The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-01 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY

mond estimate the Confederate loss at
3,000, :Nes7knowledge the arrival at Richmond of
2,500 wounded. In the following account, how-
ever, of the battle of Fredericksburg by General
Lee, the Confederate losses are stated to be "about"
1,800 killed and wounded :
Ifeedquartere, Army of Northers Virgin* D 50.14.

The Honourable Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.
Sir,—On the night of the 10th inst. the enemy eons.
meimed to throw three bridges over the Rappahannock—
two at Fredericksburg, and the third about a mile and
quarter below, near the mouth of the Deep Run. The plain
on which Fredericksburg stands is so completely com-
manded by the bills of Stafford, in possession of the enemy,
that no effectual opposition could be offered to the con-
struction of the bridges on the passage of the river without
exposing our troops to the destructive fire of his numerous
batteries. Positions weretherefore selected to oppose his ad-
ranee after crossing. The narrowness of the Rappahannock,
its winding course and deep bed, afforded opportunity for the
construction of bridges at points beyond the reach of our
artillery, and the banks bad to be watched by skirmishers.
The l►tter, sheltering themselves behind the houses, drove
back the working parties of the enemy at the bridges oppo-
site the city ; but at the lowest point of crossing, where no
shelter could be had, our sharpshooters were themselves
driven off, and the completion of the bridge was effected
about noon on the 11th. _

In the afternoon of that day the enemy's batteries opened
upon the city, and by dark bad so demolished the houses on
the river bank as to deprive our skirmishers of shelter, and,
under cover of hie guns, be effected s lodgment in the town.
The troops which had so gallantly held their position in the
city under the severe cannonade during the day, resisting
the advance of the enemy at eve.i step, were withdrawn
during the night, as were also those who, with equal tena-
city, had maintained their poet at the lowest bridge.
Under cover of darkness and a dense fog on the 12th a
large force passed the river, and took position on the right
hank, protected by their heavy guns on the left.
0a the morning of the 13th, his arrangements for attack
being completed about 9 o'clock, the movement veiled by •
fog, be advanced boldly in large force against our right wing.
General Jackson's corps occupied the right of our line,
which rested on the reamed ; General Longstreet's the left,
ext ,ding along the heights to the Rappahannock, above Fre-
dericksburg Geesnl Stuart, with two brigades of caval•y,
was posted in the extensive plain on our extreme right. As
soon as the advance of the enemy was discovered through
the fog, General Stuart, with his accustomed promptness,
moved up a section of his horse artillery, which opened with
effect upon Fs flank, and drew upon the gallant Pelham a
hasty fire, which ho sustained unflinchingly for about two
hours. _ _

Is the meantime the enemy was fiercely enoeuntercl by
General A. P. Hill's division. forming General Jackson's
right, aid after an obstinate combat repulsed. During this
attack, which was protracted and hotly contested, two of
General Hilt. brigades were driven back upon our wend
line. General Early, with part of his &vista', being
ordered to his support, drove the enemy back from the
point of woods be had seised, and pursued him into the
plain until awaited by his artillery.
The right of the enemy's column, extending beyond MIN
frost, encountered the right of thread Hood, and Law
street's corps. The enemy took poseessiou of • arnel ceps
front of Hood, but were quickly dispossessed and repulsed
with loss.

During the attack on our right the enemy was erring
troops over hiq bridge' at Fredericksburg, and mitring them
in front of Longsbeere use. Soon after his repulsion our
right be wearers& a series of attacks on our left, with a
view of obtaining perenios of the heights immediately
overlooking the town. These repeated attacks were re.
pared in gallant style by the Washington artillery, under
Colonel Walton, and a portion of li'Law's division, which
occupied these heights.
The last assault was made after dark, when Colonel Aler
amder's battalion had relieved the Washington Artillery,
whose ammunition had been exhausted, and ended the con-
test for the day.
The enemy wee suppork3 in his attacks by the fire of
strong batteries of artillery on the right bank of the river.
as wall as by the numerous heavy batteries on the Swfford
heights. .

Oar loss during the operatioos, since the mo►emeuta of
the enemy began, amounts to about eighteen hundre
killed and wounded. Among the former I regret to report
the death of the patriotic soldier and statesman, Brigadier-
Gamed Thomas B. B. Cobb, who fell upon our left ; and
among the latter, that brave soldier sod accomplished
gentleman Brigadier-General hi. Gregg, who was very se-
riously, and it is feared mortally wounded, daring the
attack on our right.
The enemy to-day has been apparently burying his dead.
Hi troops are visible in their first position in line of battle,
but with the exemption of some desultory cannonading and
firing between skirmishers, he has not attempted to renew
the attack.

About 550 prieonere wore taken during the =pigment,
but the full extent of his loss is unknown.

I have the honour to be, very rimpsednlly, your obedient
servant, E. E. Lis, General in Command.

