The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-12-12

The Crosssssg Of the RapRah ann
neck Accomplished OPe
Fa1jOns. ISL
The Army Of tie Potomac is now on the
south bank of the RsPpahsnook. .u
most perilous Of all military enterprises the
crossing of a river in the face OF an enemy,
was successfully accomplished, with sucn
faa,s Of beroism attending it as will place Il.
among the nobIest exploits in the history OF
this or any other war.
TIE emmy seem 10 have been aware that
an attempt would be made to force the
passage of the Rappahannock. and made
their preparations to resist it. The pom
toons were drawn 10 the river, and the con-
strucfion Of a bridge in front Of the city was
commenced. Rebel sharpshooeers. hidden
in houses on the south bank, opened FIRE
on the engineers, sending them from their
work. Thereupon, at six O'Clock. the Fed
eral batteries opened terrific cannonads
on the city, setting it on fire in several
places. 10 the mean time, Frar klin's divi.
sion completed the bridge across the river.
three miles below the city, with but little
opposition manifested. a
The cannonade on the city did not have
the desired effect to dislodge the sharp
shooters Volunteers were called for to
take boats and storm them out with the
bayonet. One hundred men were selected,
and under cover of tremendous fiie, Cross
ed the river. dislodged the rebels. captured
hundred prisoners, drove them out of the
city. and enabled the engineers to complete
two pontoons, over which the army advanc-
ed, and occupied the place, the enemy re-
firing to his Entertainments beyond the city
limits. The hazardous enterprise appears
to have been accomplished without great
81 crifce OF life, and without any blunder or
repetition of the Balls Bluff catastrophe =
1t is said that battle is imminent and will
probably be Tough. to-day. This, we pre-
sumo. will depend mainly on the disposition
OF General Burnside and whether he intends
an immediate advance southwark.
1t is believed, and not without reason,
that he is engaging the rebels now to draw
attention from an importan; movement south
Of Richmond. General Foster. in North
Carolina. has recently been reinforced by .
division, under General Emory, which sailed
from Fortress Monroe on Friday last. 1t is
assumed that Banks has landed, and is
moving from Suffolk upon Petersburg, and
that Foster is coming in to CO operate with
him by way Of Weldon. Weldon is 63
miles from Suffolk, by railroad. Petersburg
58 miles from Suffolk, by another railroad,
and Weldon distant from Petersburg, by
direct road. "a miles. Petersburg is 90
miles distant from Richmond. Gen. Banks
has, we presume. 10000 men in his expe
diuon /; $4,000 are reported already at Suf-
folk !: Gen. Foster would probably bring up
10000 or / 5000 more-making formida-
bic army on the South bank of the James,
and sufficient TO compel the rebels to look
we'll TO their lines of communication south.
General Mcclellan. in his letter to General
Halleck from the Peninsula. advised that
!" all points OF secondary importance else
where should be abandoned" to strike
blow at the heart OF the rebellion. 1t looks
as though this was at last being done. and
the mighty energies of the nation were being
brought TO bear on the head and front OF the
gigantic instruction.