, 1862-12-18
Q)ifo9o Qribn,1c.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER Is, 1862.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER Is, 1862
THE WAR IN VIRGINIA,
FROM BuRNSDES ARMY,
THE BATTLE or SATURDAY.

THE BATTLE or SATURDAY.
! FROM the New York Herald Of Monday.]
| FREDERICKSBURG, Va, Dec IS: 1862.
| The occupation of Fredericksburg having
1 been successfully accomplished, the next
move was to drive the rebels from their
strongho1ds II, the rear of the city. The lines
Of the rebels, which extended III the form of a
| scmi-circlc from Port Royal to q point about
six miles above Fredericksburg, wercstrongly
| fortified unprotected by 4 range Of high hills
S:onewafl jackson occupied the right wing,
extending from Port Royal to Gninneys Sta
| tion ia station on the Richmond and Freder-
ceatrt, extending to Tic telegraph road, and
| Generals Lee and Stuart the left, west Of Mas
Eaponax Greek, while Gen. a. r. Hills corps
| acted he q reserve. Lees reason for occupy
guard against Sigel, who threatened to out
| flank him by way Of Culpepper. The entire
| rebel force was estimated at zoo, 900 men, aud
occupied front Of not less than twerty miles
| The troops were for the most part veterans
who had fought through all the Peninsula
campaign, while the offers were the ablest
thal'thc South could produce. Tt was no
mean enemy wc lad to contend with, assure
yGu-
morning, and, as General Burnside was anS-
ious to commence the attack at rs carly an
hour as possible, there was not much chance
for the troops to rest themselves. q few strag-
glers, it is true, managed to.sneak away for the
purpose Of pi1Elging; but the great mass Of
The soldiers were constantly under arms. Gen.
Bcrnside was in the city ali night, personally
Inspecting thetroops and directing their move
lIcnts. II was arranged that Gen. Franklin's
corEs should cross the river two miles below
4~ &+]t+t
| T9sition on Massapona2 Greek, while Hooker
would engage the rebels nearer the center
and Sumner would turn their right. By this
arrangement it will lie seen that Franklin was
| opposed to stonewt1l jackson, While Hooker
| ard Sumner attacked the centre and left Of the
rebels under Longstreet and Lee
Ihe ercnifnl morning came, and with it a
dtI:c fog, which obEcurcd The movements Of
| the cueily. The balloon was sent up just be-
fore daylight, but in consequence Of the fog
| no observations could he lad. However the
disposition Of the Union forces lad been made,
and General Burnside determined to CON.
| 1ncnce operations, fog or no fog.
| THE LEFT.
Franklin moved his column, consisting Of
the first a!ati-sixt1l corps just before the sun
rise, lis right resting on the outskirts Of the
| city, Ete centre advanced mile Or 81 from the
river, snd his left resting on the Rappa!an-
! :'ock about three miles below. Skiri.li=hing
| commenced 4 few minutes after daylight on
| tie extreme left A rebel battery opened IN
| our troops, and tho fire BECAME so a&noying
that the 9TH regiment New York State militia
were ordered to charge and take the cannon
at the point Of the bnyonet The order WAS
obc, ed with alacrity, but after u fierce strug-
gle tho charging party were cGni>clled to fill
/ BACK st this critical moment General Tyler,
| l,crcciying tllc disorder i1lto which the Oil.
Nsw York we're thrown, came to their aid
viii brigade. The 9th we're quickly rallied,
and, assisted BY TyIcr's brigade, another at
| ttmpt WAS made to storm the rebel batteries,
but Without sllcccss. The fight now bccas,te
| general Gil the extreme left, and another des-
| perate effort was made to capture the rebel
battery by Gen. Tyler's brigade; but the fire
u the rebels T:ts so wiillering in its effect
that our brave fellows were unable to gain
t any advantage.
Each charge thinned ille ranks ut fearful
| rate, and the chances Of capturing that mach
coveted battery appeared no better than ut
! first. BY noon the whole Of Frankfin's corps
| Wits engaged with the enemy, and Il desperate
effort Tas made to turn the cnelny's position
on The Aassaponax and drive hin beyond the
| creek. Gun. Franklin commanded the move
| 1ntnt in person, and handled his troops with
| remarkable Judgment. Tic rebels maintained
| possession Of some small hills with their
usual stubhornness, hut gradually fell back As
| the Union troops eyis,ced Il determination to
| so forward Dnri1g The afternoon the rebels
came to stand, and fer a time assuused the
| offensive; but as they advanced to meet us
| iIty were b14re1y met aud repulsel with
! heavy loes. It WIS ST this time That somc 800
| &c Hills command fell into our hands, and
| were conducted to the rear is pGi5OD.rs Still
lie enemy contested every foot Of ground,
and il was only by dint If the hardest Kind Of
fighting that he could be compelled to change
l his position.
