The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-05 00:00:00

lowa, declaring a want of confidence in Secretary P should be substituted for 'to,' so that it may read,
Seward and requesting the President to remove ' crossing at a point different from the one indicated
him. This was passed by a vote of 13 37, as to 11 by you at our last meeting at the President's.'"
nays. A long discussion was entered into, Senator A flag of truce tressed the Rappahannock this
Sumner making a lengthy speech, ate eking the afternoon to communicate with Gen. Lee, the put--
foreign diplomacy of Secretary Seward. Others were port of which has not been made public.
made by Senators Sherman, Trumbull, Wade, &c. It The Richmond papers of yesterday and to-day
was charged that Seward's policy was a Fabian one, have found their way here.
that of delay ; that he had encouraged M'Clellan The Richmond Inquirer says the loss in A. P.
in his delays ; that his idea of surrounding Hill's division on the 13th was 211 killed, 1,494
the Confederates was a delusion ; that he was \ wounded, and 417 missing. This division was con-
responsible for sending the Banks expedition away fronted by Gen. Franklin's left, and consisted of
to the Gulf instead of to the James River. They six brigades with artillery. More than half the
then adjourned over to Wednesday, when, after the Confederate loss occurred in this division.
adjournment of the Senate, they resumed their con- Intelligence from below is to the effect that the
sultations. Senator Harris amended the resolution, Confederates have considerably strengthened their
to read " That, in the judgment of the Senate, a forces near Front Royal.
reconstruction of the Cabinet would increase the The enemy maintain a contraband communica-
confidence of the country." Senator Sherman ob- tion with their northern friends via the Potomac
jetted, because this was too broad ; that Secretary and Mattox Creek, crossing the peninsula and the
Chase would resign at once if that were passed. Rappahannock at Leeds, about 30 miles below this
Senator Fessenden then amended it to read, "A point.
particular reconstruction," and upon that the re- No shots have been exchanged with the rebels for
solution passed, and a committee of seven was several days. The river pickets maintain a friendly
formed. Afterwards Senators Howard and Harris disposition towards each other.
were added, making it nine. On the 18th Senator The soldiers along the southern coast and in
King informed Mr. Seward of the action of the Virginia were complaining that they have not been
Senate, and he and the Assistant-Secretary at once paid a cent for five months.
sent to the President their resignations. In the Gen. Foster has reported as follows his capture
evening the Committee of nine waited on the Presi- of Kingston, North Carolina :
dent, and laid the matter before him. The com- "To Major-General Halleck, General-in-Chief.
mittee retired, and left the matter in the hands of "Headquarters, Department of North
the President, believing that it was all tight. The Carolina, Kingston, Dec. 14.
committee from the senatorial caucus were invited "I have the honour to inform you that I left
by the President to meet him at the White House Newbern for this place on the 11th inst., but owing
on the 19th. On their arrival they found the whole to bad roads and consequent delays to my trains,
Cabinet there, excepting Secretary Seward. The &e., I did not reach the South-west Creek, five
President introduced the subject and stated the miles from this town, until the afternoon of the
object of the committee. Secretary Chase at once 13th inst. The enemy were posted there, but by a
stated that he did not come there to be arraigned by heavy artillery fire in front and a vigorous infantry
senators. Senator Fessenden said he did not come attack on either flank I succeeded in forcing a pas-
there to arraign any one. The President said they sage, and without much loss. This morning I
were all there on an equality, and invited an inter- advanced on this town and found the enemy strongly
change of opinion. Senator Harris stated that he posted at a defile through a marsh bordering on a
was not a personal friend of Secretary Seward, creek. The position was so well chosen that very
ithough formerly a law partner, and thought there little of our artillery could be brought-in play. The
were a large number of Republicans who would main attack, therefore, was made by the infantry,
rejoice at his leaving the Cabinet, while an equally assisted by a few guns pushed forward in the roads.
large number were in favour of his remaining. He After a five hours' hard fight we succeeded in
thought it would be impolitic and uncalled for, be- driving the enemy from their position. We fol-
cause he quietly opposed any changes. Secretary lowed them rapidly to the river. The bridge over
Stanton said that the resolution was evidently the Neuse at that point was prepared for firing, and
aimed at some one else besides Secretary Seward. If was fired in six places, but we were so close behind
any one supposed he was responsible for the disas- them that we saved the bridge. The enemy re-
ter that had occurred they were mistaken ; that all treated precipitately by the Goldsborough and
the charges made against him were false ; that the Pikeville roads. Their force was about 6,000 men,
President knew that the charge that ne was respon- with 20 pieces of artillery. The result is we have
sible for the movement on Fredericksburg was taken Kingston, captured 11 pieces of artillery, and
groundless; that neither he nor General Halleck taken from 400 to 500 prisoners, and found a large
was responsible. Senator Grimes made a fierce on- amount of Quartermaster and Commissary stores.
