The Sun. — London, England, 1862-12-29 00:00:00

tiLE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG. (From the New York Herald.) Head-quarters, Ninth Army Corps, Fredericks. burg, Virginia, Dec. 13, 5 a.m. Bating. the forenoon and the early part of the atto.iloon of yesterday our forces remained in Com- patutively quiet posesbiou of the City, th oug h our advance pickets kept up a desultory, strag g'ing fire with those of the enemy, whom they con tinued to push back towards the entrenchments on the hills beyond, the monotonous rattle of musketry being occasionally broken by the louder explosions of artillery. AN ADVANCE MOVEMENT. Towards three o'clock, however, signs of an ad vance movement on our part were manifested. The artillery, the presence of which had been concealed as much as possible, was ordered forth into the streets, and went rumbling along to take up posi tions commanding the approaches to the city, and at the same time covering the progress of our troops outwards. Squadrons and companies of ca valry also took their departure in large numbers to the support of the infantry pickets and skirmishers, who steadily advanced from diverging lines from the city, thus enlarging the field of our operations. This movement having been successfully effected, the forces on the other side of the river took up the line of march for the bank, there to be disposed in a position supporting the troops on the front. Stoneman's corps was in the advance, and at the head of the column was descending the declivity, filing to the left as it proceeded, and passing near the upper pontoon bridge, the rebels, who disco vered the movement, suddenly opened with shell from their batteries on the right. The first shell burst in close proximity to the pontoons ; the se cond struck in the side of the hill over which the men were coming, and, bursting, tore up the road, leaving a gaping pit. From the accuracy with which these missiles had been directed it was evi dent that the rebels had obtained the range with a precision which threatened great slaughter to our troops should they persist in advancing, and accord ingly they were ordered back to shelter, though some of the men rushed forward on the double quick, as if determined to run the gauntlet, and pass the locality, despite the dangerous character of such an exploit. The batteries had continued to fire for some time after the troops had been with drawn, with the intention, no doubt, of preventing a renewal of the attempt to pass, when our batte ries on the bluff opposite the easterly end of the city opened in response, and an artillery duel ensued, which lasted about two hours, with but little intermission. The rebels boldly diverted their fire from the right to the left, and when the fight had grown warm the air above ns seemed alive with the screaming shot and shell. From one or two guns at the commence ment the rebels extended their fire to the whole amphitheatre of works which surmount the hills en circling the city, and, while responding to our bat teries, endeavoured to cast a few shells among the troops occupying our left. The attempt was in effectual, inasmuch as the slope on which the city stands afforded secure protection. One of their shells struck a house in the town, but did little damage to it. Towards 5 o'clock their batteries became silent. Our troops on the opposite side then advanced without molestation, and have taken up a position on the edge of the river, between the upper and lower pontoon bridges, ready to cross by either or both when necessary. It will be seen that our forces are thus massed on the banks of the stream, and, though divided by it, are in easy communica tion with each other. The occupation of Fredericksburg having been successfully accomplished, the next move was to drive the rebels from their strongholds in the rear of the city. The lines of the rebels, which ex tended in the form of a semi-circle from Port Royal to a point about six milesiabove Fredericksburg, were strongly fortified and protected by a range of hills. " Stonewall" Jackson occupied the right wing, extending from Port Royal to Guinney's Station (a station on the Richmond and Fredericks burg Railroad) ; Gen. Longstreet the centre, extend ing to the telegraph road; and Generals Lee and Stuart the left, west of Messaponax Creek, while General A. P. Hill's corps acted as a reserve. Lee's reason for occupying the left was because he could be on his guard against Sigel, who threatened to outflank him by way of Culpepper, The entire rebel force was estimated at 200,000 men, and occa pied a front of not less than 20 miles. The troops were for the most part veterans who had fought through all the peninsular campaign, while the officers were the ablest that the South could pro duce. It was no mean enemy we had to contend with, I assure you. The disposition of the Union forces occupied the whole of Friday night and Saturday morning, and, as Gen. Bnrnside was anxious to commence the at tack at as early an hour as possible, there was not much chance for the troops to rest themselves. A few stragglers, it is true, managed to sneak away for the purpose of pillaging ; but the great mass of the soldiers were constantly under arms. General Burnside was in the city all night, personally in specting the troops and directing their movements. It was arranged that General Franklin's corps should cross the river two miles below the city, with the view of turning the enemy's position on Messaponax creek, while Hooker would engage the rebels nearer the centre, and Sumner would turn their right. By this arrangement it will be seen that Franklin was opposed to " Stonewall" Lek son, while Hooker and Sumner attacked the centre and left of the rebels under Longstreet and Lee. The eventful morning came, and with it a dense fog, which obscured the movements of the enemy. The balloon was sent up just before daylight, but in consequence of the fog no observation could be had. However, the disposition of the Union forces had been made, and General Burnside determined to commenca operations, fog or no fog. THE LEFT. Franklin moved his column, consisting of the first aid sixth corpe, just before sunrise, his right resting on the outskirts of the city, his centre ad vanced a mile or so from the river, and his left rest- ing on the Rai,pahannock about three miles below, Skirmishing commenced a few minutes after day light on the extreme left. A rebel battery opened on our troops, and the fire became so annoying that the 9th Regiment New York State Militia were ordered to charge and take the cannon at the point of the bayonet. The order was obeyed with alacrity, but after a fierce struggle the clyirging party were compelled to fall back. At this critical moment General Tyler, perceiving the disorder into which the 9th New York were thrown, c_a t m e to their aid with a b r i ga d e . Th e h 9 were quickly rallied, and, assisted by Tyler's b rigade, another attempt was made to storm the r e b el batteries, but without success. The fight 1145 w b ecame general on the extreme left, and an°111 " d esperate effort was mad e t o cap t ure the re b l but th e e fire a of tt er y by General Tyler's brigad e ; effect that our b th e rebels was s o w ith er i ng i n i ts rave fellows w ere una bl e t o ga i n any advant age, a fearful rat e , a p th ch charge much-coveted ba thinnedte th e ran k s at ch ances o f captur i ng that first. By noon the vi ry a h P ot eared no b e tt er th an a t engaged with the en emy, „%f Franklin' s cor p s was made to ta r n th e enemy ,„ po a desperate effort was ponax and d r i ve him bey ond aition on the Massa- Fr trildin command e d t h e move th e creek. G enera l perso n , an d h