Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-29

Prom lie Richmond nispsseh. DC lc-
The battleoi SATURDAY. taking into considera-
con the unber Of men engaged. the quantity OF
artillery and other eusines ct VAR employed. the
Major 81 the combuaHis and the skill OF the
Ccnefssi@ wfs probably the greste-t battle ever
fought on this continent. Il was fought BY
ariy-fro-hurdrcf- fhousarr -ruer-ants-
hundred pieces OF artillery II VAS contested Tor
ten hours AZ resulted -in.a complete victory U
the COnfesieFstte- farces.- We say complete. be
cAuse although the euemy's force was not ami
hilasea-killed. captured OF dispersed-the fail
ure Vas entirely owing 70 the near neirh6orhood
Of their strongbolis. TO which they aei when
they found themselves unable - fsce our forces
any logger IN the field. Had The battle been
fought twenty miles ihis SIDE Ct the Rappahan
mock River. there would have been such rc1t as
the world did not witness in the forty six years
that elapsed between the battle of Waterloo and
the first battle of Manassas As il was. II has
proved 10 the Yankees that no superiority of
numbers or OF preparation. eau avail them IN a
pitched battle with the forces OF the Confederaey
"a truth 80 patent and SO often exempiiied hat
we believe they are the only people on earth who
ventured 10 deny H.
Our loss has been heavy, but bears DO compar-
isOn Whatever 70 that Of the enemy. We have
to regret about 2 500 killed, wounded and miss
ing while, according TO the report Of those best
skilled IN making estimates OF tiiiS GcccfuutUs
their loss does not certainty fan short of 10000.
and in all probability greatly exceeds il. This
W IN not be regarded az all improbable when we
take into consideration the relative position OF
the opposing armies. The Coniederates were on
the nights, which rendered them less accessible
TO cannon The Yankees we're in the low
rounds, subjected to a murderons fire OF artIl-
lery and musketry as they advanced Every shot
told, and those who witnessed it say that the
4. Il
messed in the war. Gen. Longstreet succeeded
in getting possession of long stone wall on the
outskirts of Fredericksburg. and in placing a
whole division behind IL. The Yankees, with
more boldness than they usually exhibit such
occasions, attempted To get possession of it
They were repulsed with unparalleled slaughter
in every attempt. and ut last broke and fed in
confusion.
The Yankees. we presume, will wait for the
arrival OF Sisel's corps before they try their luck
again. What NAV be the strength of this body
we have no means of determining; but we feel
convinced that it is not sufficiently great to alter
the result and that. after It's arrival. another AT
tack shall be hazarded, the end will be the same
The general hope here is that the trial will be
made so confident are ali in the valor of our
army and the consummate skill Of its great
leader. II seems to be doubted whether General
Lee permitted the enemy to come over, or
whether ne could nave prevented ~ nau lie tried
IL seems to Us that he had every reason to wish
them to come over He had selected his field OF
battle and had thoroughly studied it. a. NapO-
leon had done the field of Austerlitz when he
fell back thirty miles to draw bis enemy to IT, and
as Wellington ia said to have done nj Waterloo
He had an army full of confidence in themselves
and in him
The disparity of force was not so great to
render victory at all Improbable, when the compO-
sition of the two armies and the animating spirit
\ OF each taken into consideration. 1t they
were determined to pass. he could have hardly
| prevented them. since they had possession of the
nights the Stafford side and had crowned
them with innumerable batteries. What may
have been his motives il is impossible for Us. of
coulse to say. but understand oneof his
officers very high in rank, expressed himself in
strong terms, anxious above all things for them
10 come over, and try their fortunes on the very
ground which was the theater of the battle sew
eral weeks ago.
This is the tenth pitched battle in which Gen.
Lee has commanded, within less than six months,
and in all OF them he has been victorious No
other campaign except that OF Italy in 1876, and
that of France in 1914. presents such result.
Our people cheered by the reflection that their
armies are commanded by two Generals who have
no rival IN the art of war-Eee on the Kappa
hammock. and Johnston in the South west. They
are as superior to the Yankee Generals in every
quality that constitutes the military chief. the
soldiers they lead are TO the thieves ana cut
threats that Lincoln has sent to subjugate them.