slaught upon Mr. Seward. Mr. Fessenden was Our loss will probably not exceed 200 killed and
firm but determined. The meeting lasted until a wounded.—l am, with great respect, your obedient
late hour, and adjourned without any result being servant,
accomplished. Secretary Chase, however, tendered "S. G. FOSTER, Major-General Commanding."
his resignation to the President, in order to place "MAJOR-GENERAL HALLECK, GENERAL-IN-CHIEF,
him in a position to use his own pleasure. Post-
WASHINGTON.
master Blair refused to resign. In all the inter- "Head-quarters, Department of North
views the President defended Mr. Seward warmly, Carolina, Dec. 20.
denying that he had actively interfered with the
"My expedition was a perfect success. I burnt
military movements, or that his policy had been the railroad bridge at Goldsborough and Mount
detrimental to the conduct of war. He expressed Olive, and tore up several miles of the track of the
the most unbounded confidence in Secretaries Stan- Wilmington and Weldon Railroad. We fought,.
ton and Chase, and thought Secretary Welles had four engagements—viz., at South-west Creek, King-
done all that could be done. ston, Whitehall, and Goldsborough, and whipped
The following extracts from a letter flora Mr. the enemy handsomely each time.
Henry J. Raymond, which was published in the "S. G. FOSTER, Brigadier-General Commanding."
New York Times, gives an account of the Cabinet Advices from St. Louis of the 19th state that
crisis and its causes : General Curtis, the Federal Commander, had re-
"On Thursday evening the committee from the ceived a demand from President Davis for an in-
quiry into the facts relative to the shooting of ten
Senate caucus had their first interview with the
Confederate citizens, by order of General M'Neil,
President. Senator Collamer, as the chair-
man, read a brief paper which embodied the send-
Enclosed with the communication was a printed
slip from the Grenada Appeal, containing a passage
ments of the entire committee. Its general purport
was to urge the importance of a Cabinet which credited to the Palmyra (Missouri) Courier. The
should be united in its views of public policy, and Confederate Government desired to know whether
which should insist upon a vigorous prosecution of the statements in that journal were correct.
the war. It avoided all reference to individual It was positively asserted that General Banks
members. After this had been read each member of would supersede General Butler at New Orleans,
the committee expressed his individual views on the and that he had instructions to capture Mobile and
subject; they were such as would naturally be ex-
counteract and schemes of France in the Southern
S pected from the antecedents and known opinions of States. He would also co-operate in the reopening
tho several senators_ Procidont Lincoln liatcned of the Mississippi.
with attention to all that was said. He then ex- A despatch from Cairo, Illinois, cf the 20th, re-
pressed the profound solicitude which he felt on ports that on the previous day a troop of Confede-
the subject they had brought before him, and the rate cavalry made a raid on the railway three miles
overwhelming anxiety which oppressed him con- from Jackson, Tennessee, and destroyed the track
cerning the condition of the country and the pro- i and a quantity of stores. A successful attack had
gross of the war. What the country wanted, he also been made on Trenton, Carroll Station,
bHum-
said,
was military success. Without that nothing boldt, and Kenton, and at Columbia apprehensions
w could go right ; with that nothing could go wrong, were entertained of a visit from the Confederates.
He did not yet see how the measure proposed by From Nashville we learn that on the 21st there
, was some brisk skirmishing with the Confederates.
the committee would furnish the remedy required;
if he had a Cabinet of angels they could not give the The authorities at Charleston had constructed a
country military successes, and that was what was number of shanties and barracks at Greenfield and
Somerville for the temporary shelter of the poorer
wanted and what must be had. But he promised
his most careful attention to the subject, and an-
classes of the inhabitants, most of whom were
other interview was appointed for the next even- dependent upon public charity for support.
ing in presence of the Cabinet. Last evening The Richmond papers contain accounts of the
(Friday) this interview took place, and lasted four defeat of Burnside at Fredericksburg. The Rich-
hours—Mr. Seward, of course, not being present. mend Dispatch says:—
The President at the outset said that what he de- " Our loss has been heavy, but bears no compari-
son whatever to that of the enemy. We have to
sired to know was whether more harm or good
would result from the acceptance of Mr. Seward's regret about 2,500 killed, wounded, and missing,
resignation, and each member of the committeewas while, according to the report of those best skilled
desired to express his opinion, with the grounds on ) in making estimates of this description, their loss
which it rested, upon that practical point. Mr. Fes- does not certainly fall short of 10,000, and in all
senden declined to do so, saying he did not feel probability greatly exceeds it. This will not be
called upon to discuss the question. Mr. Grimes de- regarded as at all improbable when we take into
dined, because his views were sufficiently under-
were
that his exclusion from the Cabinet, under exist-
against it, mainly on the ground
sit-
ing circumstances, would seem to the countr
to
the country." consideration the relative position of the opposing
stood. Mr. Wade, Mr. Trumbull, and Mr. Sum- armies. The Confederates were on the heights,
ner were unequivocally for its acceptance. Mr.
