The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-12-10
Alflhlmma Qispatrb.
TUESDAY MORNING. DEC 10 ,ss,
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
toUR OWN CoRREs sPoYpEyr
Orrposr. near ,Sa;rf.x IA. -,

| fairiax road. Desiring to see something more
| oi HIe On the advance posts, gladly accepted
MS Kind invitation to accompany the battery,
| and am now writing from the bivouac, about
one and half miles this side the town of
| Fairfax
| Perhaps an idea Of outpost duty may not be
| ac.iss At the beginning OF my letter In main
| tanning an army III the face of an enemy the
| general principles as we'll rs the details are
| interesting. Some miles before bat still
/ within supporting distance, a commander
F! places his advance guard. From this guard
| the advance pekets, the sentnels, and the
| videttes ara thrown out, and also Il inkers and
| patrols, To give better idea of it, imagine
| force encamped in the form uf rectan gle,
| stretching cut several miles, the distance in
| proportion 10 the size Of the army, or it may
| be regulated hy the character OF the country
| 20 De attacked or defended.
| From this advanced guard the picleets, sen :
| nreiS, vldeItps, ana II tnkeTS are thrown out,
| npou a fan Sh2 ped ground plan, REGIMENTS Is
are placed IL the form OF Il semi circle ;; these
| send Gu, picsets in The same form, stationing
| them about eight hundred yards away still
| farther Oh, gradually Widening the semi
circle, - q line Of Ssntinels, and fifteen hun.
dred yards from these, are the cavalry pick
| cts, yIdettes. On either side of the ad-
| vance guard the htnkers are placed, and re-
] l
| videttes, the patrols are in constant motion
/ The outer line of infantry sentineIS are very
| close TO each other and form au in npassabla
! barrier to friend or foe, unless provided with
| the proper passes or signals. The yidettes
are stationed upon hills that overlook the
| roads and avenues leading to or from the
| iinrs, ana are constantly occupied in watch
leg the movements OF the enemy. sending
| back courIeIs with any iufor ID alton or nj
| any signs Of an advance of the enemy. II
| pressed by 8 superior force, the videttes fire
| their pieces and retire slowly, keeping the
| advancing force in view The infantry pick
| cts ski!m;Sh to The rear also, and rstarI the
| movements of the enemy until the long roll
| III the advanced guard has called Il large force
| 10 arms.
| In our Army we have artillery upon the
| ontposts, to retard still longer the motions OF
| an advancing foe, and Il large cavalry force
| 10 prevent its being cut off and captured -
! Oar yid4 are now stationed about one
| hundred yards beyond FairfaE Court House
| and stretch from thence towards Vienna and
| ttyingpan, To the north and south ward
| sweep around towards the Oecoquon. Be
! niGd these come the infantry ana SAIL fur
! Jher hehi3d the artillery and cavalry. l may
mention also that behind the main body OF
| the Army is The rear guard, arranged very
| nearly tn" same as the advanced guard, main
taiufug all the Time strict vigilance and
| careful attention 10 duty. IN case Of an ad-
| vance upon our lines By the Yankee Army, it
Will not be made III i direct line, but an effort
! 10 flank the position will be attempted.
| when the pic<ets and the fitnlters ca one
SIDE or the otAer are driven IN, the TWO Ar
! mics will probably be in the shape Of two
| right angels. enc within the other.
That may be the general plan, but OF course
the lines VIII vary and change form accord
i ing - the circumstances Of the case. Were
| the Yankees rs cor tdent Gf success : as at Bah
| Run they mighC advance ia solid column up
| on some point they supposed weaker than an
| other.
| Theoretically we can make most beautiful
| plans for the advance of the enemy, and can
| imagine excellent smbuscadcs, strategies
! ana defeats, but when come down to the
| matter Of fact question, "Wiil he Gomez the
splendid imasry is Of iit5le interest Day by
| day The hope OF Il ght dTindies. The gen.
| eral principles upon which the belief Of an
advance was based now fail to produce the
| shadow OF hope, and IL is generally colced-
| &c tn At If Il tight occurs it will be purely &C.
eiden tai. Our Generals still say they believe
there VIII ca 4 fight within sixty hours, or
| three avs, or ten days, as The case may be,
| but if really thoughtthey believed it would
come upon this line, half nay confidence il
| them would be gone. What may happen
down on tue river is more than L can tell,
| but "a for this iine-i give it up.
