The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-28

10 uxoNv ooxxxs1o NDzETl

tons had been made to make the day pass on
pleasantly, and our sol dlers. although Tar
from home and deprived of the sweet house
hold music that has made the day joyous In
former years, still made the holiday rs
merry an possible. TIE day was very pleas
ant and warm; huge nrss burned In every
direction; the mess table sroaned beneath
the weight of GOOD things sent In by friends,
and immense DO wis OF p.nch and egg 'nogg
were to be found in every camp. There was
very little drunkenness and no casualties, -
far as have heard, the result OF froltcktng.
Ever, body appeared to have good time,
without the aid Of Il 70. crackers and Komxn
canoies, and the usual nvisJ denonstratlQps,
To-day nearly ons-h half the army II engaged
IN building log cabins to 1--we II when Daa
Wea ther comes.
Tbs battle Ut Drainsville Instead OF being
a dlsas.rous defeat and The oLe-sid.d nsi1
| iepIesented, proves to be exactly the reverse.
From ny present Information can give
| oettcr Statement OF facts. On the morning
| Il tne| hs Int Lilo YsnAees sent out Is IorxSins
party, uuuer the c.corI OF three brig AIDES ircIA
Gca. 6AoCaIIs uAvi.,on. tsaAiHs an attack,
.ney IL ssnl ous Or L. AIDE of i've Issin.onIs. L
oa.tery OF ak gohs ANA Is regimen. oi Cavalry
10 pro,evt lie ruuas leading ii.to DrainsSI ile,
and inen their waSoLs we've cent lao The
coUntry for hoy. 1hvy naa been there bot i.
.RuIt tlL4e VAIN OeL. S.uafs ciiic up iii
-lGus CT s.em. lue SUo ie.ii.saainx urig lue
- eIe liSid Ia rssrIy We .. khor- GtstS4Ioe 49,
IeaT. Goa. D. MAXI Aau taxUu cut hsaf lhro,
lanCreu wnsohs lOr lLu purpose OF .b.aiiiA9
forage, WINCH Was Itle sole Obj IS 0. tho
peuitiun, anu mol, as has DeeA eifoAeJu.iy
sup posed, TO nlake ai attack upon the sHe NY
Uol-lns Upon Inc fsaeraIs suodsnIy, ano
| :. ellg Their 1ozcs outA umoerod has, Gen.
oluart at once prepared 10 protect ms wag
oEs, ANA W 90 tAst ni,d 10 lncAs some domcA-
stIAton ~ Keep tne enemy IL cAecH, while
ine Wagons We're beiAg Married 30 lus IeAt
For that purpose lac ADVANCED towards them
,uu sLeitel Ais iaf.-nLIy Ia h Pine IUr.ss -
49, tLls llE1s Tie II etyou VI tne enemy was
seen aiL ro..ehihs, accompanied 81 a4uisionai
IL tillery &Ad cAVuiIy, aid Lie MoAeAt
SEEMED almost l. fatal one 10 cur little ioIce
Dut through tho ovoiEses OF Il ciear -he@ueo
anu saliirul CtnCer It was saved witn Gem :
parauyeiy sn,aii loss, considering tao ouGs IL
Aayor Of the -aeLAy.
Atnrstlt Wae ( usidersd doubtful whether
the + .GeIals were marching uloA LeespuIs,
OF whether they had been Informed OF Lha
expedition Dy spies, AMI mad co.us ous " cap
luro iG; Ia eltXer caso TIE wagons were In
danger, lid IL WAS necessary 10 protect them
at any Eacrihce. Had they been lost, thc
greater por tion OF tne transpor lauon oi the
second corps would have bsen lost. Making
| = vigorous attack upon The regiment, drawn
np against him, Gen. Stuart scattered them
causlnE 4 reat cons ter IA lion III Ihclr ran Ks-
they ala not reform uatii the reserve came
be Il Dst.r ii nS q
fresh troops, they returned 10 .hs fight
after the " AZ ous were ut 3 safe distance, Gsn.
Stuart saw It was useless 70 contend with SO
great force against him, with no p:ospec !:
Of reinforcement Unless On grounu OF his
own cnosiug, and go he tsil back 70 . spot 10.
iecIed TO make stand, but the Yankees had
fought long enough aud We're nos disposed
10 follow.
As to the results. Several Of our missing
men have baen recovered, many OF them
wounded. The casualties may be summed
up as follows: Killed, Is; wounded, llS
Musings Some Of tn wounded have mtncr
died. The snemy's loss was heavy, although
their papers say it was sliS ht. The evidence
| is too strong against them, and the truth will
soon como cut. The psopls OF Drairsvills
twenty wagons conta!Ling wounded men.
They promised 70 return In the morning for
cur wounded, who were left on the field,
do so, and they acknowledged that the fight
had been m uch more severe than they b.r.
gained for. TIE Baltimore papers are gath.
ering the facts aad pu biish them as collected
One Of them gives a lis t Of casualties in two
wounded. Gen. Johnston Is very W III salts
fed with the result, and has compiimented
Gen. Stuart upon the cuoiress epd bravery
displayed by him on the occasion
Yesterday evening e large body OF FEEDER
ais, three III ousaud strong, came out in the
direction Of Pohick church, and marched to-
wards our lines, seemingly for the purpose OF
making a reconn oissancs. A ftsr coming
within abo ut n lie and a half of our pickets
they halted, and soon after retired. heir
mo vements were closely watched, and had
they yentured little further some little
impediulsnts might have been thro wn In their
way.
Since giving my address few lays since
q great many letters have been sent in 20 me
upon various eubjects, and will sudsavcr to
attend to them As soon as possible. Psrhaps
may be pardoned word to SINE in this
letter. "Sigma" asks mo to corr.ct serious
fault in the Qrartermastsr's department.. I
can only call atten ton 70 the matter, and
will do so at an early date, u. r. o., your
letter has been forwarded. Miss M-The
battery you speak OF will winter upon Bull
Run, near Blsckburn's ford. W. Thy own
opinion Is that 1t would be useless for you to
come.
The First Virginia regiment Is stiN at its
old camping ground. Thus far no prepare.
tions for winter quarters have been made,
sibiity Of getting to Richmond, very little 10
said upon the subjsct. Gen. Ewell's brigade
will winter In the advance, and believe
tho First will take up its quarters as near
the enemy IS any regiment. With good,
warm log houses the soldiers can live very
comfortable through the cold weather, and
If their friends at home will furni sh books,
and means Of enjoyment In the shape of
Quofts. balls, gymnastic fixtures, chess boards,
&c the time will coon pass away. 1t Is not
20 very certain that there will BE- NO fighting
during the winter, AS far as know The
health of the regiment Is very good. A snh.
scription has been started for the benefit Of
the Charleston sufferers, and, although still
growing, has reached very respectable fg.
ure- In tho Washington ARTILLERY, also, q
large sum has been subscribed for tho char.
liable purpose. One company alone, the
ID, Capt. Rosser, has subscribed six hun
dred dollars. nearly every member giving .
months pay. The other three companies
have also put down handsome sum.
The weather still continues good and 10 not
excessively cold. There has been but ono