It was during the heat of this engagement
! tl;at The gallant; Bayarl wls MORALLY Nonnd-
I'd. lie was conytrsing With Gen. franklin,
when cannon ball struck him III the hip and
Threw him clean out Of the saddle. Poor Bay
ard. he never dreaInt Of danger in the thick
| even when his leg WITS a,np1atated. The sur
; gcons say That he cannot survive many days,
i and that the operation they have performed
/ can only Rro1ong hi> agony short while.
i But l a1l tligrcssllg from antin facts.
! Tic obstinacy will which tho rebcls held
! possession of their ground rendered Gen
/ Frssllkli1's task Il very difficult one indeed
! lie Lad to cope With Stontwall jackson and
i the Veterans Of Cedar Mountain, Bull RIM and
Antietanl-ttoops who understood their busi-
ness thoroughly, and were not to bc scared by
triies- Hence il!u task Of turning 1he rebels
position on l;ic Massaponax was no ordinary
one. Still the Gtion commander was moi dis
conragcd; III: lat; driven the enemy back scy-
tral rods aud Wis determined to drive them
farther. Old Stonewall had met his match
this lime. ami, Notwithstanding his troops
fought with :'::ir usual bravery, they we're
gradually pusisi soutllw:rd. At s1intlown
nearly Il mic. :Ed his troops occupied the
! field the renlalI:,s.r Of Tic night. Tie move
nlent on the Iii; WAS complete SUCCESS, Ill
though tomorrow is required for finishing up
the job. The casualties Oh both sides were
very numerous, IS the list Of The killed and
wounded which have forwarded to you will
show. Among those who were wounded were
Capt Hendriekson, commanding 9Th New
York State militia, and Capt. Iartt, Assistant
t Surgeon General to Gen. Tyler.
t kt.ynntf311 - tha
lad Lifted itself from the river banks, and
ahout O'Clock the enc1nv's inf,ntry were en-
gagged. The opposing columns had fairly got
i 10 work when the rebel artillery commenced
were al] aimed at random, however, and pro-
dnccd but little effect: Notwithstanding the
view was SO obscured, the rebel artillersts
kept up the canno',ade for several hours, and,
as real after peal rang through thc air, the
turned by our batteries III gallant style, and
for hours nothing but the deatening roar Of
! artillery gould bc heard on NIL sides. Up to
noon, when tie fog cleared of end the bal
looniEts were enabled to get glance at the
enemy works, tue fight was an artillery one,
and productive Of no very important results
on either sitS; As soon as the sunshine
| showed itself, however, The inf:,ntry were
brought into play and the work commenced
IN real earnest. Generals Mead and Gbbon's
divisions encountered thc right Of Gen, 4. r.
Hills command and Lon!.6trcct's yctcrans,
, The fght ragged furiouzly during the entire
day. and our troops suffered terribly from the
eneny's artillery. The enemy were posted
behind hills III great strength and at one time
it seemed Impossible to dislodse them. About
noon Gen. Eibbon was relieved by Gen,
Doubleday command. Gen Mead. who was
fighting against superior odds, was also rein
forced by Gen: Stoneman's command, which
had the effect Of checking the rebels and driy-
.ng them hack Il short distance It was in the
midst Of this struggle that Gen. Gibbon was
woAndcG and partially disabled. lie kent the
field, however, during the remainder Of The
! Gay, and won many Iaurcls hy his brilliant
conduct. Gen. MeClellan's endorsement of
Gibbons dash and ability has been fully borne
: out By the result of thc days fighting. Du.
; ring the afternoon General Newton,s division
was moved aip to the left Of the ccutrc, when
: ;hc firing, which had ceased in that part oj
the field, broke out :gan with retloublctl fury,
Dur troops We're here exposed to plunsina
fire from the enclny>$ artillery, which was
posted On the ncighhoring hiils, and for a
short time the U1ion solliers were opposed
TO destructive fire. Our artillery returned
the FIRE With deadly eject, and immortallizcd
themselves by their accuracy Of aim and un,
WaTcrl'g courage.
TIE RIGHT,
| CONSISTING of tht. rth and 9th nor,,. ,,,1o,