The New York herald., 1862-12-22

The usual rumors OF changes in the command Of tho
army are il circulation the changing policy .. Hee's
having caused universal expectation through the rank
and ae that the Commanding Genoa Al win BE- changed
their responsibility by orders from Washington
The weather s cold, but very pleasant.
this morning on the steamer zep8yr which came down
special trip 10 bring them. They Will leave for
Falmouth On special train froin here this morning
Our Baltimore Correspondence.
BALTraeax, Dec i9, 1862
Rs,el Account of Battle ef Fredc,tcabmgAop
of Retel Troops After Ms Battle ard in Consequence Of us
ReaR-The Rebel Government, Belierin0 Richmond 10 b
Safe for The Merit Month is Concentrating il, troops s~
Hs Wes.--vay Ftso Troops EoU Left in VirginiG--A
.s,lndid Opportunity for the Capture Of Richmond e.
have to-day received full confirmation Of the fact
mon,ioucd In my Of yesterday--namey, that large
number OF General Lees troops left Fredericksburg
for the West Immediately after Burnside's army 70
tired the north side Of the Rappanannock Tho details
follows
Up TO the 10th Of December tho numerical force of
General Ieo'e army was much less than that which
Burnside had brought against him. The Banks expedition
had sorey puzzled the rebel government Il was CONF
IDENTIFY believed at Richmond that while Burnside
engaging General Iee's army on the Rappahannock
Banks would sail up the York or James river with
90 i,s Vulnerable eide Tho Richmond Esaminer Of No
yeuiber "a had sad:Tbe vulnerable side OF Richm nd
sti what military intelligence aud oricnce for
hundred years have pointed out namely, Ler rivers.
The British g here IN that way without much dncutyo
And these the views too OF tho rebel leaders, TO
guard this vulnerable sdc tbcrsiure aud 70 operate
against General Banks, the rebels had at and near
Petersburg thirty thousand troops at various points on
the peninsula twenty eight th'usnd at Fort Darling aud
tho the south sdc ~ the James river opposite
Richmond twenty dyo thousand, aud NJ the forts north
Of Richmond aud ~ sayton's Junction eighteen thousand
This eltfor General Lee Frederickb re- only little
over one hundred thousand trools. Bat he was well
aware the OF his positions he had been for y
Z "a, believed
could hold u against whassof iorco Burnside might
THUS ma,ers remained until the eth or 7th us when
the rcbe government learned, beyond al possibility of
Banks expedition, u not destined Tor Richmond.
There therefore, no longer nod for The troops
Richmond and on The peninsula and the sh and 9th
Q: ecenOer saw moro than nfiy thousand Of them
tho march for fredericksburg. They all arrived there
Tue ioh and flth, and the uay before the great
battle General Ice saw hu.sef Ia command " fully
$50 600 troos Tho accounts which have Of tho baltic
Of saturday st-ie Tat not moe THAI onebalf this
force engaged and they sate ESQ that their ose
worry light he account further states that General Leo
confidently expected that Earrside would renew tho
attack Monday; that he llsd with admiration as
the daantcs courage with which our troo 9 time after
time, ruslod 70 the assault OF hs works; that he
much ia excess cr what no Ind supposed and thai no
remarked 70 General Loagstrect on Sunday that, nt~ih
standing mo advsnasss MS position and the strength
the ansl rssrt had IL not been for tho renf5cesnts
tha. Rad reschod him on tho 10th From other eate-
Lee intention 10 mako bus eeSle his rss
ue Of ,renclments r. Monday, BirnsIdc shord
thp attack permit him tooccupy tcsB, believing
n,. II soi the Un,on ermy range Of his second
line OF batteries II would bo ira? from which that
army could never be sxricatea aud tha; he cop then
snniha,e tno,n This therefore the prudence Of
BGrasss retreat In time T. bis army and In saving
ihe nceornt sisss thai General lee was surprised, anS
at hrst somewhat chagrnsd, when ho found That the
Union army bad effected is retreat In safety and re
msrkd that Burnside was bcttor geuorsl than he
thought HIM The unexpected retreat o. the Union army
was Immediately tolesraphsd TO Richmond and 70 Jed.
received osdes 10 send 600 rsops hs.sanoOsa N hs
csula safely ssre that many n b believed that the
that snsra Loo Is conGez that Barnsae viii nvt again
attack bis works, ard that he doos they can be defend
sste ac that 40 600 ,roors orders 70 bssp
20 Richmond the nth inst for the south sna
south Carolina and sorsa, ths soops from Lees army
going BY way Of the great Southern EarsAd. through
What do these movements mssnp 10 tley moan thss
the reSes believe that nc fortAer attempts VII bo made
% akO R!chnndg No, &C. they mean that the rebels.
by 5r. Stanton aad General laipck, that Gene. al Burn
fidcs arry is tn on eno 30 hays which can operate
against Richmond believe that 70 attacS WIZ be made on
E.chnond a, presoai, aud that for three eve
rocks ,o come they can employ 'hcr troops 10 coed I'D
Tstenl upon i llls "a hair aDc. They hsrc ~ ,h,s
time withdrawn foll Virginia every regiment thai
prulonty be spare ihcsa roos bc'ag con -antacf
at rhatisrooga AID viclsbpr5 onre here they win
act tire Uleusiye They i attack sIr troo,s et taah
ylo and seek % cxpo tho rIen from Tennessee
aud Kentucky. They Til make GcTnata ration
a. sslnst Gonoia ncfrerrands forces on fha iss!spp
with The end " break up and genter soriivo hs sxped
ton.
I, is we'll therefore, that armies IN the West arc 80
strong s fortunate tha. q the a1 1ht red thou
sspd Union roops At the disposal of the gov ernneas
General sleck has sent 20 large proportion 10 the very
pon,t which are now menaocd BY Tho utmost strength
tho confederscy.
But n view Of the above sacls IN the time for
the soycranent 70 strike II Rch1ond There win never
again be 80 favorable an opportunity as the present.
Never before have thers been Few rebel troops IA va.
sina there are .. the moment whes ths article meets
the sy u the readers Of tho HxRALD 1hero teray
no troos or any account al Richmond the pent.
sula Con. Leo has rs 900 az Fredcrlcksbgrg, ard not
man Excep, guer. has thore other ops Ia
Virgins, Unless 10 be 1900 at Petersburg But there
10000 al Charleston and 80 900 at savannah, bon
under BeaurosArd, snd 81, ,soo 81 Mobile. The gca.
strength u the sonederncy, however now being ooa
towards Nashville and VsSsburg, and ~ snfs
10 ssv that there viii he, IN fow days fully 10000
rebel roops a. each DC two pcnts Lst Che
cen, thsn strika At Richmond when 1t s defenc ocss
and NJ ths expedition marches by the proper route
cess ,hIs time VIII crown the ebert.
WHO Is Rcsponsibis for the FredsyicLs-
burg Disasterf