The Richmond papers regard the victory at Fre-
dericksburg as the greatest yet gained by the Con-
federates. They say that their position at Fre-
dericksbarg is impregnable, and that they can re-
main there quite as long as the Federals remain on
the opposite bank of the river. The rec • of
the Rappahannock by the Union forces is thus
ridiculed by the Richmond Whig :
It is another "On to Richmond" come to grief. Burnside
has dragged the bruised body and broken bones of his army
agrees the Rappah►nnock, and gon►—we know pot where.
Several members of the committee on the conduct
of the war of the Senate and House of Representa-
tives went to the headquarters of the Federal army
on the 19th, to examine into the causes of the
recent repulse and evacuation of the southern side
of the Rappahannock.

We learn from the American papers that the
vessels of the Banks expedition have been very
unfortunate. One, which was compelled to seek
shelter in an unseaworthy condition, was barely
saved from utter destruction by the Gemsbock and
the United States transport Blackstone. This ves-
sel was the M. Sanford, which ran ashore two miles
south of Carysfort Beef, with 800 troops on board,
who were rescued and taken to Key West.
News from Tennessee states that General Dodge
was fighting General Forrest in the vicinity of
Corinth, Miss., with twenty-five hundred cavalry
and fire pieces of artillery, on the 18th. The result
is not stated. Colonel Napier, with two or three
thousand cava-ky, and four cannon, crossed, it is
said, the Tennessee River to Carrollsville on the
15th, to join Forrest.
The Eferaki gives publicity to a report that
General Burnside had tendered his resignation, and
that the President had refused to accept it. It
adds, however, that the report has not in any way
been confirmed.
The following is the report of the Secretary of
the Treasury relative to the payment of the troops :
The Secretary of the Treasury, in answer to a Resoluta=
of the House of Representative*, has sent a communication

to Speaker Grow, in which he states that the requisitions
c the Secretary of War for money for the payment of
troops have always been promptly met at the Treasury
when an absolute want of means did not prevent. He says
since the let of July last the sum of 66,554,281 dole. has
been paid on such requisitions as follows :—For bounties on
eulistmeut, $7,300,000 ; recruiting, colliding, drilling
and organizing troops, $10,172,360.41 ; ordinary pay,
$48,861,921.23.
The amount of requisitions of this description now in the
'Treasury Hanoi/meet unpaid is 28,700,000 dole. These un-
paid requisitions are about equal to the amount required for
I pay during one bi.ntoethly period. A portion of them
represent pay which fell due before the commencement of
the last bi-monthly period of September and October, while
about equal amounts have been supplied for pay which has
become due since its commencement. Precise information
on these points can only be obtained from the books of the
department.

When the resources of the Treuttry became inadequate to
the demeoda made upon it, the Secretary of the Treasury
oommuoicated the fact to the Secretaries of War
and of the Navy, and requested them to designate
the particular requisitions which they regarded as most
urgent to the amount of about ace million of dollars daily.
To this extent requisitions are now daily met, from customs,
from internal revenue, from the proceeds of oo•reraioos al
temporary loans, and from new issues of United States
notes. These resources, though large, are, as Couples Ilea
been already informed, inadequate. No one ea• feel •
deeper :spree than the Secretary that a single Amebae

moldier lacks a mingle dollar of his pay, and no effort of his
has been wanting to prevent such a condition. It is not is
him power, however, to arrest the accumulation of demands
upon the Treasu'y beyond the possibility of a provisien fur
them under existieg legislation. In him annual report he
has laid before Congress the measure which, in his jndg•
moot, will enable him to provide for the estimated wants
of the public service. If, in his judgment, he is fortunate
enough to have their concurrence, he entertains the hope
that all grounds of complaint because of delays of payment
may soon be removed.
The New York herald of Doc. 19th has the foi-
-1 lon jug:
It was reported that Generals Lee and Longstreet had an
'oteresting interview with some of our officers under a gag
of truce, and that a member of General Longstreet's staff
stated in the course of conversation that, although our
troop fought splendidly, there was no possible chalice of
taking the rebel defences, that an army of 500,000 men
could not accomplish it.
We learn from Harper's Ferry that as soon as General
Sigel's corps left that skinity to join General &weirdo the
rebels show( I themselves in force and menaced an
attack upon the Ferry, on Pooleaville, and other points,
but they were successfully met and their object
thwarted by the tomes remaining to protect that
portion of the Upper Potomac. The rebels azio.
seeded in destroying the town of Plymouth, N.C.,
on Wednesday last by a bold dash, surprising the
prrison and severely damaging the United States gunboat
Southfield, which lay in the river. The rebels numbered
only 180, with some artillery. The Union troops consisted
at one company of the Eighth lissesohtesette and one com-
pany of the First No: th Carolina. After a slight resistance
they retired on board the Southfield. The shots from the
enemy's guns did serious injury to the steamer, wounding
simnel men badly. . . . .