andled his troops with remarkable in jud rebels maintained possession o f se g ill ent. The l w ith their usual stubbornness, buttlageraadtuall hills4t"l7 fell as the Uni on troops evinced a determination to go forward. D urin g the af ternoon the rebels came to a stand, and l offs: or a time as sumed the o,: sive; but as they adva nced to meet us t hey were bravely met and repuis'ed with heavy loss. It was at this time that some 300 of Hill's command fell into our hands, and were conducted to the rear as prisoners. Still the enemy contested every foot of the ground, and it was only by dint of the hardest kind of fighting that he could be compelled to change his position. It was during the heat of this engagement that the galland Bayard was mortally wounded. He was conversing with General Franklin, when a cannon ball struck him in the hip and threw him elean out of the saddle. Poor Bayard, be never, dreamt of danger in the thickest of the battle, and never lost his courage, even when his leg v as am putated. The surgeons say that he cannot survive many days, and that the operation they have per formed can only prolong his agony a :hort while. Bnt I am digressing from main facts. The obstincy with which the rebels held posses sion of their ground rendered General Franklin's task a very difficult one indeed. He had to cope with " Stonewall" Jackson and the veterans of Cedar Mountain, Bull Run, and Antietum—troops who understood their business thoroughly, and were not to be scared by trifles. Hence the task of turning the rebels' position on the Massaponas was no ordinary one. Still the Union commander was not discouraged ; he had driven the enemy back several rods, ~nd was determined todrive them further. Old " Stonewall" had met his match this time, and, notwithstanding his troops fought with their usual bravery, they were gradually pushed southward. At sundown Franklin had succeeded in driving the enemy nearly a mile, and his troops occupied the field during the remainder of the night. The movement on the left was a complete success, although to-morrow is required for finishing up the job. The casualties on both sides were very nume rous, as the list of the killed and wounded which I have forwarded to you will show. Among those who were wounded were Capt. Hendrickson, com manding 9th New York State Militia, and Capt. Hartt, Assistant - Surgeon-General to General Tyler. Reynold's corps advanced before the dense fog had lifted itself from the river banks, and about 9 o'clock the enemy's infantry were engaged. The opp - sing columns had fairly got to work when the rebel artillery commenced playing upon us through the fog. The shots were all aimed at random, however, and produced but little effect. Notwith standing the view was so obscured, the rebel artil lerists kept up the cannonade for several hours, and as peal after peal rang through the air the effect was terribly sublime. The fire was returned by our batteries in gallant style, and for hours nothing but the deafening roar of artillery could be heard on all sides. Up to noon, when the fog cleared off and the balloonists were enabled to get a glance at the enemy's works, the fight was an artillery one, and productive of no very important result on either side. As soon as the sunshine showed itself, how ever, the infantry were brought into play, and the work commenced in real interest. Generals Mead and Gibbon's divisions encountered the right of General A. P. Hill's command and Longstreet's veterans. The fight raged furiously during the entire day, and our troops suffered terribly from the enemy's artillery. The enemy were posted behind hills in great strength, and at one time it seemed impossible to dislodge them. About noon General Gib bon was relieved by General Doubleday's com mand. General Mead, who was fighting against superior odds, was also reinforced by General Stoneman's command, which had the effect of checking the rebels and driving them back a short distance. It was in the midst of this struggle that General Gibbon was wounded and partially disabled. He kept the field, however, during the remainder of the day, and won many laurels by his brilliant conduct. Gen. Welellar's endorsement of Gibbon's dash and ability has been fully borne out by the result of the day's fighting. During the afternoon Gen. Newton's division was moved up to the left of the centre, when the firing, which had ceased in that part of the field, broke out again with redoubled fury. Our troops were here exposed to a plunging fire from the enemy's artillery, which was posted on the neighbouring hills, and for a short time the Union soldiers were opposed to a destruc tive fire. Our artillery returned the fire with deadly effect, and immortalised themselves by their accu racy of aim and unwavering courage. The right, consisting of the 7th and 9th corps, under General Sumner, earned imperishable honours, and, as the list of the killed and wounded will testify, the laurels were won at a fearful cost. The action on the right commenced about 10 o'clock, and raged furiously all day long. The enemy occupied the woods and hills in the rear of the city, and in point of advantage the odds were decidedly in their fa vour. The courage of the Union troops was un bounded, however, and every inch of ground was hotly contested. It soon became evident that the first ridge of the hills, on which the enemy were posted behind earthworks, could not be carried ex cept at the point of the bayonet, and accordingly Gen. Sumner ordered French's division to charge upon the batteries. Gen. Howard's division acted as a support, and the troops sprang forward to obey the order with much enthusiasm. By this time the atmosphere was clear, except from the smoke of the artillery, and a good view could be had of the rebels' position.and the country adjoining. It was a grand sight to see that devoted column seeking the bubble reputation e'en at the cannon's mouth." Steadily they marched across the plain, and never faltered until they were within a dozen yards of the ridge, when, suddenly, they were met by a galling fire from the rebel infantry, who were posted be hind a stone wall. For a few moments the head of the column exhibited some confusion, but, quickly forming into line, they retired to a ravine within musket shot of the enemy. Here the Union troops were reinforced by a fresh body of in fantry, who advanced to the assistance of their comrades in splendid style, notwithstanding large gaps were made in their ranks at everyltep, The reinforcements having arrived, and the line of as. sault being again formed, the order " Double quick, with fixed bayonets," was given, and once more the column advanced to dislodge the rebel artillery. From the moment the storming party left the ra vine up to the time they reached the foot of the hills they were exposed to the hottest fire of the enemy. The concentrated fire of Lee's artillery and infantry rained upon their devoted heads in a manner truly terrific. No troops, however disciplined and brave, could withstand the shock, and after suffering ter ribly our soldiers were thrown into disorder and brought to a sudden halt. At this juncture the centre of the column gave way and fled in dismay, but they were afterwards rallied and brought back. A second and third attempt was made to dislodge the rebel artillerists, but in vain, and at each at- tempt the ranks of the storming party grew thinner and thinner. Sumner now brought all his available artillery into play, hoping to shell the rebels out, and from that tim e u ntil__ dark the roar of cannon was incessant. The r€bels, who had been driven back a short distance during the day, returned to their original position when night