New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-12-23
They Claim to have Done Great Execution
uElCNISTS MOVED DOWN BY THE HUNDRED
Attempts to Belittle their Own Losses.
REBEL NEWS FROM MISSISSIPPI
sp.ci.. Correspondence o'T,o Risserona Enquirer;


cbscuriue nists which overhung the landscape, but
his rays were for sn hOcr or-twO iLterceI ted by
some asicn clouds slowly oriftirg overhead.
Everything was Still as on any uih December
morning. Scarcely breath Of air w tfted tie fall
inv leaves or stirred the iDees of tie pine. TIE log
snd smoke, thoroughly Mingled Trough tue night,
ard shroudsl Hill and piain IN grayish dim cloud.
As this began 10 rise, about o'clock, the roar of
tho enemys artillery woke tie stiffness OF the scene,
md signsed the coming great bait e. fastening to
the font | obtaiped "a
BIRp's-EYE VIEW or THE DATTLr.FIrLD.
The observer, who stands on the nights chat rise
nbruetly from the suburts on tie western side Of
Fredericksburg, and casts his eye 10 the south west,
sees stretching before h'n q level plain, to where
the Rsppahannock, making bread curve, vita the
rising hills on the north bank, forms tho horizon.
This plain is about six miles long, with mean
breadth Of two and half miles. Ga the night the
Ilan is scolloped by spurs OF hills gradually scping
down into the bottom lsud, al Intervals OF about
mile clothed with dark pines and lesiess oaks. On
the left where the kappshannock sweeps 4ong, hi !
b. its high banks, succession OF hills f1se much
more abruptly than on the right, the 6ce o: the bills
bare or clotbed with Struggling pines, and the sum
its crowned with dtn.c timber. These hlisides axe
white with tie onemy's tents and trains, and from
the cress his batteries br;sle in countless profusion
es far as the eye can reach.
Now, let rs cast our eyes again down Ills broad
stretch Of bottom land and note what bird s-eye
view affords. First is the town OF Ere .ericksburg,
rome Of tn. rains stl sending up wreaths OF pale
blue smoSe but The town Is not 30 much demolished
a. some excited imaginaglons may have supposed,
aud hardly enough TO ottract The attention q the
casual observer. Then tie plain is seen, SEEMINGLY
lowest in TIE middle, bu, ac 1aly heariy level. a
few long narrow groves OF leailoss breaks the
uonoionv and here and there some clumqs of c.
dars are seen.
The fields containing on an average a hundred
acres are separated 10y fences aul bitches, the
latter ndiesiei by liues OF low hedge. The enemy's
lire oc ipies the lefi Of this plain andin Places
their col aims. which the casu'l observer, from tbis
a., L. DOL II, e ...iu. -r.,f
Ear o1 into the fields. In The center of their line
near the river, on sing ground, Is sted battery
Of twenty-ons heavy guns--there may be more-but
these only distinguished by the eye.
Just ia the OF these, 20 lar one is able TO
irdre by the long line OF ambnlanccs which disap-
year onthe opposite bauk Of the river aud emerge
netr by, ponioon bridge spans The rivera single
Ifidge am toll. Tnis battery forms prominent
part of the picture especially when il fires regularly
81 section sending It's shells acrO.s the Plains and
into The rising hills tic right. short distance
above this battery, tht is, next TO tue observer,
narrow grove Of oaks extend o<agOnaliy into the
plain. half mile, peThaGs, Terminating in low,
ruarsby ground. 4 deep lily extends the length Of
this grove, and is spaunel Ia the middle by 'ol-
road bridge, the ue Of the railroad Indicated here
and there by pate Ies on rcd earth. which marks lis
length down ths leit side Of tie valley. In this
grove Tie enemy fnd couceaiment for q bri .,ede,
which keeps up a random Ire on our II ops until
dielc6 ei by regiment ecu. from Iiood's oiysioD.l
Noting but pale clouds Of smoke struggling up
through the undergro WITH and forests on the hills TO
- the Ii9h, indicate tie presence OF our forces.
The BATTLE.
