The Express.
London, England, 1862-12-25 00:00:00

IN TELLIGENI

AMERICA.

(acorn's 'ITLIGIUM)
BATTLE AT FREDERICKSBURG.
(Ns. City o Manchester, via Cap Rem)
NEW YORK, D. 15, Kann.

Early on the morning of the 13th inst., in the
midst of a dense fog, General Reynolds, command-
ing the left of the Federal army at Fredericksburg,
advanced and engaged the Confederate infantry.
The Confederates immediately opened Bee from
batteries of heavy art"lery.
Two hours later the fog disappeared, and two
divisions of infantry charged the Confederate posi-
tion in the rear of the city. The Federala expe-
rienced •a check. Having been reinforced they
again charged the enemy, but were again repulsed.
From that time Leavy firing oontiquedon both sides
till dark.

The Federal General Franklin, who commenced
on the left, succeeded in driving the Confederates
about a mile. The latter then attacked him, but
were repulsed with loge of 400 prisoners.

On the night of the 13th the Federals slept on
the ground where the battle had been fought. The
Federal Generals Jackson and Bayard were killed.
Ave Federal generals were wounded. The Con-
federate continued to throw shells into Frede-
ricksburg until 8 p.m. General Longstreet com-
manded the Confederates' left wing, and held the
main works. General Hullo and Edmonds were
in front of General Franklin, with Edmonds' right
wing resting on the Rappahannock.
No battle occurred on the 14th. The Confede-
rates were occupied in extending their works and
strengthening their position.
The Federal dead in front d the Confederate
works remained where they fell.

It is supposed that 40,000 Federah were engagec
in the battle of the 13th.

The whole of General Lee's army is believed to
be at Fredericksburg.

The Confederates are supposed to have six lines
of works behind the city. _ _

It is expected that General Burnside will renew
the engagement to-day.
A large number of Federal officers were killed,
and the loss of life on both sides is believed to be
very heavy.

The following is from the latest editions of the
Portland journals :
Headquarters, Army of the Potomac,
Dee. 13. In the field-11 A.m.
The great battle so long anticipated between the two
contending armies is now progressing. The morning opened
with a dense fog which has not entirely disappeared. Gene-
ral Reynolds' corps on the left advanced at au early hen;
and at 9.15 son. engaged the enemy's infantry. Seven
minutes afterwards the rebels opened a harry fire of artil-
lery, which has continued so far without intermission.
Their artillery fire must be at random, as the fog obstructs
all view of !almost everything. Oar heavy gnus are answer-
' ing them rapidly. It is hoped that the fog will soon lift.
At this writing no results are known. Not much infantry
has yet become engaged. A portion of the enemy's cavalry
crossed a ford above here, and yesterday were found on our
right and rear. &Solent force has been sent out to meet
them.

THE BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF
FREDERICKSBURG.
Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, Des, 11,1862.
To-day has witnessed one of those rare, grand
spectacles of war—the bombardment of a city. For days
the attack had been looked for with feverish anxiety, and
with each successive evening the morrow was prophesied
as the inaugural occasion of the much-telkedof winter
campaign ; but weeks slipped by and yet we rested in our
camps, while all along the ridges just across the river bat-
teries nightly sprang from the earth, as if by magic, and
the increasing smoke of the enemy's camp fires wrapped bill
and valley in undistioguishable gloom. Wild, exciting
rumours were gm dily accepted for facts, and • thousand
statements, as ridiculous as they were contradictory, flew
like wildfire from damp to camp.
Throughout the week there had been indications that the
crisis was rapidly approaching, and each night the troops
retired at tattoo fully confident that the roar of artillery
would be their reami'le.
Last evening, at amodosn, the movement commenced.
Batteries hastened to the frout,wriggon trains were removed
from the vicinity of the anticipathl Battle, the ponderous
pontoons joined the current hurrying river-ward,
and night closed down upon us bright and beau-
tiful, with our pulses throbbing quick with eager ex-
pectations. Artillery never seemed to rumble so noisily
before, and the sharp cluck of the iron axles
echoed far and war, as if in league with the enemy. Down
by the river everything was as quiet as peace. Om. picket.,
composed of the Fifty-first Pennsylvania regiment, est list-
lessly about their fires, watching the rebel *entries and
crunching hard tack. The river swept smoothly by, placid
as the sky above, and just over there, so close one almost
wished to tell them of their error, stood the rebel sentries,
while • soothing movement of rushing waters in the
rapids up stream swelled softly down the valley. Front the
thresholds of the city the sharp yelp of cum ran now and
then discordantly upon the ear ; but, with the batteries in
position, the arse of their outcry would be reLved, and
silence stain settles down upon the town, broken only by
the tones of the town clock toiling the midnight hours.
And so the time slipped along. The moon climbed higher
up, and the falling dew whitened into frost upon our
ponchos, while the horses, restless in the chill night air,
moved to and fro uneasily in their harness.
At two o'clock our pickets were withdrawn, and at three
the pontoon train drove down to the water. Lumber was
noiselessly piled upon the ground, and the huge boats slid
from off their trucks. Then we hear a splashing in the
river—a dark pathway lengthens out upon the silver sur-
face, shadows flit here and there along its track, the
lusty blows of the hammers re-echo from side to side.
And yet no sound comes front the enemy. "Have they
evacuated the placer " Are we not to fight here after
all!" is asked. Suddenly. Crack! crack! crack! from a
hundred muskets tells us the ball is opened. A cry of
pain comes up the bank from the gallant engineers, mules
dash off, with pontoons thundering after, eaves the plot ;
the musketry grows louder, and the whiz of bullets more
frequent ; frightened teamsters fly, panic-stricken,
and the artillery horses plunge at the
Suddenly, boom ! goes a gun—another and another, until
thirty pieces are pouring shot and shell upon the devoted
city. Graham, who did so gloriously at Antietam ; Kirby,
with Ricketts' old Bull Run battery ; Miller, Duren, Tyler,
Smith, Hazard, Kinsey, and Dickson, all join in the uproar,
and musketry is lost to the ear in the mighty roar that
re-echoes again and again from hill to hill. Gradually the
fire slackens, and the engineers again attempt the comple-
tion of the bridge, but in vain ; and after a third trial they
fall back, bearing in their arms their wounded, dead, and
dying.
It was designed to lay down two bridges at once, one at
the lower and the other at the upper end of the city. The
enemy, posted in the houses and cellars, upon the bank of
the river, were safe from our infantry, and maintained a
continuous fire. Our infantry returned the fire spiritedly,
but finding it impossible to drive the rebels from their
cover, finally withdrew, leaving the disposition of the
enemy to oar artillery.
By this time it was sunrise. The engineers (Fiftieth New
York) and the Fifty-seventh and Sixty-sixth New York
regiments bad suffered heavily, and the wounded soon be-
gan to crowd the floors of the Lacy House. Other regi-
ments had also suffered, though much lees, and the sur-
geons soon had work enough.
About 8 o'clock the artillery fire ceased. The fog Wei as
dense that objects were invisible 100 yards from tin gam
Fredericksburg was as sileot as before. Again the eniginemes
advance, and again the enemy drive them hack ; ordediss
gallop to the different batteries with instructions; a message
orders from Mule a special !milt with solid shot ; and again
the thunder breaks out anew. For • time the mar
is indescribably awful. The city from its wells
of brick hurls back a thousand echoes, which beat up against
the Falmouth hint roll back again beyond the town, and