came, so that we were unable to remove our dead. Several attempts were made to remove the bodies during the night, but the enemy opened upo❑ us with their infantry and compelled us to desist. All our wounded were removed, however, and such of the dead as were not within musket r. nge of the rebels were buried. THE CENTRE. The 3d and sth army corps, under Gen. Hooker, formed the centre, and co-operated with Sumner's _ column during the battle. General Burnside was anxious that a movement should be made as early as possible, arid, accordingly, at the break of day, the troops commenced to move towards the enemy's earthworks. The men were full of hope and confi dent of success as they filed out of the city in splen did order. Skirmishing commenced shortly after daylight, and in a short time afterwards the rebel artillery commenced playing upon us through the fog. The firing was so inaccurate, however, that our troops paid but little attention to it, and kept pressing on, regardless of the deadly missiles which were fijiog through the air. By and by our artillery responded, and for hours a most ter- rific cannonad e was k ep t up on b ot h sides. The enemy's position was one of exceeding strength, and appeared to be invulnerable to our artillery, notwithstanding our guns were excellently handled. About noon the infantry, who had been waiting for the fog to clear off, advanced for the purpos e of storming the enemy's position on the hill. Confident of victor steadily up to within S, the troops marched musk but a mu r d erous fire from batteries; the reb e l r ifl emen, added to the fury o f the cannonade, compelled our men to fall back with heavy loss. the ft rebeloon,and batteriesh The attempt t o carry ern wasrepeated again i n t h e forced, started on the " attacking party, afternoon, te strongly rein double-quick ;" b u t th e enemy, W ho were also heavily r e i nforced, proved too THE SUN, LONDON MONDAY EIVENING DECEMBER 29, 1862. much for us. All along the line the battle raged with unusual fierceness, and when night came it was hard to say who were the victors. Of the killed and wounded there were probably as many on the side of the rebels as on ours. No correct estimate can be formed of the loss in Hooker's corps, but it was pretty heavy. The firing of musketry ceased about half-past 5 o'clock, but the rebels con tinued to cannonade the city until long after dark. They evidently intended to shell us out of our posi tion in Fredericksburg, but thus far they have been unsuccessful. DECEMBER 14. The battle of yesterday was one of the most se verely and desperately contested of the whole war. It raged fiercely throughout the entire day, and even after darkw3ss had shrouded the field, it was kept up with a determination on both sides as though it was likely to last until one army or the other had become so exhausted as to be unable to maintain the fight any longer. the day. A portion of this division crossed on Thurs day evening, and the remainder crossed on Friday. About half-past nine o'clock the order was given to advance, and Doubleday pushed forward cautiously. The skirmishers met on a cornfield, and the rebels immediately opened with artillery in the field. The enemy were making an effort to turn our left flank, when our artillery on the left of Franklin's position was speedily wheeled into position, and opened upon the enemy. The cannonading was for a time very severe on both sides, while the sharpshooters were at work in a very lively manner in front. Our artillery on the other side of the river also opened upon them, and they were soon convinced of the uselessness of their efforts. fected a passage, as the despatches stated that they had got under cover of their guns, and could not be interrupted in their construction of a bridge. At last accounts, dated about noon, the fight was pro gressing on the southern side of the Rappahannock. The gerieral conclusions from what we learn up to the hour of writing are that the enemy had effected a passage of the Rappahannock, probably in con siderable force; that the action of yesterday was without any important fruits, or prefatory to a more important action now impending; and that to-day will witness a large and important, but perhaps in decisive, battle on the disputed lines of Fredericks burg. As confirmatory of this prospect, an order was received last night at the Medical Purveyor's office for all the ambulances and stretchers that could possibly be sent from this city. These are the gloomy indications of the work to-day. " LATER ACCOUNTS. " Through passengers who arrived here last night from Fredericksburg we learn that, simultaneously with his attempt to throw his pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock the enemy bombarded the town. The few inhabitants still remaining there began to leave immediately and made their way towards Hamilton station on the railroad. A number of houses in the town were struck, and two of them, Mr. John C. King's, near the depot, and a Mr. Scott's, were burnt. One of the church steeples was also struck, and some say knocked down. The num ber of casualties to citizens are variously stated. Some accounts say that only one man, J. Grotz, was killed, and another wounded. But persons who were among the last to leave the town report that there were six citizens killed, among whom were Mr. Y. Grotz and his brother George, and a woman and her infant. Heavy cannonading, and the occasional fire of skirmishers was heard at the depot from 5 o'clock a.m. until 11, when perfect silence ensued all along the lines, and continued unbroken until 1 o'clock p.m., the hour of the departure of the train for Richmond. Persons who came down on this train knew nothing of the movements going on ex cept such as they obtained from the flying inhabi tants of Fredericksburg, who knew nothing more than that their town was being shelled over their heads, and that their safety depended on a hasty evacuation. The account, however, brought by them does not differ in the main from that obtained from more reliable sources. They say that at 5 o'clock a.m. the enemy attempted to throw across pontoon bridges at three points—the old railroad bridge about the centre of the town, and above and below Deep Run, a stream three miles lower down the Rappahannock ; that at the first of these two points the bridge-builders were driven from their work by our sharpshooters, but that at the point below the creek mentioned, the ground being low and open for a considerable space on this side, his artillery, posted on the opposite heights, had dispersed our sharpshooters, and enabled his men to perfect the bridge, At last accounts our artillery had been brought into a position covering and completely com manding the open space upon which the enemy's troops would deploy in crossing." ELECTION INTELLIGENCE. CAMBRIDGESHIRE. The following address from Mr. Ball, M.P. for the county of Cambridge, has been published in the local papers : " To the electors of the county of Cambridge and Isle of Ely.—Gentlemen,—Some ten years since you did me the honour to invite me to become a candidate to represent you in Parliament. Ui ged by the entreaty of some friends, and encouraged by the promises of others, I presumed to solicit the suffrages of the constituency of the county and isle. At the election in 1852, you more than realised my expectation, and triumphantly sent me to the House of Commons. Circumstances impose on me the necessity of resigning that situation. I have now entered my threescore years and ten, and although, by the blessing of God, I have an ordi nary share of health, I nevertheless have not the ♦igour of body and freedom from pain which is essential to the efficient discharge of the duties of a county member. Permit me, therefore, most respectfully and gratefully to resign to your hands the high honour you conferred on me. I assumed the position of one of your represen tatives with a profound sense of my unworthi ness, and I now relinquish that honour with a deep recognition of your kindness and forbearance throughout the whole period of my parliamentary career.