, 1862-12-27
THE WAR IN VIRGINIA,
WILL TIE ARMY GO INTO
WINTER QUARTERS?
Operations on t&e H1ac16water.

FORTRESS MONROE, Dec. ;25-Lieat. Colonel |
Stietzell, Of the 11th Pennsylvania cavalry,
Col. Spears dashIng regiment, had warm |
engagement with the enemy at Joincr's /
Bridge, Oh the Blackwater yesterday, four !
miles above Franklin. he drove the enen,y's |
pickets on this side Of the river, capturing
four Of them Colonel steitzelps advance,
with their carbines, under the gal
liant Lieutenant John S. Ropes, first
engaged the enemy at very short range. Fl
nally discovering them: in superior numbers
above and below us on the river, with our
very small forces Of four small sqadrons in
peril Of being hanked, steitze1 concluded to
retire, which he did in safety.
The following is from the Newbcrn Ptoprss
ef Dee 18th: The Free Labor Association Of
Craven county is rapidly gaining strength
E. ". CarpenterSof this city is President.
HRADe0AHHa; #:nss1,s haxE OF Bsa 5as E agG39eeaao}
Kichmond papers contain dispatch from
Charleston, dat cd the 18th, announcing that
new large steamer, freighted for the Confede~
rate States Government, safely arrived yester-
day 1T a southern port, bringing a heavy stock
Of shoes aud blankets, an Immense quantity
Of cloth, and other supplies.
It is stated BY rebel officers that g large cs-
Enlistment is engaged in Richmond making
pantalo0rs Of the sane color and texture as
is furnished to our soldiers. Large numbers
of them appeared on the rebel troops in
Fredericksburg yesterday, during flag Of
truce
Gen. Bonlam has been unimously elected
Governor Of South Carolina in place Of Gen
Many Gregg. who was killed in the recent
battle Of Fredericksburg,
Ex-Governor Wise is spoken Of as I, promi-
| ment candidate for Governor of Virginia.
ToHAGo BAT. or TIE RApPAHANSocK, .
| THIRTY MILES RrLow FEEDER1cKsBuRG,
i Wednesday, Dec. "a, 1862.
A bold a{temptwas made last night by The
| rebels to cross the Rappahannock on rafts,
| fourteen miles below Port Conway, and cap
tnrea squadron of the Sth Pennsylvania cav
( ally, doing picket duty along the river. Afaj.
| Keenan,, who is now in command Of the rcgi-
mcnt, and is stationed ut Port Conway, got
| wind Of the movement through some trusty
blacks, and was fully prepared to receive
them, and would hsve taken the entire party
| had not some of his men fred their guns too
| quickly, and frightened them all back under
cover Of the woods.
been purchased for the rebel army, were Yes
t terday taken from the plantation Of Phelan
Lewis, wealthy farmer, and appropriated to
the use OF our own soldiers. Upon demand
! ing the usual receipt, Alr. Lewis received one
with these encouraging words written beneath
-
man and traitor to the government Of the
| United States.'
One division Of rebel infantry, one brigade
Of cavalry, and four batteries Of artillery, all
supposed TO be under the command Of A. F.
Hill, are stretched from point four miles
above Port Royal to three miles below Tobago
Bay, the lowest point to which our own pick
cts extend.
The tunboat feet, under the command Of
Capt Mckay, in order to avoid the danger Of
/ 1,ai,,C .h1t1n6 IN hp sqrnTn from attack
by rebel infantry, las flllen down ten miles
below Port Royal.
The planters on the rebel side Of the Rap
pahannock are sending all their negroes South
tie M it of JANUARY. Many Of them. however,
manage to cs&ape during the night, and cross
The river on 1ogs and planks, or any thing
that will float. Fifteen escaped from the
plantation Of Mr.. Pratt, one mile below Port
Conway, Inst uight, and we're kindly cared for
rated nearly all his negro families, and sent
them to different parts Of the South.
A few wealthy planters, however, who were
OLD Whigs ard strong Union men, per1sistently
lies or sell them of They SAY that if their
tsserrants' - desire to leave them. they are at
liberty to go whenever they please. With
this understanding most Of them remain aud
: are obedieut.
The leading rebels along the valley are furi
/ Gus in their dcnunciartons of Gen. Lee for moi
having destroyed the army Of the Potomac
| while it WAS 1nassed in the streets OF Freder
! icksburg, and say that if he does not affnr5
; | them protection from the rasages of tht
Yankees, they viii soon take the oath allie
! glance to the National Government Wla
they most desire Is protection, and they art
. beginning to be very Indifferent what gov
: eTnment gives it to them.
| TEE ARMY NOT T, GoINg S9E Egs INTO WINTER
!. Correspondence Of the New York Timcs,7
c HEADQUARTERS LEFT WING or Ann1,}
Tueeday. Dec q, 1859 (
0 Now that the public desire for great bat
r tie has been realized, the question NATURAL
e rises to every one's lips: Is the army Of til
9 Potomac going into winter Quarters?
o The army Of the Potomac is not going int
winter quarters. Though operations in from
|, may be abandoned, the troops are not to II
r nlain cooped up in winter huts through tn
t, long weeks which intervene between nov an
March a portion Of the soldiers may b
IS sent to Washington to prevent a backWar
e movement Of the enemy in that direction
while the remainder are shipped so1thward I
1t commence operations anew On the Peninsula
4. Perhaps it may appear hast to our generals
II If
gunboats, and again give battle to the eaem.
s Should We desire to do SO, it would be, as
-. General remarked to me to- day, almost il 10
L. possible to winter the army in this localit,
K | OWING TO Lut SC*tIG1GS u HVV0A III Et!E
Il Of country now occupied by us, in additio
to being limited, and producing 8 stunte
N growth Of timber, has been pretty efecual]
til Invaded by rebel Wood-choppers, who bar
n. heretofore congregated in this vicinity;
es Beauregard, johnson, and such fellows Of Il
be baser sort. Owing to the sandy formation
thc soil, the roads soon dry up after the heas
ed est storms, so that the elements, however III
n- favorable they may be, will hardly Prese1
90 ourlocomotion.
us THE supposltion expressed By many tha
he rebels are not in strong force On the Frc
d. ericksburg side Of the river, has been prove
H. today to be without foundation. a rcco
he noissance made this morning resulted in Il
he discovery Of q large body Of the enemy {
rectly in our front; also another force lit
to our right. An unlimited number Of reh
tents has sprung up to view within the pa
IVA days. and not few log tuts have be-
ier butt. All Of the enemy's Notifications q
led well gar7isoned.
.Ge5. Burnside: returned from Washlngt
zee this evening. Arumor to the effect that Ne
g, Burnside had resigned his position waa ind1
ire friouslY circulated throughout the camp +.
er, tcrilav, but failed, on account OF Its doubt
the authenticity, to create any commotion or {
nd | ,;tamont a1nonp The troODs.