The New York herald., 1862-12-10

fathers house in the vicinity of HARDWOOD Court House
II IS understood that tho court have agreed upon ind
ing, tho result OF which 10 not known.
Tho following general order has just been published =
No person viii bo allowed to cross the lines in tho di
restion o. the enemy without pass from these head
Assistant Adj dja,cnt General.
Our Special Army Correspondence.
ARMY o. Tua PoromAo, Dec Z, 1862
The Cold S,,ap-9he RecsSs Rains and Saos--re Arnay
Covered ,citA Snop aud Mud-ORc OF ae Cold a Wight,
Erer Kao1R IN ViryiniaA-SuDeviss Of the Soldiers
The Roads Hard on Horsefe A-7hs Eject on the Men
al Aquia Creek-Comiiaation Of the Gold Weaaev-
Preparations for an Aciue Winey Campaign, &c. dc
II il said that the Army Of the Potomac will not 20 into
winter quarters but Is emphaticay winter quarters
NOW. That Ii to say, the soldiers exp ssd TO AT
the severities Of winter without accommodations
Every soldier painfully sensible Of the fact that winter
with its rains and and frosls Is really upon
The weather Is extremely cold to-day last night tho
cold was intense apprehend that the troops suffered
more tho line of tho Raprahannock last night
than they did At any time during the winter
months on tho limo Of the Potomac last
year. The suffering among the troops consequent
upon the sudden change Of tho weather from The
delightful air Of tho Indian summer 20 the bitter cever
ties Of winter hardly be imagined by friends At
home and indeed could scarcely be fully realized by the
most sympathetic and apprccs:ive people in the army
even until the facts were made by the mcdica,
authorities.
Friday was We: and dsearJ day. Rain fell fast during
snc morning, nnd tho mud in the cae'mpmcn,s and the
roads aready deep enough was soon deeper than had
seen it here this year. IN the afternoon the rain Was
supeYs by seet and later tao g.cct by snow which
continued 10 fall throughout the remainder Of tho atcr
noon and evening and portion ol the night. Then the
ceased, clear. cold weather came and the mercury
all,
wards zero eve" sirce.
This storm much more severe than the one
which paid pa sing ,sit month ago during tho
time army was advancing undcr Mclelian from Ber
lin, Maryland, TO WarreDtn Virginia His urecaution n
procuring winter clothing Tor his men before ing
Tint ch appreciated by The soldiers then, and
undoubtedly saved many Of their lives. No fail
to realize the wisdom OF that pccau.ion now Withon.
new shoes aud oyercoas soldiers would be conIelel
to ndure still greater hardshIs and privations than
they enduring at the present time fbe camps cf the
army along the line OF the Rappahanaork are complete
covered with frozen Shelter teits the tny
protection tho troops have from the se,cr;icg of tue
winer weather. Whist the rain and slce and snow
falling gronIs of soldiers could be ia thc seerai
grand division encampmens standing groups IN r
shelter tents around log fires made Of wet wood.
uncoInn and cherries at best Some had tho
OF their Overco0s thrown their heads and thes
stamping their eet TO keep them warm. IL was a
dreary and dismal sight 10 them aid their own fee
inys the prospect must have been anything hnt plea
sant They NIL fet practically, that we we.e really
engaged In q winter campaign.
II Is poss bie to describe how completely the
covered with SNOW mingled with mud. 1he roads
werc, and still, almost mpassable. 1rals orts III
py wagon is 8 decidedly dinicalt thing. Teens become
red in mudholes, and the horses and mules, asLed by
the tcamstcrs tug and toll 10 eStrcste themselves and
the wagons Awnter campaign IS expensive, looking at
IL In the light Of damage quar- crmTster materials aDd
horsetesh alone.
Ou triday night the soldiers suffered exceedingly
tie cold aud the danapness. he number o fever aens
will be ssariy multiplied in consequence Yesterday
the weather clear and cou. and the men bus y
making their quarters az as poss bic nndcr
frozen aud icces make tho surrounding ccunry,
covered Is with the bvouacs. present strange and
grotcsque appearance. Tho batteries erected BY IN.
enemy the hills behind Fredericksburg opposite
encrusted with covering Of lrcs,wok and contribute
considerably to Increase the picturesque appearance Of
the winter warlise scene.
Last MI sht Was the coics, and sevcrcst night all
The aud stars shoue out brightly the bvoaacs
but the soldiers within shivercd and shook with the
expected cold 1he wind, too blew hard all night, and
swept away Of the shelter tents, 50 that some sol
diefs compelled TO remain exposed 10 the chilling
wd and biting frost all night without any shelter \, all
Few know how mnpy sacriices sold make without
mur.nur Last night = said 70 have been enc q The
coldest known In Virginia. Ihe ground iroz.n
hard the ponds aud pools Of water and the lesser
creeks In tact almost everything coneealablc vas scaled
by tho frost.
The horses and mules. which must remain ia the open
air in most instances without any covering whatever also
suffered greatly from elects the weather of
the last few days and nights. number OF them have
died from effects, while ohcis ia consequence of the
bad condition Of the roads have becn worked to death and
have fallen in the harness completely cxll listed.
At Aqua cree. sold crs aud aborcrs were c&loed rer
has more than any Others ts tho eccs Of lte II suap
swept in with fearful Jury from the oiin1c some OF
soldiers Temporarily near c antae were cycn not
well provided with shelter the rs W the grand
divsE emcamprneus near the Rap sbann cS ard
sclrcnty endured greater pivatons tran m.st I fhcia
ever expected 10 endure
THIS morning the weather still continues cold, ilc VIM
is cutting last night and tho srcnd j. !r zen
hard How msny and animals may have been frozen
10 death IS OF course present entirely ec,fnl but
that fatal luercoe have resulted iro is
pccted and cold spell Is by uncertain
Notwithstanding these great drawbacks, however, the
army Il H. excellent spirits aud everything u ocIg done
that make the winter campaign productive
OF valuable results to Union Thc rroai,
der the management of Mr. Wright, al AGra creek, mp.
plies the whole army with ratJns tor The and forage
Cor the horses The only wagon transportation absolutely
necessary from the stations 10 tho encu meats. With
out this rniroad tho army could not DO Supplied al this
present line II orcra'io General burnside
Is active and energetic and is cxIectc th,t he ,yi
show the enemy that the winter campaign on the
appahannock will prove Mt Ions mogc pr,dacivc grand
results than did the summer tamr ien On
the general lire Of operations Gcucal Pore
Our Falmouth Correspondence.
FALMOUTH, Dcc. I. 1862.
Misery Jikes Coopoag-f'yocct M2rsaci 1,oah'ci--Dr.
Wia-Asoiys OF Aquic Cyeei,-- R'raorS--7he $. iq,@