—l remain, &c., 4 ' EDWARD BALL. " Burwell, Dec. 23, 1862." The Cambridge Independent referring to this document says:—" Though Mr. Ball says nothing about the time of his resignation, we conclude from the general tone of his address that he intends, like Mr. Steuart, member for the town, to take the steps necessary for such a proceeding immediately on the opening of the session, and without taking the chance of a dissolution of Parliament. What steps will be taken to fill up the expected vacancy we are not at present in a position to say. Until to-day Mr. Bal.'s intention to resign has not been made public, so there has been no time to concert arrangements. We take it for granted, however, that Lord George Manners will be in the field ; pro bably his lordship might have been made acquainted with the intende resignation of Mr. Ball, and hence the paragraph inserted last week by way of feeler in the London newspapers. In addition to Lord George Manners, we have heard the follow ing gentlemen named as not unlikely, one or other of them, to be candidates ;—Mr. C. Toss nley, Major Fryer, and Mr. Young, the Mayor of Wis bech." THE RIGHT AND CENTRE UNDER SUMNER. The fighting on our immediate front and right and beyond Fredericksburg was carried on by General Susaner's grand division, comprising the 2d and 9th army corps. Shortly after 9 o'clock the 2d.corps, General Couch, which constituted the right of the attacking forces, moved out from the upper part of the city between the plank road and westerly outskirts with strong detachments of skirmishers. The enemy yielded gradually, though they contested our progress with great stubborn ness, and for some time the rattle of musketry was incessant. ARTILLERY FIGHTING. At the same time that this movement was com menced the batteries of the division stationed on the bluffs across the river opened with shell to aid the exit of the rebels and cover our advance. The rebel infantry having fallen back to their first line of entrenchments and rifle pits, their batteries opened with a vigorous and rapid fire upon our columns, which now had come to a temporary halt, awaiting the result of the artillery fighting. For some time our artillery on the bluffs kept up a heavy fire upon the rebel batteries, with such success that the batteries on Taylor's-hill, nearly opposite Fal mouth, and commanding our right flank, were finally silenced. During the time the artillery of the rebels was almost entirely devoted to tho shel ling of our advanced troops. Occasionally they would send a shot towards our batteries, but they fell short or lodged in the town beyond. HANCOCK IN THE ADVANCE. Hancock's division had the advance, supported by the other divisions of the corps ; while the 9th corps, General Wilcox, remained under arms in town, in readiness to obey the signal to advance to the as sistance and support of their comrades, wherever they could effectually do so. Soon after the whole corps deployed into line of battle, with Hancock's division on the right, and in this order moved forward to attack and storm the rebel right batteries, while from all the enemy's works a ter rible shower of shell, grape, and shrapnell tore through their bleeding ranks; notwithstanding which they steadily pushed on to the rifle pits, with in a short distance of the first line of intrench ments. From the former they drove the rebels, making prisoners of some, while the remainder took refuge behind the earthworks. This was accom plished after the most heroic and long-continued efforts, under a galling and murderous fire. Human nature was unable to hold out against the terrible fire which they now encountered, and they finally retired, but in good order, carrying away with them their wounded comrades. They fell back to their original line of pickets, thus holding the ground which they first occupied, and which they held until this morning, when they were relieved by General Stoneman's command. FRANKLIN ON THE LEFT—SUMNER JOINS HIM. Just previous to the advance of Couch's corps heavy firing and a dense smoke on the left indicated the fact that Franklin, with his grand divisions, was advancing upon and had already engaged the enemy's right flank. To open communication with him, therefore, Gen. Wilcox detached his division under Gen. Burns, and sent it to the left, by the edge of the river, with instructions to advance under cover of the river bank until he could place himself in close proximity to Gen. Franklin's right. Gen. Burns accordingbb moved his division for ward, crossed Hazel Run, and took position, with his left resting on Deep Ran, to the opposite bank of which Gen. Franklin's right extended. From this location he was also enabled to support, if ne cessary, any demonstration having for its field of operations the space of ground between Deep Run and Couch's corps, and though the division did not take part in the day's engagement it rendered valuable assistance otherwise. GENERAL STURGIS'S DIVISION JOINS COUCH. GENERAL FERRERO. About noon Gen. Sturgis was ordered to the sup port of Gen. Couch. So, forming his division with Gen. Ferrero's brigade in the advance, he moved obliquely with the intention of attacking the bat teries which had been enfilading Couch's from the right centre of the rebel position. He opened the attack with Gen. Ferrero's brigade, which deployed into line of battle parallel to the enemy's works, with Gen, Nagle's brigade, formed in the rear, and within easy supporting distance. Gem Ferrero then advanced, pouring in terrific volleys of musketry and driving the rebels back. To retard this move ment the rebels opened a raking fire upon his left flank, upon discovering which Gen. Sturgis ordered Nagle's brigade to advance by the left flank, and, forming into line of battle, attack the enemy's bat tery on the left. The movement was accordingly attempted, but in consequence of ravines which it was injudicious to leave in their rear General Nagle was unable to carry out the order, and he then fell back to the direct support of Gene; al Ferrero. Couch's corps was falling back while this was trans spiring, and by the time General Nagle had resumed his original position was nearly off the field, leaving Sturgis alone in the advance, and upon his command the enemy now concentrated almost their entire force, and the fight became one of the most despe rate character. THE CHARGE.