The New York herald., 1862-12-23

wn them sn sio oe np Of General whieplss Who rode
ssnsleman N M than any Yankee have yet met
WIN 10 ~ a,s y.nn name = Lseutenant Eddy.
.ne an. <elssses nothing 10 known, and left
" oconJeo'ueo ectc mine t. From al the nfarances
band ve Amk be safely estimated At the lowest
nunoerIai 5000 This must be readily admitted when
pas ind we held intrenched POSITIONS and from the
ftSer fact that they made general effort day TO
advance or TO renew the engagement.
ithinx can safely say that Gen. lee regards the
suits thus far with Great satisfaction The enemy
been saNled and checked Who,her they will renew the
battle cannot say Some think they will do not so
rssn It will be enough for Burnside u say to the do
iuded wretches Of The North tnat he has ken town
habants that he shelled lis desencslcss houses
turning ts people out Of doors killing Its cos,bltans
and nhciing and suffering upon those who had not
the power to harm him or 70 prc,ec, themselves Our
brave troops, however, will yet r.ake them the day
| they crossed the Rappahannook.
The estimate OF Yankee losses mentioned above applies
70 the nghng after the crossing was effected and not 70
their casualties in forcing the passage Of the river Their
loss at that time mrst have been frghtul ana all who
were agree that il All praise 10 Barksdales
! gallant Mississippians for it.
Special Correspondence Of the Richmond Enquirer
! BArfik FiEID. Dec Is, 1862.
This morning the struggled up through the OBJ
scuring miss which overhung the landscape, but bis
were for an hour Intercepted by ashen
clouds slowly drifting overhead livery thipg sill as
| on any mid December morning. Scarcely breath Of
air waited the falling leaves stirred the rngcs OF the
pine The fog and sm,ke thoroughly mingled through
the night and shrouded hill and pnn N sayisb, diai
cloud.
AS this began to RISE abont eight O'clock the roar Of
the enctnys artillery woke the Stiffness VI the scene
sgnaed the coming great battle Hastarng 70 tho front.
obtaineda
| IuRDsa,E VIEW OF rHx BA1y1s yIsD
The observer, who aseencs the heights that rise alb
rupty from the suburbs the western side OF Frede-
! ricksburg and casts h.s eye TO the southwest
strei.blng before him plain 10 where the lappa
the north bank, forms tho horizon. This PLAIN Is about
six miles long, with mean breadth Of tigo nd hai
miles. ON ihe right the plain IL scol0ped by spurs OF
hills gradually sleping down into Lind q. in
teryals OF aoou ine clothed with dark pines and ca
legs OAKS On Me lei where The Rappahannock sweeps
along, hid by Its high banks succession hills
much more abruptly than the right, the face OF
hills bare or clothed with struggling pines and SUBMITS
crowned with dense timber These hill sides ave white
with TIE enemys tents and trains and run the
his batteries oriste in countless proIson far the
| eye can reach.
Now, let cast eye again down this bread stretch
OF bottom land and note what a hrdseye affords
First the town Of fredericksburg some OF tho russ
still sendDg " wroaihs Of pale blue smoke tt town
is hot 20 much demolished eycitad naginations
may supposed and hardy enough 10 att act The
attention Of casual observer. linen the PLAN is
tually neary level few Iour narrow groves
| OF leaiess oaks break The mono,ony, and here
ard there come clamps OF cedar seen The ielis
containing on hug,ed separated
ny wood stones and Gitcbes the latter ndcated by lines
OF low hedge The enemys line occupies tho lett OF this
plain and in some places their columns which the al
observer from TINS point would take 10 be dark cunps
cedar spot Tar out tbe fields III the their
ne near TIE river Oh rising ground, is posted battery
OF twenty ono heavy guns-tbeie may be more-but
these only ale disting gaishanlc by the eye.
just in the rear o these ir rs s able to Judge
oy the long line aniblaces which disappear
opposite bank o. The river ana &c by ron
toon bridge spans the ri,er sngo bridge am tuld.
his battery .orms pro:aineat pat o tae pc'sre
ecay when 1t res regularly ny secticr, sending its
shells across the plains and into the rising nils
the right short distance above this batierythat is,
next TO the ooscrveri glove OF oaAs extend
diagonaly into The PLAIN half milo PERHAPS, terrnpa
ting in lo1 mushy ground 4 deep gully extends the
length Of this grove and is spanuoi in the Middle by
railroad brfige the line Of the railroad ndg,ted hse
and there by patches Of red earth, which mark its
nrrtnr for briy, len,S
random fire on or troops unit, dlslcdged by regiment
sent from Hoods division
Nothing but pale clouds Of spic;c struggling up through
the undcGsiowh ana forests the .s 10 The right idi
cate the presence ~ oar forces.
the RATTLE.
