Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-09

AcbSA l-@tcAtUS NOAS yAyAi4I w tAt@ HFoi-N pm
our left.
Oar cavalry, forced to retire, retreated behind
/ a low ridge; but the clouds Of dust revealing
their place of retreat, the rebels continued shelf
ing them, and another change of position was
made.
Here body Of cavalry were observed riding
toward the spot, aud the sabers Of our cavalry
were drawn to meet the coming foe. The squad
ron proved to be friends, the 4th New York
cavalry. Where they hsd come from, as General
| Sigel was on the right, was and is a mystery
/ They reported the rebel cavalry under General
Stuart as about making a charge
The New York cavalry fell in behind General
Butord's brigade, the buglers sounded, and over
the hill gellopad cur rlen TO meet The advancing
rebels. AS our men approached them the rebel
cavalry discharged iOuble-barrelled shotguns,
and then met US in full charge. Our ms2 broke
the enemy's line and pursued them. The rebels
rallied in splendid style and dashed forward
again to meet the charge Again their line was
broken, and IS our cavalry WAS preparing to
charge O. ain the rebes opened fire upon them
from then battery and with musketry, compel
ing them to retire.
Meanwhile our left had given way and was on
the retreat, passing the cavalry.
4 battery which had run short Of ammunition
was on the point of being captured but under
the determined resistance Of our cavalry it was
safely brought off.
The troops fell bael; upon General FrankIin's |
divisien, which had Just come up, and were
formed in line to prevent struggling and any
thing like a panic. bad General Ffanklin's
corps arrived two hours earlier upon the field the
result of the days lighting would have been die |
ferent.
The fact of GsEeral stuarts cavalry being
armed with deuble-bsuelled shotguns, is proved |
By number of the guns being captured, and |
several of our cavalry having buckshos wounds |
Colonel Brodhead, commanding the lst Mich /
gan cavalry, was captured.
Lieutenant Merriam was wounded and taken !
prisoner.
Lieutenant Morse was killed.
General Frauklin-s division retired to Center 1
vile, after preventing confusion aud giving or /
retreating troops TINA to rally.
Daring the fight body Of the enemy, con /
cealed in the woods, annoyed cur forces much /
by their rife practice. General Msrt.ndse's /
brigade charged them and drove them from the /
woods amidst the cheers Of our men.
General Hartsuffs brigade made a similar |
charge, but with different result They pene- |
trated into the woods, when deadly Ere Of grape
and canister was opened from masked battery /
At the same time a murderous voliey of rife 1
balls came from one side and desperate charge /
of the enemy from the other. Our men fought
bravely, but were forced to retire.
The enemy remained upon tho battlefield
over night.
To-day there has been some skirmishing.
ReinfOreements are going up to-day, and a
battle is anticipated tomorrow.
The road from Alexandria, extending TO Cen /
teTville was denstly crowded al this day with
wagon trains, ambulanees, hacks snd private
conveyances, on their way to and from the lat
ter place.
The number of wounded sent to Washington
was comparatively small
Not few persons who had reached Center
vile and intermediate points, intending TO aid
the sick aud wourded, were turned back for the
reason that the battlefield of Manassas was in
the possession Of the rebels, and that their ser
vices we're not needed. Many who had ridden
to Centerville have returned to Alexandra on
foot.
Picksts had been thrown out all along tha
road to prevent stragglers from deserting the
front
-Four government employees who had started
from Gen McClellan's headquarters last night,
in company with a mail carrier (in4ending TO
sct nurses,) were arrested at Balls Cross
Roads, on suspicion Of beng spies, but On being
returned TO General McClellan's headquarters
were discharged.
THE EVACUATION OF TREDERTCKsBURG.
WASHINGTON, August 3I-Fredericksburg
was evacuated this afternoon by General Burn-
side, and considerable quantity OF government
property and Rnum Der of bridges were destroyed
during the final evacuation Of the place For
several days IumOTs of success and defeats both
Of Pope and Jackson were prevalent in Freder
icksbUrg, but no reliable information could be
obtained. The rebels in that vicinity continued
in jubilant frame of mind over reported defeats
of eur forces iu the tGttles which were known,
from the fact of heavy cannonading being heard
for two days previous to be in progress, snd
their expectation that General Burnside's army
wss about TO evseuate the place, aud fal back
to Aqua Creek. Ia this crisis the real feelings
and sentiments Of many Of the citizens, espe-
cialy the women, were plainly exhibited. They
thought that our day was over, at least for the
present, and that they could with impunity show
their hatred toward US and the Union cause.
During ell this time General Burnside was calm
and cheerful, and so far from fallinEyback, eI-
pressed his determination to hold The city, and if
attacked by the Tebel forces sand obliged to re-
tire from the place, to destroy it, as il could
easily be done, by the artillery which com
manded it from bluff, within less than half q
mile, and which, within an hour, eoald reduce
it to mass Of ruins.
Thus matters went on during Friday until
about five P. Nj, when our pickets fell back and
announced that a rebel force was approaching
the city. Upon this quite a panic arose, and
the Union citizens, with the negroes, retired
across the river, and preparations were made to
repel any attack which might be made. The
provost guard remained in the plsce, and the
pickets were ordered out again upon the various
roads. This was the condition of afaiTs al
night There was no further alarm made, and
everything quiet. Il was ssceTtained that the
rebel force which was seen was merely q recon-
noisering party, sent out probably to ascertain
the truth of the Eumor mat our forces were
eyAcuating Fredericksburg. Next morning The
citizens returned aAd the usual status was re-
| suned.
The heavy baggage and portion Of the com
misssry stores had been sent to Aqua creek
in order to relieve the army OF al unnecessary
encumbrance, and put it in good fighting con
dition.
The exodus of the negro population was gen
eral, and hundreds Of them could be seen with
their household effects upon their heads, and &C.
comp anied By their large families of children,
rstreating froa the city, which they deemed an
unsafe place Of residence. The panic among
this class of the population was vsry great, and
many disleyaly family has to lament over the
sudden departure of their laboring element
! After the order for the removal of the com
misssry and quaTtermaster stores at Aqnia
creek, the roads leading from Fredericksburg
thither were filed with wagons conveying the
property to the creek. Preparations for the de-
stTuction of certain property were made as fol-
lows In Fredericksburg a large machine shop,
where the railroad engines have been repaired,
was undermined with powder, and at the last
moment was blown up with tremendous noise.
The destruction Of the three bridges across the
| Rappahaunoek was accomplished by covering
the woodwork with pitch and hay, and setting
fire to this eombustible material after our troops
had left the city At Falmouth, on the other
side of the Rappshsnnock all the newly erected
government bskehouses, constructed for baking
bread for the army ia that yiciaity, were demol-
ished The railroad depot was burned in the
same manner as the bridges. A large am0unto Of
lumber at the depot was also destroyed, The
railroad engines and cars were left at Aqua
creek for safety, and the retiring troops marched
over shocking bad road from Fredericksburg
70 Aauia creek. General Bluaside himself
superintendent the removal Of tire troops and
stnrAs. and the Distinction Of tho nronertF which