-TIIE HILL CARRIED. Despite the storm of missiles from the numerous rebel works General Ferrero continued to advance, supported now also by Dickerson's battery, which was disabled in 15 minutes after coming into action, when its place was relieved by another battery. At last, by a dashing charge, the brigade carried the crest of the hill, and approached within 80 paces of the enemy's in trenchraen ts. Their success, however, was not of long continuance, as the tremendous fire from the rebel batteries soon rendered it necessary for them to retire, which they did when the order to do so bad been given for the third time. It was now dark, and the division fell back to its original position, after being six hours under fire. General Sturgis's division may be said to have borne the brunt of the fighting on the part of the 9th corps, and behaved most splendidly throughout the whole affair. When Sturgis was most warmly engaged the third division, under General Getty, advanced to his support, executing a movement to his left similar to that which he was making in relation to General Couch. After occupying for some time the position first indicated by the order from General Wilcox, the division was formed for an attack on the right rebel batteries, which had been enfilading the ranks of General Sturgis, and to the accomplish ment of this particular object Colonel Hawkins's brigade, with Ed wards's, and the sth Massachusetts battery, was particularly assigned, while the 2d brigade, under Col. Harlan, formed in the rear as a reserve support. THE CHARGE OF HAWKINS'S BRIGADE. The order having been given to charge those bat teries, Colonel Hawkins's brigade dashed forward, and, in ascending the slope, were compelled to cross an old canal and a deep slough. Passing tbese, they found themselves on a level piece of ground, on reaching which darkness had overtaken them. Not withstanding the obscurity of the night they main tained themselves against the rebel battery until they were ordered to fall back. A straggling, scat tering fire on both sides was maintained until about 8 o'clock, when both parties ceased for the night. WHAT FRANKLIN DID. On the left, which extended for some three miles below the city, General Franklin's grand division were actively engaged in sustaining, the fortunes of REIGATE. The Surrey limes of Saturday says :—Matters concerning the election are rather in an unsettled state in this borough, neither parly having yet de terminedly fixed upon their candidate. Of course a great many names are mentioned, and as it is not very likely that the election will take place until February, it is not at all improbable that others will yet be added to the list. Amongst the liberals whose names have been put forward are Mr. W. A Wilkinson, Mr. G. L. Gower, and Mr. Thomas Dacn. The last-named gentleman, who is a mem ber of the Society of Friends, carries on business as a coal-merchant in the borough. He is well known as an active social and political reformer ; but it is not yet certain whether he will allow himself to be put in nomination. The Conservatives speak of bringing forward Mr. Stuart Wortley, and that gentleman has already issued an address. In the event of a division in the Liberal camp, he might possibly obtain a majority notwithstanding the decidedly liberal tendencies of the borough at large. Mr. Dann, after being waited upon, for warded a letter, of which the following is a copy, to the members of the Reigate Liberal Registra tion Society. It will be seen that Mr, Dann does not positively decline to stand, but that he makes that proceeding dependent on certain contin gencies. "Gentlemen,—Upon your waiting on me on Saturday last, you were kind enough to allow me a few days to reply to your inquiry concerning the important matter you submitted to me. Hav ing now maturely considered it, I wish to state that, however gratifying to me your inquiry may be (and nothing could be more so than the evidence of confidence and esteem afforded by your asking me to become your representative), other considera tions present themselves to my mind, which are to me of higher importance than my own gratifica tion. Among the first of these is the possibility of my standing in the place of some other candidate, who might he more fit to represent you than my self. Another is, that consistency with my prin ciples, and previous activity in public matters, namely, that candidates should not be permitted to incur profuse and needless expense, might possibly, by conflicting with the views of many of the elec tors, make my return doubtful, or even furnish the occasion for a Tory triumph, which might have been averted, had the Liberal forces been devoted exclusively in favour of some candidate more ready than I should be to comply with the common prac tice. Could these obstacles, however, be removed, my acceptance of your proposal wuuld be facili tated. My long residence among you, and the in terest I have ever felt in every public movement touching the welfare of the locality has, I doubt not, prompted you to the step you have so kindly taken ; but you may rest assured that, whether or not it may ever he my experience to promote your interests by representing you in Parliament, I shall ever feel grateful for this testimony of your appro val and regard.—l am, &c., " THOMAS J)ANN." TOTNES ANT) EXETER. The Western Morniny News of Saturday says : —The Conservatives of Totnes are seeking to in duce Mr. Dent to contest the representation on purity principles. A memorial to that gentlemen is in circulation, and about 120 signatures had been attached to it. , The number of electors is 345. The Liberal party have taken no further public mea sures respecting the election. Mr. Alfred Seymour has issued a farewell address to the electors of Exe ter. It is dated one day later than his address to the electors of Totnes ; and that gentleman, there fore, does not approve of the principle of being off with the old love before being on with the new. In the Exeter address he tells the electors, " Totnes, is your neighbouring borough." We had always thought that the only person who claimed the borough of Totnes as private property was the Duke of Somerset. There is, we believe, a fair chance that this election will be conducted fairly and decently so far as the electors are concerned. At present there seems no chance of bribery, and the only im proper influence will be territorial influence. Mr. Seymour having retired from the position which he lately occupied at Exeter, has now left the room clear for Mr_ J. D. Coleridge, QC. That gentle man will, it is understood, now issue his address, and he is expected to hold a public meeting in the city very shortly. Sir Henry Young has, it is stated, ceased to be a candidate for Totnes. On hearing that the ground had been preoccupied by Mr. Alfred Seymour he at once decided on not dividing the Liberal majority, and withdrew from the contest. A OENER4L ADVANCE ORDERED. About 12 o'clock there was an order for a general advance along the whole line. The enemy occupied a line of elevated land, mostly wooded, but in some places cleared and extended in a semicircular form, near the river below, around to Fredericks burg above, giving him an enfilading fire on the whole field, and making a line of battle at least six miles in extent. The rebel batteries were on the crest of the rising ground, well sup ported by infantry. Gen. Stoneman's corps were at this time crossing the river to support the move ment on the left. The batteries on both sides now blazed away with fearful fury. Doubleday, on the left flank, close to the river, advanced his lines gra dually, meeting with little opposition. At 1 o'clock the divisions of Generals Meade and Gibbons ad vanced under cover of our artillery. They went forward in splendid style, with colours flying. Tbey soon became actively engaged in the works at the foot of the range of hills, while from near where their artillery was planted on the crest an addi tional infantry fire was poured into our men. Both divisions, however, advanced to the woods, and a number of prisoners, 100 or more, were captured by them. The fire of artiilery and musketry was in cessant at this time. Presently, however, a fresh and more vigorous fire burst from the woods on the the Pennsylvanian reserves, throwing nearly the whole of that division into confusion and disorder. This emboldened the rebels, and they continued to advance, meeting with not much opposition from those troops. The officers tried to rally them, but without much success. Gen. Jackson, commanding one of the brigades, was killed by a musket ball, which struck him on the head while