! As have said III former letter the com
| Land-r Of the outpost is J. r. Il. Smart the
| youngest BTigadier III the army. He now
has charge OF the cavalry brigade, and has
| headq utrters but few miles from where l
| am now writing. As the cavalry Is constant
! ly opposed ID tLe enemy, and as Gen. Stuart
| Is oae of those energetic, brave spirits that
| are never idle the enemy are kept in a con-
| l.
| rassed, their pickets captured, and their
dreams disturbed by visions of flashing sa-
! bres aud Black Horse cavalry. To one foad
OF reading tales OF the border the merry life
| in the green wood, the daring feats Of Marion
| aud his gallant band, or any OF the stories Of
| stragetic warfare IL the old world or the ew
| there Is 40 better place tor the realization of
his dreams or the longings OF his soul han in
| the camp Of Gen. Stuart. Something excit-
ing is constantly on the tapis; some scouting
| party or some dashing band of rangers con-
stantly in the saddle. Would yo u Ike to see
| the record OF the past month devoid Of all
| the little episodes of spirited personal rencon.
| tTes' Read the following spirited orders by
| Gen. stuart;
TgADQ'Rs CAvALRY BRIGADE
| Camp .Qui Tiye," Dec ) 1851
| GEyRaAL ORDERS No. :.
| The feueral Of Cavalry takes pleasure in
! announcing 10 the Brigade iii orders, the sig
| NIL success Obtained by the cavalry of III IS
army over the enemy in recent enga gem en- is
On the --- uit., CUi. w. L. Jones' lst Tir-
| giaia Cavalry, with detachment of his regi-
I1ent, made Il descent upon the enemy near
| Fails Church, capturing seven, with their
| arms and equipments, and sustaining no loss
On the l6Lh uit., Major w. L. Martin, com
| manding JEFF Davis Legion, with d detach-
| ment o1 his command, completely surpris I'd
| a greater force OF inItntry than his own
| about D0olIt' 5 house and orchard ard charg-
ing upon them over fences and marshes,
| killed several and captEred one Captain, one
| Lieu tenant, and twenty-eight non commits
sionei officers and private7, without receiving
| II scratch to Ii man or horse.
| On the 18Th nit. Lat. Col. Fitzhugh Lee, lst
| Virginia Cavalry, with a detachment of the
| regiment, while scouting near Falls Church
| fell in with party OF the ensrny's chosen in
| ftntry, and sharp encounter eDsued. The
enemy occupying a sheltered position, be-
haved with unusual spirit, obiiging Ii Col.
| Lee, whose horse was killed under him early
| in the action, TO dismount a portion of his
command to oisiodge him. This was done un-
| der fire with eoolness, and resulted in the en-
emys total rout--seyen being killed on the
| spot, and ten captured, including Lieut.. and
| lst Sergt., three of whom were won, ded -
Col. Lees loss was killed, (priyate Tucker
| Co. a y and TWO wounded, one of the latter
| the lame ted Chichester, having since died
| This afftir occurred in sight CT the enemy's
| encam pms ents, and caused alarm throughout
their line.
| On the 2eth ult., Col. r. Ransom, Jr., Ist
/ North Carolina cavalry, with q portion OF
| his regiment, came upon column of the enc
my's cavalry near Vienna ard although he
had the disadvantage in numbers, charged
| him with SO much spirit ard skiii as 10 put to
| ignqminious fight the entire column-the
| oilieers leading. The difficulties OF the road
| were, however, so great, that ne captured
| ohly 70, together with their arms, equipments,
ano, Tor the most part, their horses, besides
| Killing ard wounding a mum her, and sus.
| famed himself no loss at all. This last is the
| Hrst engagement with tho enemy's cavalry
| the result shows that he has not yet found
| the element OF reueIa p.ion from his manifest
1 destiny.
On the End inst, Col. u w. Field, 9Th Va.
| oasairy WIN detachment Of his regiment
made bold and successful dash into the enc.
| my S irfahtry pickets station cd In the village
| OF fAnandaie. killing carrying OF Is captured,
~itn their arms and equipments, sustaining
a loss OF two missing.
TO mention especially the conspicuous gal
| lantry displayed On these various occa sions
| would trans scend the limits OF their order
| snihce ~ 10 say, the ctficars nd men engaged
here behaved In a manner mighty ereditnhle
and are entitled to the THANKS OF their conn.