VI heavy columns of the enemy moving down the opIo
rite 5auk OF the river Far down, nesr the lowe
rart of the valley, they seea de5Ogching. NAOl
fields arc cleaning with bayoEets. They oo1tlnl
10 pour ont upon the PLAIN IN siTeam which seen,
70 come from an ineXbausiible fOuotiin. The mead
ows arc black with taen tens OF thousands IN soir
column. We cgn ouly va leiy Conjecture a. tn
Si,tence tie nunbe~ Old soldiers think there ar
&. NIe-o Solitary
OF four guns commanded By Capt. Carter Br Xt0n
Is to be sen on the plain. The FIRE from the trcmy
battery Of twenty-five gnns ofens upon i, tut ]
makes 10 reply. Otler batteries direct their shot
toward II. bu it has evidently made ~ lis mind NJ
e. le hurried.
Tie eueu,y, now formed in three heavy columns
advances to attack orr night. On they go q
GouUie-q aick toward tie woods, making Tie cart
shake uidsr their tread, with co0rs flying and aun
plis'enng in the cunl -ht. Where are Our men
Il long sheet OF flame from the SKIRT Of woods at The
foot Oh the bills, cloud OF smoke, roar aud rattle
OF uJusketry tell The r whereabouts! The advanced
column lalts and delivers q hasty fire. A coHiiuu
ors Stream Of fugrves from the from, scour acros
ibe helis re8rward; come are halted aud formed ir
equals, bot can new be forced AGAIN 10 80 to th'
font exec g a, The point OF he Jayonet.
Tie smoke now mostly shuts the eOmtatan's from
the view Of the distant SPECTATOR. Thee Il break
ing Of ranks among the enemy ialiyng ana rel ally
iug, bat 10 10 avail. Iesy cAnno, t,anl The inur
1crols FIRE. They give IL up as a bad Job. Mean
while tee battery il tie fed (BraXtOnf) has OpeIe
after lo9r opdufaac.s and az tie right m0men
make. It's mark. The cOuluess aud precision witt
which j. is handled wins the adoration Of all 90
servers The manner OF iis action VIII be noticed
tele4tisr IL complimentary terms ia oi-c al report
Oihsr b4tie-ies lid taer work molly, but they, viii
other particulars OF the engagement on tie night
mus be noticed where each can have Jde;ice done Il
81 extended account.
The sToRMrsG OF The HILL.
The Yankees commenced the s,Orming Of the bil
al III Il. n. with six brig4ies, AMI were Tepu' SEQ
ioar tines with immense siauy liter. They were
moved down By lundlcds two bundled and FITS
J,di-B were coantej SPACE occulic by ouly one
regiment. The fang WAC kept 40 necessarily until
3 O'Clock. Col Wait1a's bai terry held the nights
pour z a muTderOus hIe into the advancing col
nuns. The batteries Oh the various Allls LoDiy
Essied the ba tory Tie iIghts, keeping up "a con
tinua stream OF fire. each yolcy thinning The ranks
Ci the enemy IA terilbls manner
TIE battery Of Capt. Milc- g. Macon o. Richmond
covered itself with glory. The iIe was opened on
tie sOriling nc giEerts by It's battery. The rail
road gan - one time, WIS ilod with Yankees
when weildrect tod shot from the Battery exploded
81 their liasi, killing alou Afy Of the hireli1gs
Capt. Ma teTy was holly engaged on tbs llh
llh, and 1872, AMI won the aduirdiiln Or I'll th9
Commanding Off CTS by the coOiuess and precision
exhibited by the raen in handling their guns. As
toLshng % Soy, not u n.al Of tlis company wa
killed O. wOun led.
One rife piece Of Capt. Ewlank's battery, noal
tle center, has been engaged. On Saturday Mter
noon j. playei upon the Yankee big .de driven by
Hill smen from the WOO . iA 'front.' Of Barnard r.
This portion Of the battery bad bsen under q heavy
fire fer three days past. but has fortunately suffered
10 loas TIE remain 4er o. Capt. EwiauAs guns nIt
% olsposcd pspt tacy will psi.o.m e4lcl0A' service
when called upon, IN which event We expect 70
chronicle brihun, achievement Oh tie part OF
ibis gallant command.