endeavouring to rally his men. His body was left upon the field, together with that of his adjutant, Capt. S werin gen. This unfortunate demoralisation of General Meade's division caused partial success of the ene my's attempt to flank our forces. As they could not be rallied Gen. Burney's division of veteran braves was brought forward on a double quick, and immediately pushed to the front to fill the gap. They opened a sharp fire, driving the rebels back to the woods from which they had come. On the right of Franklin's line Smith's corps was actively engagad. Gen. Howe's division and the left of Gen. Brook's kept back the enemy in their front. After this the fire slackened a little. Towards sunset the enemy made a very vigorous attack on several parts of the line, so as to hold a portion of our ground at dark, but he was speedily driven back at every point. At dark the relative position of the forces was the same as in the morn ing, except that we had gained half a mile or more on the left. General Burnside was at the Phillips-house nearly all day. His position most of the time was on the upper balcony, where, with a powerful glass, he was watching the movements across the river. He had his Staff and couriers running to and fro, con veying orders and bringing reports of the progress of the fight. He gave orders with promptitude, and succinctly. "Lose no time" was the almost universal inj unction to every courier. A smoky mist obscured the view in the morning. It was the hazy sky of an Indian summer day, and the same genial warmth of the sun, made more remarkable by its contrast to the recent intense cold. During last night and this afternoon the Confede rates have considerably extended their works and strengthened their position. Large bodies of troops are now to be seen where but few were to be found yesterday. Oar dead which were killed yesterday while charging in front of the enemy's works still remain where they fell. When attempting their removal last night the rebels would open fire with infantry, but the wounded have all been removed from the field, and all the dead obtained are now being buried. Head-quarters, Army of the Potomac, Dec. 15, 11 a.m. There was considerable firing yesterday between the advanced troops of the two armies. At one time the rebels showed a disposition to move on General Franklin's forces. Occasionally the rebels would throw a few shell among our troops, just to remind us that they were still there. With these exceptions everything was quiet. There is some skirmishing this morning With considerable artillery firing. The body of General Bayard left for Wash ington to-day. He was to have been married next Wednesday. Head-quarters, Army of the Potomac, Dec. 15, Noon. The weather to day has been clear and warm, with a strong southerly wind. The roads are in very good condition. The position of the two armies remains nearly the same. There was not much artillery firing this afternoon by either party. Those shots the rebels did fire were thrown nenemy, who are in plain v i ew , arei t into city. not idle,but u t The busily employed i n s t reng th en i ng their position. Most of the wounded to-day were removed from the city to this side of the river, as on the renewal of the battle the rebel guns would likely cause its destruction. Over 700 prisoners have been taken since our army crossed the river. WASHINGTON, Dec. 16. The following has been received by the military telegraph, dated "Falmouth, Dec. 16, 8.45 a.m. "It is raining very fast, and the ri ver i s r i s i ng rapidly. Our troops are on this side of the river. The pontoons are up. " Head-quarters, Army of the Potomac, Falmouth, Dec. 16, 1.45 p.m. " During last night the army of the Potomac evacuated their positions on the opposite side of the river. The last of the infantry brought up the rear shortly after daylight. The enemy never discovered the movement until it was too late to do us any harm. As soon as the last man had got safely across the liver the pontoon bridges were removed, thus cutting off all communication between the two shores. Our wounded are all safe and on this side of the river. There was a heavy wind all last night, accompanied with considerable rain, which assisted us in our movements, as it prevented the rebels from learning our intentions." "Fredericksburg, Dec. 16, 3 p.m. " I am told that a communication was received on Sunday last under the flag of truce from the re bels, stating that they iatended shelling the city, and requesting us to remove our wounded." " Washington, Dec. 16. " From what is now known of the strength and extent of the enemy's fortifications there seems to be a general approval of General Burnside's course in recrossing the Rappahannock. There is nothing known here to show that the rebels were in clined to leave their strongholds to meet our troops on an open field. All possible attention is being bestowed upon the wounded, but compara tively few of them have as yet arrived in Washing ton. Although our loss is heavy, it is far below some of the published statements, but the precise number cannot for days to come be ascertained. The reports in distant cities that apprehensions are entertained for the safety of Baltimore and Wash ington are simply absurd." The _Richman a Examiner of Dec. 12 contains a report of the preliminary operations at Fredericks burg as follows : " The following is an epitome of all the intelligence received at the War Department in the shape of official despatches up to a late hour last night. The despatches of General Lee relate that the fight began at Fredericksburg at 5 o'clock in the morning. At that hour the enemy attempted the passage of the Rappahannock at three different points by means of pontoon bridges. At two points they were re pulsed. At the third it is presumed that they ef- NORTHAMPTON. A correspondent writes under date Dec. 27 : Last week an address appeared in the local papers from Mr. Isaacs, a large employer of labour in the town, and captain of one of our volunteer rifle corps, announcing his intention of becoming a candidate for the representation of the borough on the next vacancy. Mr. Isaacs, in his address, leaves the beaten path of political appeal, and bases his claims upon his commercial connection with the town. Ho says—" Believing all party cries to be raised for private purposes and for personal aggrandisement, I scorn to appeal to your credulity by the expres sion of my devotedness to either of the several fac tions which have long been the curse of this coun try." And further on : "In this great manufacturing town it must be patent to the meanest capacity that my knowledge and experience, in connexion with your local trade, give meta claim upon your confi dence and support far superior to any pretensions to which mere verbiage may give the momentary currency of a base coinage." It is well understood, however, that it is Liberal votes which Mr. Isaacs expects to gain, and Mr. Gilpin whom ho hopes to supplant. The local Tory party naturally welcome a third candidate for liberal votes, but the Liberal organ, the Mercury rejects and almost resents it. The sitting members, Lord Henley and Mr. Gilpin have issued a joint address, in which they announce that it is there intention, whenever the oppor tunity presents itself, to solicit a renewal of the confidence of the electors, and add :—" 'We are cordially united in support of the principles we have hitherto maintained, and we trust that when the day of election arrives, we shall find tho Liberal party exhibit ing, by their union, a steady attachment to the cause which has for so long a series of years been triumphant in Northampton." Mr, Isaacs has com menced electoral operations. He has