°eland Beanregard's wife is now lying dangertmly doh
fu New Orleans, and General Butler has sent to General
Beauregard an incitation to visit her, ssetinag him of every
protection and courtnly during his melancholy errand of
sorrow,

The following is a summary of the proceedings in
Congress, from the Herald of the 20th
- •

In the &seats yesterday a joint resolution to pay maims
and members of Congress mileage for the present session
was referred to the Finance Committee. A resolution
authorising the publication of the annual Naval Registe►
was adopted. A resolution calling on the Secretary of War
for information relative to the court of inquiry upon the
operations of General Buell in Kentucky was laid over. A
resolution calling for correspondence between the State
Department and our minister to England concern-
, lag establishing telegraphic communication between
'the month of t the Amour river and San
Fran-
eisco was adopted. The 'memorial of the War Com-
mittee of New York, asking Congress to authoriss the issue
of letters of marque for the capture of the rebel cruiser
Alabama, wee presented. A hill granting pecuniary aid to
Wasor for emancipated slaves was referred to the Ju-
dietary Committee. The consideration of the resolution
providing for a joint spc dal committee on the subject of
esimpentat'ng States for the emancipation of their slaves
was postponed. A bill providing for the construction of
roads and telegraphs in Kansaewas introduced. The re-
solution inquiring of the Secretary of War whether any oath
had beau proposed to citizens who have been arrested and
'aps:acincd that they would not sue or being any action
against those who arrested them, was briefly discussed, but
no action taken on it. The bankrupt bill was then taken
up, several verbal amendments adopted, and the Senate
adjourned.
In the Horse of Representatives, the Senate bill to fr •
°Math the discharge of disabled soldiers and the inspectica
of eouvr'escent camps and hospitals was passed. The cre-
dentials of Mr. Flanders, the new member from Louisiana,
were presented, and a motion offered that he be qualified.
Mr. Vallandigham, however, objected, and the papers were
Warred to the committee on elections. The hall making

appropriations toe invalid and other pensions was weed.
M-. Stevens made an explanation as to the financial scheme
rcmutly introduced by him, saying it was his own act,
without consultation with the committee of ways and
means or with the Seeretaii of the Tredury. He wrs
opposed to the financial scheme of Mr. Chase.
Joint resolutions thinking Lieutenant Commanding
Morris of the Cumberland, and Lieutenant Com-
manding Warden, of the Monitor, for their gallantry in the
engagement with the Merrimac, were reported. These
Manta are a necessary preliminary to the promotion of these
officers. Mr. Sedgwiak's resolution was adopted, milling
upon the Secretary of the Navy to communicate informa-
tion concerning all mimes in the courts, showing the present
audition of the prize cues, and the names and number of
the men who received their share of the disbursement+, the
sharps, fm., of all officers and men claiming, and all owed,
prise money, stating how much has been distributed to the
reptote, and whether distribution has been made according
to law. In commitse of the whole, Mr. Crisfield, of Mary-
land, made a speech on national political topics, and Mr.
Salley, of Pennsylvania, spoke at considerable length In
support of the President's emancipation proclamation.
The steamship China arrived at New York early
on the morning of Deo. 19. The steamer Norwegian
arrived at Portland on the same date. The steamer
Edinburgh arrived at New York, Dec. 20.
The following is up to the 20th :
COXIIMECLLL INTELLIGENCE.

The stook merket wee higher yesterday, with the =cap-
tion of governments, which were week and :cower. The
nee= buoyant ot the speculative securities were Paoiec Mail
and Michigan Central. Money was easy at 6 per cent.
Gold hit from Mg at one hour of the day to MI to 132 e at
the close. Esehaage closed at 146 k to 14.6.
Buslnem Is cotton yesterday exhibitxl more animation
and =mums, sales of 800 bees having been reported at 660,
to 660. for middl On. The trade in Boer, wheat, and corn
wan limited. Flour deciined 5.3. to 10c. ; wheat, is. to 21 •
.•

and cern eras Undies downward. Ttere was more activiti
in bn; products, and mese pork advanced to 14 dola 12c. to
14 dole. Mc. The movements in petroleum were art Naive,
and prices were higher. There was very little dope in
groceries, which were heavy. The demand for hey, hops,
ingot copper, and tallow, was fair. There were light sales
of whiskey and tobacco effected. Freights were inactive,
and rates tending downward.

(By Telegraph rid Portland.—Per North Americaa.)
NEW YORK, Der. 20, Arreourooa.

The steamship Kangaroo sailed at noon today
for Liverpool, with 600,000 dole. in specie and 60
passengers.
The Washington Star says that a caucus of re-
publican senators was held there on the 16th. A
resolution was offered, requesting the President to
dispense with the services of Mr. Seward. After
discussion a vote was taken, and resulted in 16 in
favour to 13 against it. On the fib, at another
canons, a substitute; recommending the President
Ito partially remodel his cabinet, was unanimously
adopted, the conservatives believing it would be
regarded as a general invitation to the whole cabi-
net to resign. On being informed of the fact the
Secretary and his Assistant Secretary sent iu their
resignation', requesting their immediate accept-
ance.

The New York Tribune has the following editorial
ph L" We are informed that Mr. Seward
paragraph —" We are informed that Mr. Seward
baa tendered his resignation as Secretary of State.
Our informant speaks positively, and adds that the
resignation was suddenly determ;ned upon, and
w"1 probably be accepted."