which rendered them less accessible to cannon. The
Collamer, Mr. Harris, and one or two others
Yankees were in the low grounds, subjected to a
murderous fire of artillery and musketry as they
advanced. Every shot told, and those who wit-
3, nessed it say that the slaughter was awful beyond
like the triumph of a faction, and would lead
anything yet witnessed in the war. General Long-
still further divisions among the loyal people of the
street succeeded in getting possession of a long stone
North, and thus increase rather than diminish the
wall on the outskirts of Fredericksburg, and in
evils that afflict
placing a whole division behind it. The Yankees,
A despatch from Washington of the 22d states
with more boldness than they usually exhibit on
that the President had acknowledged the reception
such occasions, attempted to get possession of it.
They were repulsed with unparalleled slaughter in
of the resignation of the Secretary of State, Mr.
Seward, and the Secretary to the Treasury, Mr. every attempt, and at last broke and fled in confu-
Chase, and had informed them that, after duo deli-
sum."
beration, he had come to the conclusion that the A correspondent of the Richmond Examiner
acceptance of their resignations would be incompa- writes on the 14th :
tibia with the public welfare. The President, there- " From Fredericksburg the Rappahannock flows
fore, requested both Mr, Seward and Mr. Chase to nearly due east. The valley of the river, lying
resume their respective functions as Secretary of mostly on the south side, is a mile in width near
State and Secretary of the Treasury. The two secre- the town, and widening as you go down stream. At
t aries accordingly resumed their places as heads of Hamilton's crossing on the railroad the valley is
their respective departments. three miles across. From Hamilton's crossing to
The M'Dowell and Porter Court of Inquiry was Fredericksburg the railroad and the old Richmond
still proceeding.
stage road, both running parallel with the river,
From the Army of the Potomac we have the fol- skirt this valley. South of the railroad, beginning
lowing despatches :
near the town and running to a point at Hamil-
" Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, Dec. 20. ton's crossing, and also parallel with the river, is a
" Yesterday morning, about daylightna,ca'bout 100 range of hills covered with oak forest, fringed on its
of Hampton's rebel cavalry entered
a lieutenant and 30 privatesc"fquan, and northern border by pine thickets. Our forces occu-
capturedthe 10th pied the whole length of this forest. Longstreet's
New York Cavalry, who were guarding the tele- corps occupied the highlands above, opposite, and
graph lines. Eleven sutlers and six sutlers' wag. for a mile below the town. Jackson's corps rested
sons were also seized by the rebels. All is
quiet on Longstreet's right, and extended away to the
to-night. Members of the Sanitary Commission and eastward, the extreme right under A. P. Hill,cross-
ing the railroad at Hamilton's crossing, and stretch-
others who were at Falmouth on the day succeed-
, and their uni- about six miles
ing the battle report that the ground on which our ing into the valley across the river. Our front was
were
posted length.
tt
tlkhleoss
skirts
iorft
sthe f batteries ofst
dead soldiers lay was in full view,
forms give a blue colour to the field until the rebels both corps
had stripped the bodies of their clothing. No new along the line of railroad, and seven batteries in
movements of the enemy have been observed since Colonel Lindsey Walker's regiment and Stuart's
we evacuated the south side.
Everything is quiet horse artillery being stationedin the valley between
,
along the hoes. Although the stock of sutlers in the railroad at Hamilton's crossing and the river.
this camp is nearly exhausted and supplies are The enemy's forces occupied the valley north of the
much needed, it is not deemed judicious
by them railroad from Fredericksburg to within half a
to transport their goods by the overland route. mile of our extreme right. . • ' His light bat-
teries were posted over the
a ``Falinooth, Dec. 21. southern extremity of
" This day has beenclear and cold specimen I the valley, at from a quarter of a of Virginia December, and a good mile to a mile
specimen of the from the railroad, while the hills on the northern
Sabbath in the army. Aside
f bmthe nsuill Sun- banks of the river from Falmouth to Fitzhugh's
day morning inspections, no duty has been required.
of the regiments, but the weather was too cold
of the men. Divine service was attended in a few studded at intervals of half a mile with his batteries
secure large audiences. t° ofheavy guns. The opinion had prevailed on the
" Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, night before that the enemy was to attack our lines
Dec. 23. the
on yesterday morning, but when day broke
"By comparing an official copy of Gen. Burn- without the Sound of a gun being heard in front it
began to thought that he bad deferred his ad-
of the same in the
side's report to Gen. Halleck with the publication vanes
until e
this morning. re he sun rose clear, but
Washington papers this morning a dim fog shronded the veil. ]hutting the vision
several important errors are noticed. In the Bret to a short half The— sY,
mile, enem
parpgraph, in the last line but one, the word , by' bo within A wile ofy was supposed to
the •
raiix'Etd at Hamilton's crP64-
,