given £lO to the Mechanics' Institute, and has distributed £BO in sums of £5 and £2 10s, among the churches and chapels of the town. The Unitaiian congregation have returned the donation, the poor being supplied with the same amount from other sources. THE LOSS OF THE ELIZA BENCKE, The following is the official report of the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade relative to the loss of this vessel : My Lords,—l have the honour to report the result of the inquiry which, in conjunction with Capts, Harris and Baker, as nautical assessors, I have held into the circumstances attending the damage caused by the stranding of the ship Eliza Bencke, of Liver pool; on her recent voyage from this port. The Eliza llencke was a full-rigged ship, built at St. John, New Brunswick, in the present year, of 983 tons, classed A 1 for seven years, and owned by Mr. J. A. Bencke and others, of Liverpool. She was com manded by Mr. Alexander Glendinning, who has held a certificate of competency as master for ten years, and had a crew of 20 men. The Eliza Bencke left Liverpool on 27th Nov. last, bound for Bombay with a cargo consisting mainly of railway plant. She was towed out by a tug, which was cast off on the following morning in Caernarvon Bay. During that and the following days the ship was beating about the Irish Channel. About 10 p.m. on Satur day the Arklow Light was seen, and on Sunday morning, Nov. 30, it was again in sight, bearing N.W., at a distance of seven miles. During that day the ship was still beating down the Channel, and at midnight Blackwater Light was sighted, and this and the Arklow Light continued in sight, according to the most reliable evidence given in the case, till 4 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 1. At that hour the ship was hove to in 22 fathoms, with her head to the westward. At 7 30 a.m. all hands were called to make sail and to wear to the eastward, land being then plainly visible, but in the act of wearing the ship struck on the Glassgorman Bank. Every effort was made, but without success, to get the vessel off. Ultimately the masts were cut away to lighten her, and shortly afterwards she came off into deep water. The starboard anchor had been previously let go on the bank, and the port anchor was dropped to pre vent her being again set upon it. Up to this time she had not made much water. Assistance having been sent for, on the following morning, December 2, the Lioness steam tug arrived and took her in tow. Upon being taken in tow, in the attempt to weigh the starboard anchor the ship grounded the second time, and eventually she slipped the chain and got off the bank. Thence she was towed towards Dublin, but at 5 a.m. on the 3d the tug towed them on shore on the south tail of the Kish Bank. Here she un doubtedly received very material damage, having remained aground thumping heavily for about an hour and a half, for on getting off it was found she was making water fast, and on reaching Kingstown there was not less than sft. of water in the hold. It appears, from the evidence of the carpenter, that the pumps had been disabled by the fall of the masts, so that they could not be used till after they were repaired at Kingstown. She was subsequently towed round to Liverpool, when it was ascertained that she had received material damage, but fortu nately the cargo does not scem to have been much injured. It appears that at 4 a.m. on Dec. 1, the morning of the casualty, the Blackwater Light was in sight, and they sounded in 22 fathoms. These soundings, if obtained, must have indicated a dan gerous proximity to the coast, and should have warned the master that they were inside the line of sounding between the Arklow and the Blackwater Lights. It then became his bounden duty to have wore the ship to the eastward, instead of which it would appear that ho hove th e s hip t o on the port tack, and drifted with her head to the westward on a flood tide till 7.30 a.m., when the hands were called out to wear the ship to the eastward, sound ings having just pre v i ous ly been taken showing 20 fathoms, according to the ev ide j n a e m e f ho th w e ev first er ,e m om ate and the master's statement. pelled to conclude, from the cas ualt y which almost immediately befel the ship, that such soun di ngs were incorrect, and that she must have shoaled her water to a much greater extent. Be this as it may, I must pronounce the master in default, as the slightest reference to his chart, or the least attention to the bearing of the lights after 4 a.m. would have convinced him that he should have stood out to the which he might easily have done, the wind bein g favourable. eastward, The subsequent conduct of the captain appears to have been judicious, and I am disposed to give him credit for the same. For " T. S. RAFFLES, Stipendiary Magistrate. :( Liverpool, Dec. 23, 1862. " " HY. HARRIS, } It. B. BAKER, Nautical Asseszors• TOTAL WRECK OF A LIVERPOOL SITU' LYTHAM (NEAR PRESTON), FRIDAY NIGIIT. During a gale of wind and heavy surf the barq ue Brazil, of Liverpool, bound from Bangor to Main e ' U.S., with deals, being disabled off the Lancashire coast by loss of sails, was observed to he driving to leeward of her course, and to strike heavily on th e Salthouse Sandbank at six o'clock this morning' At daylight information of the wreck was brough t to Lytham, and the lifeboat of the National Lif e " boat Institution stationed there was thereuPe n launched, without delay, to her assistance. O n nearing the vessel they perceived the crew attempt' ing to leave in their own boat, as they did ve t observe the approach of the lifeboat. Owing to tile heavy surf that was running, their boat was is 5 sinking condition when the crew, numbering 13 men, were taken from her by the lifeboat. I b i e ship's boat went do wn i mme di a t e l y a f terwar d s , and tke poor fellows had the narrowest escape of thei r lives. The vessel has since become a total wreck._ This valuable lifeboat has during the past twit ur three months saved 14 men from the American ship Annie E. Hooper, of Battimore, saved th e schooner Ceres, of Arbroath, and her crew of fiv e men, and brought the derelict sloop Mart, o f straw raer, into port, and saved 13 men from the barq ue Brazil, of Liverpool. Total, 32 shipwrecked Po' sons saved from a watery grave by the Lytl lifeboat. COUNTRY MARKETS. ,i,.• LEICESTER—SATURDAY. Our market was by n o means plentifully supplied A lt a wheat, there being only a moderate sprinkling o f red 3s . white sorts. A firm t ra d e , a t f u ll y i s per qr. a d v an' 3 " 6 —Old white wheat, 58s to t3O ; new, 46s to 503 per g, stone. Old red, 50 5 t o 53 s 'p er 36 stone. Barley Inaltl/1 ' new, 34s to 38 8 pe r qr . ; gr i n di ng, 28 s to 31s; ol.d oats' 28s to 325; new oat s , 21 s t o 25 s per 24 stone. •-ealjo new, —s to —s ; old, 42s to 44s per 38 stone. NORTHAMPTON —SATURDAY. New wheat, 46s to 51s ; old, 50s to 565. Barley, to 39s per qr. New oats quoted at 24s to 27e ; I° ' o to to 34s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 39s to 425; new, 32s 38s. Peas, 36s to 44s per qr. NOTTINGHAM SATURDAY. There was a moderate show to-day, and the contliti?li: variable. The dem an d s t ea d y at is to 2s per qr . advan' d , Barley in fair oil er , an d l ast week ' s rates were mailat tall 2o. —White wheat, from 46 s t o 63s ; red wheat, 40 s to ba ts Barley—malting, 34 s to 42 s ; grinding, 28 8 to 30s. 14 4 old, at 25s to 31 s Od ; new, 2 2s to 265. Beans sol d a t to 45s per qr. Flour, 4ls to 445. YORK— SATURDAY. Tho show of wheat was barely an average for the season' The demand proved st ea d y , an d pr i ces i s higher. Bitie in middling supply, an d a f a i r d emand. Oats a f a ir sa ' and prices tending upwards. 