Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-12-18
From tho Daily Herald of Dec. i3.



thing else that will be so acceptable to them at
this time as the particulars of the grand oper-
atoms in progress at fredericksburg. We
therefore devote much space TO description of
the capture of that city, additional to the tel
egraphic account which has been heretofore
laid before our readers, This description is
the most detailed one we have seen, and is
brought down to the latest period of which we
have any account by correspondence in the
papers yet received Very numerous and
varying conjectures have been made as to the
reason why greater resistance was not made
by the rebels TO the crossing of the river at
Fredericksburg by our army. The Baltimore
correspondent of the Heraid, who is supposed
to possess peculiar facilities fer obtaining news
from the rebel army IN Virginia, has made
the following statement
The position which Gen. Lees army ooou-
pies at Fredericksburg is an exceedingly strong
one, and he is able, if he chooses, to hold the
crossing. But such, am assured, IS not his
intention. On the other hand, it is stated that
whenever Gen. Burnside attempts TO cross in
force he will meet with no resistance, or only
feigned resistance, and that the rebel troops
will retire to the south bank of the Matapony
river, or one of its branches There the great
battle will be fought, and not on the Kappa
hammock. The reason of this will be in order
that the Union troops may have the latter
stream between them and Washington; so that
while Gen. Lee, with his main body attacks
them in front, strong detachment from his
army will fall upon the rear of the Union
troops, cut off their retreat and aunlhilate
them.
This is the trap that was set by Gen. Lee
for Gen. Burnside, and which is still open
If Gen. Burnside crosses the Rappahannock,
therefore, he will have to contend with u.s. 900
troops, not counting those under jackson, or
those at and near Richmond. OF these, he
will find 100000 in his front, on the Matapony,
TO oppose his advance. He might work his
way through them. But while he is thus en-
gagged, $4,000 more will fall upon his rear
at least they are detailed for that service.
On the other hand the following conjectures
are made In the first place, the rebele may
have had no real antcipations of such bold
deed on the part of Gen. Burnside. 1t is
| rather against precedent in our army opera
| tons. Secondly, the sharpshooters may have
been accounted as amply sufficient to defeat
any attempt at laying bridges in front of them.
4 A IND thn 81; i ]
| choose to advance by flank movement, either
some distance above or below, may have de-
nuded Fredericksburg for the time of rebel
| soldiers to such an extent that no more eifec-
! tive resistance was advisable, Either of these
| hypothesis may account for the facts in the
case, without any necessity of borrowing
trouble on the score of our army being enticed
into some fearful trap" by feigned resist
ance to its crossing the Rappahannock.
The description given elsewhere of the cap
ture of Fredericksburg, it will be noticed,
closes with an account of certain 6 strategic !"
| operations of Gen. Burnside, which tends to
confirm the supposition that the enemy were
| deceived and led to transfer a considerable
portion of their army twenty Or twenty five
miles down the river, before the commencement
of operations against the city. Whatever
may be the true reason of the want of greater
resistance to the crossing of our army, we be-
| lieve Gen. Burnside knows what he is about,
and will take good care to set Craps" him
elf as well as avoid those of the enemy.