Now The Fog las lifted rcvciug the dark ana heavy
columns Of The enemy moving down The opposite bank @;
they are seen debo ,chI,r Whole aeIds arc ~ ricamis
with bayonets. They continue pour out upon The pla
in stream which seems 10 come trom nexhaus;iblc
fuuntalR. Inc meadows are black with them teas Of
thousands in solid Columns We 9ny vaguey nice.
nre at this distance the nuaber. Od soldiers think
there arc sixty thousand. Where are A soi-
ary battery of ior guns commanded is Captain Carter
Braxton is 10 be The !ar. The Iire from tse
enemy's battery or twenty-five guns opens ulon il, but
il makes no reply. 0iher batteries drec, their shots
towards ~ but has evidently made NJ It's mind not to
| be hurried.
The enemy, formed in three heavy columns ad-
vances TO attack right they u, double quick
towards the woods, making the earth shake under ilcr
tread. with colors Tying and ristrGing he
Light Where are mcni long she,- Of fame from
the skirt OF woods At the foot Of the hills, cici, of smoke,
2 roar and rattle OF mushey tel their whereabouts.
Tho advanced column hats, delivers hasiy
fire. continuous stream of ugitives from the front
scour across the fields halted and
formed IN squads, but bo erced asaia 10
the 'front.' except al the point Of The hayouet Tie
now mostly shuts the corbatants the view tine
distant spectator There is breaking raks among the
eneiny. ralying and rerallyng bat d avail. They
cannot stand Tire nurderuus Ore They give up
PAD Job Meanwhile the battery "a te tcd kGraxion's)
has opened after long enaurances, and AZ the right
ncnt makes iis marx The GOODNESS and precision with
which IL IS hsLded wins tho acntatnn Of s observers
The manner of is action will be noticed hereafter il
rlimen ary terms IN official reports Other did
their work nobiy but they, with other particulars Of the
engagement on The right, pc noticed where each
can hsve justice done IN an extended account.
rHF sroRYlNr ~ gEF uur
The Yankees commenced the siorming Of The Li ut
hai-past eleven o'clock A. ~. with sx trlgades, and
were reprsed four times. ws mnsns. slaushor. They
were moved down by hundreds. iwo hundred ard ifty
boc:es were counted space occupied BY only
regiment The nrng was kept mp necessarily until three
O'CLOCK COL Waltons battery neld The heights prurng
murderols fire the advancing columns The bat
tories on the various his by assisted the battery
the heights, keeping up continual stream or re each
voaey Thinning the ranks o. the at,emy in terrible
manner.
The battery Of Cart Mics 6; Naeoe. Of gichmo,a,
covered lEelf with glory The DR.. s;epei na the
storiine regiments this bstterA fhe ra.ircad zap al
one time filled with Yankees. when v-l directed
sho, from the battery explodei their lnds. killing
about hftr Of the n.reugs Capt sacoas ra.irry vsa
Ioy enssses the nth. 12 .rsi l5h, ana the al
niirtos OF al The coynnsnding officers " ,he coosne,
and 1rAcsion exhibited by the men !n isre:lx their
g,ns Astonishing 10 say. act saci this ccinssy
aiIiec or wounded.
Cns rife piece of cant Ewbsne's battery near The
CENTRE has been engaged Gu Ssu-isy afternoon !.
played upoa tie Ysu,se brigade sy Hits rasn
from ihe woods "a front ~ farnards ,prfcn OF
the battery has been uGder asyy Dire cr three 3sys
yast, but has iostunaciy 5rc.sd .c rar afsr
Q. Capt EIbsnks guns are disposed that tncy viii
perform efficient service when called nFsn, In which ycn
we expect TO chrcnics brilliant achievement the
part Of thiz gallant conrlaHd.
iate in tho afternoon comes the nagnGcsn, ch,rae OF
regiment oi Hoods division the plain routing or
brigade Pom the tlae OF the rsrosa and whic urdsr
the csucer<rsied fire c hatiacn ot artillery ggy
tie enemy from tue skirt a. woods before mentioned
capturing forty one prisopcrs repeseuR regiments
aud OF the whne covering tl-rssi With ustreahs
glory.
PARTICULARS "f teE l'giih =. afNNyA.
! group oi officers, consistin. III uereia C,bb ia
adjuart, Captain tierring, General Cook H. scptsnf
Captain Butler sn1 Coplsn Bfewst"r wes standing in
the telegraph road aeas the seDe c action Mhcn shell
exploded IL sheir midst, piece which struck .enefs
Cobb On the thigh The same peCc also rg eepcra
Cook on tho lett temple. rsc'uring his nkul fy he