The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-23 00:00:00

IHE F.L.D.P.RAL AR 5111

From Virginia we have the following reports
of military movements :
" Headquarters of the Army of the Potomac,
Saturday, Dec_ 6, a.m.

"On Thursday the rebels brought some field
pieces to bear on our gunboats lying in the Rappa-
hannock, near Port Royal. A few shots compelled
them to withdraw their guns out of range. No
harm was done. Yesterday the weather was any-
thing but pleasant. In the morning it commenced
raining, then hailing, and about neon snow set in,
which continued rapidly to tall until 10 o'clock last
night. This morning there are about tour inches of
snow on the ground, and everything is frozen up.
Much complaint is expressed among army officers
in reference to the large number of Brigadier-Gene-
h-nrting strnuod Washington. with a view of
getting appointed on courts-martial in order to
escape active service in the field."
" Head-quarters, Army of the Potomac, Dec. 7,
"Last night was intensely cold, and some of the
troops suffered from the want of blankets. Ice
formed in the Potomac and Acquia Creek from one
and a half to two inches thick. To-day the sun
came
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flag of truce represents the condition of the rebel
army as destitute beyond description, and that they,
cannot possibly retain their position during the win-
ter. 'Quite one-third of the army is without shoes,
and hundreds are almost wholly without clothing.
Hundreds in one regiment are said to be barefoot.
Hard work upon
the entrenchments, insufficient
food, and scarcity of clothing are sending regiment
after regiment to the hospital. Many of the citizens
of Fredericksburg—men, women,
encamped in the and children—are
woods back of the city, and dare
not return for fear of being shelled from their
homes, The rebel camp fires have almost entirely
disappeared immediately in front of Falmouth, and
no troops can be seen behind
many of the intrench-
ments. Notwithstanding these indications, the fords
upon the river and all the naturally weak points of
the line are still strongly guarded."
" Opposite Fredericksburg, Monday, Dec. 8,
10 a.m.
" It is still intensely cold, with two to four inches
of ice in the Potomac and Rappahannock to-day.
Any movement involving the probability of fight-
ing is considered by our Generals impossible during
this inclement weather. Every wounded man
would die. With great fires, log horses, and em-
banked palisades under their tents, the troops keep
tolerably comfortable. It is reported that two or three
intoxicated men froze to death last night. Owing to
the greatly diminished length and breadth of the
girth of camp fires visible the night before last, the
impression was prevalent that the enemy had fallen
back to a new position, some distance to the rear of
their former line of encampment. The immense
volumes of smoke, however, that arose last evening
on the opposite side, above the hills overlooking
Fredericksburg, and seemed to extend for miles in
a western and north-western direction, demonstrated
that the presumed retrograde movement, if made at
all, was meant only to bring them under better
shelter in the ravines between the first and second
range, and in the woods upon the latter, from the
piercing north-west winds prevailing since the ddy
before yesterday. The apparent fact of the con-
tinued presence of the great body of the rebel army
in front of the right grand division can be but
gratifying to General Burnside, for reasons that will
be developed in a few days. The range of the rebel
encampments in a western direction having evi-
dently been extended within the last few days, it is
that Stonewall' Jackson, with his force,
had position on the extreme left. The in-
tense takenne:eunicold
of the last 48 hours is confining every-
body not on out-door duty insido of houses, tents,
and hate. The freezing winds render it impossible
to keep comfortable, and both officers and men suf-
fer. Reports from the river stations note several
deaths from exposure during the past 48 hours.
g at
tantities of supplies are prevented from
Acquia and
is
fully PotomactwoCirnecehkessbylo
thick.
water
and Large
ice.n The latter
Not-
withstanding this the army generally is provisioned
for 12 days ahead.
Llaanie
"Head-quarters, Army of the
Potomac, Dec. 9.
" The weather is milder and the anew has melted