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

AMERICA.

BATTLE AT FREDERICKSBURG.
NEW YORK, DEC. 15, MORNING.
Early on the morning of the 13th inst., in the
midst of a dense fog, Gen. Reynolds, commanding
the left of the Federal army at Fredericksburg,
advanced and engaged the Confederate infantry.
The Confederates immediately opened fire from
batteries of heavy artillery.
Two hours later the fog disappeared, and two
divisions of infantry charged the Confederate posi-
tion is the rear of the city. The Federals expe-
rienced a check. Having been reinforced they
again charged the enemy, but were again repulsed.
From that time heavy firing continued on 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 loss 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.
Five Federal generals were wounded. The Con-
federates continued to throw shells into Frede-
ricksburg until 8 p.m- General Longstreet com-
manded the Confederates' left wing, and held the
main wnrk. Genpr.l. Hullo and Edmonds were
in front of Gen. Franklin, with Edmonds- rigbi,
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 of the Confederate
works remained where they fell.
It is supposed that 40,000 Federals were en-
gaged in the battle of the 13th.
The whole of Gen. 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 Gen. 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.

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.

The Canadian screw steamer Hibernian, from
Portland on the 13th, arrived here this evening.
She brings New York journals of the 13th inst.
The following general summary of news is taken
from the New York 7imet of that day :

The news from the army of the Potomac is sud-
denly invested with the most startling interest.
Yesterday morning the movements for crossing the
Rappahannock commenced, and last night the city
of Fredericksburg was in possession of our forces,
with comparatively trifling loss. During Wednes-
nesday night pontoon bridges were got in readiness
for throwing across the river, and at 6 o'clock yes-
terday morning the construction of three of them
commenced in front of the city. When they were
about half completed, the enemy opened a murderous
fire of musketry upon the engineers, and forced them
to desist from their work. 143 pieces of our artil-
lery then opened upon the city, and the fire was
responded to by the rebels, but without much dam-
age. The city was set on fire in several places by
our shells. The attempt was then made to finish the
bridges, when the enemy's sharpshooters again
opened and compelled a retreat. Finally, volunteers
to cross the river in small boats were called for,and
sprang out of the ranks by thousands. Only 100,
however, were chosen, who crossed the river in the
most dashing style, drove out the sharpshooters at
the point of the bayonet, and captured a large num-
ber of them, who were brought over the river and
secured_ The bridges were then completed, and the
city was immediately occupied by our forces, the
rebels being driven back to their defensive works.
Meantime Gen. Franklin was also engaged in the
construction of bridges aboat three miles below the
city, in which work he met with little opposition.
He did not cross, however, until he heard that the
city was in our possession. The gunboats were also
engaged in shelling the enemy about 15 miles below,
where they had collected in considerable force.
Last night everything was reported quiet, with
the prospect of a great battle to be fought to-day.
A correspondent of the Boston Journal states
that Franklin's division Was under orders to make
a rapid movement on the sth inst., and to fall
upon one of the flanks of the rebel army
stretched along the Rappahannock. A storm of
rain and snow came on, making the roads so nearly
impassable that instead of marching 16 miles, as
was intended, the division made but nina miles the
first day, and the movement had to be abandoned.
A despatch from Nashville, dated the 10th inst.,
leads us to expect a battle in that vicinity before
long. The rebels under Joe Johnson, Bragg, Cheat-
ham, Forrest, and Morgan, have advanced, and
drove in the national pickets on the morning of the
10th at all points.
A collision was expected near Hartsville, the
scene of the recent disgrace, and reinforcements
were being hurried towards that point. The guerilla
Forrest was said to hold Clarksville with a con-
siderable force.

A further despatch from Gen. Curtis to Gen. Hal-
leek, regarding the recent battle at F.yetteville ,
proves it to have been one of the first magnitude,
and that its results were even more disastrous to the
enemy than at first reported. (heir forces are
now ascertainei to have been 28,000 strong. Our
loss in killed and wounded is estimated at 1,000,
and that of the rebels at over 2,000. They left many
of their dead and most of their wounded on the field,
and moved off in the night with muffled wheels.
They are believed to have crossed the Arkansas
river.

A. despatch from Cairo states that General Hovey,
who recently occupied Grenada, Miss., arrived with
his staff at Friar's Point, on the Mississippi, on Sun-
day morning. It was not known whether his entire
command returned with him. A gunboat recon-
naissance had been made up by the Yazoo river, but
the results are not made public.
The loyal Tennessee regiments, which have been
camped around Louisville for some time, received
marching orders on Monday, and at once took their
departure, direction not stated.
The Washington correspondent of the Philadel
phia Ledger writes, under date of Dec. 1.1.—" The
Banks and Fortress Monroe expedition were not
for the James River, that is certain, but for a more
southern field of operations. The expeditions carried
immense quantities of coal, and provisions for 60
days, which would imply that a Gulf port was the
destination of the squadron. It is possible that Texas
is the point in view, in furtherance of the project
alluded to yesterday, of dividing it up into four
Sates. A portion of the expedition was passed off
Hatteras on Sunday last."
The pirate Alabama has again been heard from.
She recently captured the ship Levi Starbuck, from
New Bedford, bound to the Pacific, in lat. 35.30,
long. 66, and burnt her ; also the ship T. B. Wales,
of Boston, from Calcutta for Boston, with 'a full
cargo of saltpetre and gunny cloth, which she also
burnt. This capture was made in lat. 28,30, long.
58. The pirate then proceeded to Martinique,
where she arrived on the 17th ult. Hero she was
blockaded by the United States steamer San Jacinto,
but managed to escape during the night. The crews
o flh
ien thedestroyed
schooner vesselsAlicae.
arrived at this port yester-
day

We have advices from Newborn, N.C., to the Bth
instant, -which are interesting. The message of
the rebel Governor Vance had been received. It
contains no indications of Unionism, but, on the
contrary-, appeals for a stern and determined
devotion to the rebel cause. He, however, reflects
severely upon the rebel conscript law, and is rather
disposed to grumble generally at the condition of
affairs in the State and in the Confederacy, From