Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1862-12-20

No troops in the world would have won a vic
tory IL placed in the position ours we're.
Few armies, however renowned, would have
stood as well as ours did. Il can hardly be
in human nature for men TO show more yalor,
or Generals 70 manifest less Judgment, than
were perceptible on our side that day.
It was with a deep sense ofrelief that ] saw
the sun 20 down, and felt hat in q little while
darkness would put an end to the unequal
combat. But for a time the fury Of the Ere.
on both sides redoubled as the discovery was
made by the combatants that theirg day work
was about done. For half an hour, the din
was awful, and the smoke drifted through the
streets, as sometimes in q city, when there is
a high wind and q great dust. There was
severe fighting even after dark, end the.
sparkle Of musketry made q fine display.
Then the big rebel cannons ceased 10 mark
time, the sputter and crack Of small arms
ceased on the center, French's and JacksonB
guns throbbed heavily a few times on the left
and all was still on the north side Of the river,
save the rumble Of army wagons, which are
probably intimately connected with Bryant's
'innumerAble caravan that moves through the
rate Of death
A kind Providence cared for the wounded.
The air was as mild in the night, as If the
month we're June, and the wind came balmy
from the South. If the night had been cold,
hundreds of the wounded, faint with the loss
of blood, would have persisted. p.
1t was not possible for any one who had
witnessed the fight and was candid with him
self TO dispute the fact that we bad had the
worst of it. We had started out to take the
enemy's batteries on the hills. That we had
done no such thing was painfully apparent.
Those batteries had poured their iron storms
into our column until night had, happily for
us, closed the contest. Reports were circu-
lated that we had gained essential advantages
of position, but what they we're, if any, has
not appeared. The enemy, in truth, were as
strong as ever, and we were weakened by the
sheer waste ofthe bravest of the brave, We
had, it appeared, made the attack at the
strongest point of the enemy's lines placed
ourselves Just as they wanted us, made a
magnificent display OF the devotion and dis
c~iplining of our soldiers, in a manner that az
forded the enemythe entertainment OF looking
upon the display without much danger to
themselves, and Of Strengthening us without
stint The City of Fredericksburg was a trap,
and we had plunged into it The policy OF
permitting us to occupy and possess it under
commanding batteries, was clear enough. The
blunder stood revealed.
The extent of the disaster is not yet fully
known. 1t is known that we gained nothing
that oil that we lost was thrown away. We
did not take q battery or silence a gun. We
did not reach the crest of the nights held by
the enemy in q single place. But so deter
mined was Gen. Burnside to carry out his pro
gramme,lthat he ordered a renewal of the at
I! tack on Sunday morning, and determined &c
rush a column Of fifteen thousand men upon
the rebel batteries. The orders to this effect
were actually given, and the divisions tc
make the assault assigned their places, when
the vehement protest and expostulation Of
General Sumner, who declared his troops un
fit for the enterprise, prevailed, and the mad
ness that would again have decimated the
army was quoted.
Sunday morning was clear and breezy, and
the rebel lines Of battle were plainly seer
upon the hills, extending for miles. There
was n good deal of diminishing during the
day and several times the musketry was bold
but there was no general advance or consider
able engagement Sunday afternoon oul
principal Generals we're for several hours en-
gagged in consultation at Gen. Sumner head
quarters. The night passed with occasiona
firing Of musketry. Monday morning thet,
was heavy artillery firing for a few minutes OF
the left 1t was supposed to be Smelling thu
rebels out of the ambuscades, from which thei
sharp shooters annoyed his pickets. | lef
the neighborhood at half past eight o'clock il
the morning. That night, the telegraph tell
us, that the army was withdrawn from tn,
enemy's trap-thst is to say Fredericksburg
We should be grateful that the operation wa
successfully performed. The enemy woul'
have been delighted with further exhibition
of valor like that Of Saturday on our part
The occupation of Fredericksburg was
blunder-tbe evacuation Of the place save
the army. Our losses are heavy-heavie
than have been admitted in official quarters
The loss in COUGHS corps, which suffered ia
more thar any other, was / was told, on hig
authority, 1900 killed, and $500 wounded
Franklin,s loss, / was, told at Gen. Burnside
headquarters, by a gentleman, who, probably
knew as much about it as the. General himsel
was between four and Eve thousand. Their
were considerable losses in divisions outsid
COUGHS corps.
Making all due allowances for the exaggei
atoms that, particularly IL the news lie unfi
vorable, may be looked for after a battle, an
for the return Of ~stragglers, ! do not see no
it is possible to reduce the figures Of the los
Of Saturday, in killed aud wounded below 10
900, and / very much fear they will reach IL
000-while the Immediate reduction in Ii
: force Of electives from all causes is not fl
from 5000.