident. Ut was jaot the less discrodlla j
ble because it was bloodless. : . "I , ! ' !
y But another outrage on the dignity and the
sovereignty of the state demands inquiry and re-
dress. .On the Cth of August last; a Pod oral i
military offlcor--Gen ; Jat, VVadsworth claim-1-
uig;(to he . Military, Govornor of. the District of I
Colrfriaoiacamo, with a guard,-to tho, capital of j
this State, and, 'without authority .of law, In tho
miaaie ine nigm, scizca; ana-araggea irom
their beds, d ctly under the eye of tho Gover
nor and the c-binet. four-rBgrectaWe," and as tbo
event proved, innocent citizens of Pennsylvania. O
.They wwe'incarcerated In a distant. irion, and
finally discharged -without, an . accusaCoa or an
accuser, and for them, our own immediate fbl low
citizens,' no word of rctnonstranco or even inter
cession was uttered by the Executive or .his &1-
Had I no other causa fur rcjofcingtt tbo resto
ration of Democracy tq legislative power' in this
State, I find it in thewrospect of inquiry", and if.
need be, puhuhment, of thosq whoso .neglect and '
induerecce nave mulcted. I neso kindred ignomir
niez on an ancient Commonwealth where tho steo
,of invasion; has not been felt for more than aev-
entyjrears, ana wnere personal liberty, as secured
fcy law, has never , before bacn violated. j .
You.wiil,J am lure, excuse these tuggestionr
for, the future. V- Something jnay be pardoned" La
freedom of speech suddenly rofctored-
: i l nave the honor to ba, gontlemen; very respect- ' - -
Xully, your obedient servant,
Wkf. B;
iilCKU,
1
.
.
r
i
4
i
-
'.t
I.
'
6 ,
-Hi
-v.
i
H
.if
x
)
, 1
f -
1
V-
"IT
. , V -T ' . -
III I III I III II II 1