Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-13
VOLUME XII, NO. 2I9.



Correspondence Of the New York Times.
Fredericksburg has bsen abandoned III
} three bridges, which were constructed for cor.
Meeting the two banks Of the river for 0ur Owl
{ use, have been destroyed the railroad building
on the Falmouth side, including the offices o
post co1hmissaTy and quartaTmasier, with
smsU smoUut of stores only, have been con
sumed By FIRE; the machine shop and foundry !.
the town OF FredfieksbUTg, formerly used TO Sc
good advantage by the rebels, but more Re
q Gently used IS q repairing suOp for our engines
and railroad has been blown up, and thu large
bakery established At Falmouth has also been
-burned. So tar as this position Is concerned, II
Is now being converted ini0 ''h0wiing wilder
ness for the occupation OF the rebel army, now
SOON to return, no doubt, 20 the place. The cit
lzens OF the town were surprised while on their
way to church IN the afternoon By dense
volumes OF smoke srlsing over our eucampmsut.
La iact, was surprised myself, and received the
tact as a gentle token that I had better pay my
livery stable and board bill, and transfer my in
teresss TO the northern bank of tina R4pDzban-
mock. On looking about me- I fou1d an uuu-
sual eohmolOu once more among the people Of
African descent In the town. and desc.3sd ten
dency Of the tide of emigration toward the wire
bridges, to witness tho exodus Of the white ls well
as black population. Several Union families waO
have recently been watched and threatened, took
the smoky hint and packed up. Ladies, dressed
IN their Su1day-gO -J5-mse-iug, looked ous Of
| their windows, or c0ngrsgated on the house
tops, to see the Yankees 90 out and S5onewal
Jackson come in. After so long and grisvi0us
a suspense, and hopes deferred VINO could
| grndge them dis EOur OF eiysigm. I mst on
the bridge pioneers with axes auG barrels Of tsT
4 which they were lndustTi0usly pies -sTing along
the walk, to render the structure the more in
hamabl3. There were wooden work which
| crowned the different stons abulmeu-5 aud sus-
tanned the wire cables which held up tine bridge.
In a few minutes mo-e the torch would be ap-
/ piled, ant-a handsome bonfire light the pjou5
rebels the way 10 church.
4 As yes, however, tae provost guard occupied
/ she town, aud the -sh Connecticut were on
| picket duty, ten miles on the way 60 Richmond,
I scattered along the Bowling 6Fssn. she plank
and telegraph roads.
On reacning headquarters, At the Lacey
House | found al the tents had been struck
/ the ambulance aud army wagons were hitched
up; OIL eeTs horses were all saddieC tor a start
| aud everything betOksued decided movement.
| Infantry regiments stood in line upon ths wide
/ plain fronting headquarters; long lines Of Wag-
/ Ons and artillery occupied the main road, and
cavalry men sas IN their saddles ready for the
/ word march Ia the midst of tlls scene the
/ commanding general was observed walking
/ leisurely to and fro, dspaschiBg orders 10 the
/ different regiments, and watching IN calm
silence the movements Of the various com
mauds. 1t was indeed an hour Of deep interest
| aud concern 20 him. For days and nights ..e
had watched with s.eepless vigilance every
| movement Of our own and tbs enomy' 8 forces,
as they affected his own position, sud some
/ thing of WEAKNESS c0gd b5 detected In his usual
elastic step at this iuucturs poor woman
with three lovely children c.iHgIug 90 her side
came up the hill and passed through the gate,
| bringing each Of them sCms listls article OF
/ household furniture. The quick eye Of the
/ general Immediately recognized her rs an excel
/ lent Uli0n lady, Of fredericksburg, who was
| escaping with her children and little effects
| from the town "Have you anything else down
st the bridge, madam asked the general
"Only a bed and few small articles sir' she
| timidly answered "Seud down an ambulance,
wagon m aster, and have them brought up and
carried 70 the depot was the generals order,
and it was done. In a iow minutes the poor
widow had the pleasure Of seeing al her remain
ing goods safely deposited or the cars l1r Aqua
! Greek
Meantime, all other Grralgsu navI1g
been completed mounted orderly was sent 90
the point to order the Ssh Connec lieut., Do picket
duty to retire. Colonel Harlan accordingly OK
deTed his men 70 fall IN, aud they Immediately
fell back on the town. When they reacl5d the
river, the railroad and wire bridges were s'-aa1y
on FIRE, and they went down sud crossed On the
only remaining bGGg5-5ha. constructed Of
canal -bOats-aJ the lower part OF the town Iae
provost gusTd hal already been ordered 30 va
cate the town. Shortly al-e- o'clock =. VI
the torch was applied % the railroad station
which was already well consumed bst1rs the
bridges were fred Shortly before tl-s was
done, the 9th New York cavalry came il rom
the direction Of B8ruetts ford, and reported that
an ambulances and wagon train which overlook
them on the road was huuying forward with
great speed, and reported that the rebels IN con
siderable forcs were behind them, having cross
ed jus. above, and were pressing Oh their rear
General Burnside and staff were ;he last to
leay Lhs ground, after seeing everything safely
eff, and proceeding along the rJad. The raI
ROAD train was filed with people, white and
black with thei, household goods, ready to
move of.
The march from the river to Aqua creek vas
very difficult and occupied tHs whole night
The roads, flooded by the morning rains, aud
cut up by incesssnt travel OF animals. vehicles,
and cannon, were almost impossible in soEue
places. General Burnside kept along with the
train aud seemed always IN the p-sce where
there was the most difficulty. On several occa-
sions be dismouused, and, standing leg deep IN
mud, put his shoulder to the wheels and c4iieI
on the men to initiate his example, Ia order 70
eItricsts the ambulances and wagons from deep
holes in which they hsd become stalled. One
ambulance was upset near Station No. y, and
| three or four persons who were in it narrowly
| escaped being killed Ole or two other teams
/ were disabled by the breaking Of axles or Whit
letrees, but nothing of serious character occur
/ red on the road.
By daylight nearly the whole Of the immense
train was safely through the hills, and encamPed
within sight of the landing. Without waiting
for Sleep an hour Of which be has scarcely exps-
rieneed for forty-e. ght hours, General Burnside
rode uD to tue h.lisidss overlooking the place,
and selected positions where batteries were
planted to enflsde the approach to the landing.
As an additional protection, four gunboals he
at anchor within easy shot Of the roads which
must be passed in approaching the position.
General Burnside5 division Is all right. FurtLor
this dePOnent sai.h not