20 5 to 2 41 Wheat, red 44 s t o 48s Oats . to 4 0 42. , White do .50 s t o 56 s B eans e --- Barley .30 s t o 36 s P eas ..* *—s to 4O Malt, 64s to 66s p er qr.,; rye, 39 s p er qr . ; flour, to 42s per sack. NORWICH—SATURDAY. There was a fair supply of wheat, but the conditions' aa very moder a t e , an d p r i ces a d vanced is per qr. for all 'I, e t : scriptions. Flour the tu rn i n f avour of the seller. 1304. in limited offer, and p r i ces were f u l ly as dear. Little grain to be seen. : White wheat. 48a to 514 I Red wheat 44s to 4S Malting barley 36 .36s to 37s Chevalier barley 33e to ai I Distilling do . 28s to 30s Oats.. 24s to 20 Flour, 34s Od to —s Od p er sac k f rom t h e miller. AMERICAN SOCIETY.—If a gentleman with wb °l3l you are engaged in altercation moves his han d towards towards his bree c h es p oc k e t, or b e hi nd his bac k , y o u 11111 ,, smash him or shoot hi m a t once, f or h e is eit h er g oing 1 draw his six-shooter, to pull out a bowie knife, or to 011°0 you through th e li n i ng o f hi s poc k et. The latter practi c " . is considered rather ungentlemanly, but it has been st)/3 1 ° ; what more ho noure d l a t e l y i n t h e observance t h an in breach.—Russell's American Diary. VOYAGE OF AN IRON-CLAD.—The following;is an extract from a letter, dated on board the Passaic, Fortress Monroe, N ov . 30, 1862 :—" We have arrived Ile' safely, and I h as t en t o transmit an account o f the fir t voyage of the second Monitor. I have already telegraph it about the two b o lt s s t ar ti ng i n our boiler. It rtu3clßetilt necessary to shut off s t eam , an d we were towe d UP. - the trial was over the experiment fairly tested. suppose you k now th a t , b eside the apparatus for firing our great gun a n d th e sma ll hole in the turret, t/lAeea were other principl es i nvo l ve d i n this ship w hi c h n ee ,i j2 10 application to s h ow th e i r va l ue. They were t water-tight nature of the t urre t. 2 . Th e ar range ' - : 1 1 0 for using the compass. 3. The sea-going qualities a the ship. In r egar d t o th e first, it will be remembered that t leakage of the original Monitor's turret was found to be „,„ 0 serious inconvenience. Water forced itself under the castle of iron,' and in a heavy sea, w h e n these IoW craf are almost ' buri e d i n the deep,' it was thought that thlg feature would be fatal t o their success. A new invented, was devised to reme d y th e di ff i culty. I t h a s w °l., ' l - 0 ; and now the turret is waterproof. There is even n° Li n e the little chann e l ma d e t o carry o ff the inevita bl e le 4 ' t ,' as there is no leakage at all. The second principle O grand one. It enabl es a sa il or t o s t eer th e heaviest iron' clad by the aid o f a l oo ki ng - g l ass . Y ou k now that to cvno pass can perform its functions within such an iron prisoii fey a turret. The magnetic needle acts sluggishly and '3 ity less, pointing never correctly. There was another diftle° to overcome. It has been removed in a beautiful 111° ner. The reflection of the compass's movements is ecur re) : e g to the helmsman th roug h a m i rror, the compass itself bet ° o raised far above th e deadening influence of the iron 11°1140 In battle the co m p ass i s remeved, it being only essentialtv. sea. The third principle tried is the general ses - q l , l O O qualities of th e new M on i tors. B e i ng wa ter-tight, s v a m v - e0 alone water could a l wa y s come , th e y are safe. If w _ so .• reached the top of th e t urre t th ey ma y wa sh over, b ut not drown anybody. The steadiness of the craf t is won.dorar ful. Moving th roug h th e roug h es t tid e , she is as free I sv rolling as one could well imagine ; with fine engine s might steam round the world, We are ordered to Ni r t if t, ington. What is the business on hand for us it is not sayis goodif I k n n e e w w s . in that eto Tribune. en ß o u u t g A h lo f n o i r t o one r N t2t Births. DEAN.—On the 26th inst., at 15, Ampthill-square, Mrs. Dean, of a son. RHODE.—On the 27th inst., a t Ryd© Lodge, Lower N or : wood, Sutroy, the wife of John G. Rhodes, jun., of son. , ROBERTS.—On the 27th inst., at The Waldrons, Croyti° l3 ' Mrs. Henry C. Roberts, of a daughter. Marriages. Esq., of Victoria-road, Islington, BOLTON—MrELEn.—On the 26th inst., at Stint PhiliP'°' Dalston, Beresford St. Clair, second son of Bolton 13oltoy, Floyd, M A., incumbent second daughter of Wm. Miller, India-ovu only Church, d au g hter Castle ot and Park-road Villa, Dalston Esq., of the FLOYD — WIIITEHEAD,— On . Trin iti enSttaoletycbraisdtg-lee,Htahiel, tßoeßve.tsay.b()Zin: to Charlotte Etlis,tbc: the 25th inst., at Holy _ . ,,,,, 0 I th ia o ll lato Mr. John Whitehea d ' Of u ham. BARER. --On the 24th hi D 6t e ., a t of Win, Baker, Esq., aged 83. BA.RKER.-011ire/ the 24th inst, at Swinhay, Gloucesters av Mr. Thomas Barker, late Clerk in the office of the C ° a th t Greenwich, Julia, relic missioners of Police, Scotland-yard, aged 52. , ar . GARDINER.—On the 26th inst.,Brighton, Charles v at diner, Esq., aged 74. PHILPOT.—On the 26th inst., at 2, Norfolk Villas, 13''3'5‘ water, Win. Philpot, Esq., aged 79. ~ „ at PALIN.—On the 25th in s t., Thomas Wm. palin, DE`l' Hammersmith, aged 72: lairOf SLANEY.—On the 25th inst., at Hatton Hall , Shrolo Wm. Henry Slaney, E s q. Fill y WEST.—On the 26th in s t. ,at 51, Gloucester-stre et, lico, John James West, Esq., aged 58. __......--ri London . • Printed ' and Published byWILLIAM AND g , 1 --- -'-- - -- ------- 3SV of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TuE Suiv Office, I' l °' " Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the Col intl Aliddleem— Monday, December 29, 1862. r the casualties which befol the ship when in tow of the Lioness steamtug, and the damage resulting therefrom, I cannot hold the master responsible. I cannot close my report without animadverting on the conduct and evidence of the mates, who all hol d certificates of comp e t ency. Th e l og, as wr itt e n by the first mate, was mos t neg li gent l y kept, an d a lmost wholly useless for th e p urpose o f t hi s i nvest i ga tion ; and the evidence of all th e o ffi cerrt o f t h e s hip evince either great indifference to or ignorance of their duties. Their statements were most conflicting/ and in truth, the impression produced on the mind of the court was, that little or no reliance cold be placed on their accounts of the transaction into which we were inquiring. In pronouncing the judgment of the court, I have taken into considera tion the previous character of the master, who or pears to have been for 10 years in the service of ono house, without meeting with any casualty; a nd I have also borne in mind that he did his best to es tricate his ship from the danger in which he hod placed her. But, taking all these circumstanc es into consideration, I feel bound to suspend his at' tificate for three calendar months from the date of this report.—l have, &c., The havini 4 trill:, Not arrang Privat and OXes, A N TIII Comic Prin, Neville sonar, After Annual les que, Comic I Little I "Thi Ileanw E Sh " o His es . !,,howin 4 ,T,wo Sh, '" .O Shy Th e (her pet, Little 13( John]] homn D ay s ba lag 4, The la ge, so ter Mill Of th e p The pa l'ootr; to the 441 E, 13 geZer u h " set httle Co y Ettati ther Ratre ( T he tai Blueb, peedw ( Colvolvt L a se) Fa --st of Pas d c Pas d( Ba WOOD" CELEB OUTSE " Whi m The F 'th he Lin' TLa Th e Th e d a nd his eced s on L°lhmbi ti: Pant Nv iiis, Se elie io (Ind Beg " - V 4 v 'Pouri Clul '(ltar Q , j ove... _ fed iu ti C one iriflt -ce4 e 2.. , It\ a—o rn i p _ aza Tro l';'Fllltict S et a log or K andy cie4t at Coot c qUefitic Young liL RAI s( C • 1