The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-12-18
LATER FROM THE NORTH.
THE "BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE
OF FREDERICKSBURG
The Rappahonnock CrOss.d, but tho Great
Battle not yet Heard From.

Battle net Jet Heard From.
We are indebted TO the courtesy Of Mej. MORRIS,
q. S Signal Corps, for a copy Of the Baltimore
Am-tenn Of Saturday, tie 18th inss. The Yam.
KEGS had not of course heard of their res. defeat
on that day. and were in expectation of an over
whelming victory. We give below connected &C.
count Of the fighting as far as they b. heard from
1t. A dispatch from Washington says official ir.
formation had been received thers that the French
ther Its proposition tor al a-ulistice and media.
ton" In the West there Is nothing Important
Gen Grants army was at Oxford. Miss Lincoln
had sentenced thirty nine OF the Minnesota indians
to be hang on Friday, the 18th inst
BFFoRE THE BATTLE-THE PREPARATIONS.
dispatch, dated the morning of the lith inst,
from before Fredsricksburg. gives sotns of the
movements befrre the shelli1g of the town and
The Subsequent battle:
For some days Frank.ia's grand division has
been mat q 1vering on our lsfs thre ateniug to
cross at Point Conway, ssvcEtssu miles below, 10
dycp portion Of Lee array an taet direction whcl
he has succeeded in doing. Though apps airing 10
push his troops there, the bulk of them remained
but two or three miles from here, and " lth Lees
forces thus weakened IL our font simultaneous
y
sun If April shone through soft hszs yesterday
on the lingering snow. tho cir wSs ominousiy still,
and numberieSs Incidents betokened action. Those
batteries not yet placed moved quietly to their
bivouscks the hiiisdes along tie river, ready to
take positions OF ,he summit when required -
Earthworks yet unfinished were completed, ana
aids from grand divisio,s we're iucesssntiy moving
20 and from hesGq aacters.
Doubleday division of CAIN young veterans
passed by here with faces unoonseions OF peril;
ard Burnside in a short jacket rlcved tT.nquilly
In and out of s tent, with lis hands in his pockets,
a. man who lad made al bis dispositions, ohoss
mind o0s easy and ,ch1 soas ccnfdsnt Of Ire Tesuis.
Many orders indicative Of scion bad been post
poned till yesterday evsning il order 20 preserve
secrecy, and IL this hour il il impossible to ascer-
tain whether they hav, yet en Siveu or what
positions the different army corps Will tske There
was q constant movement of trsops through last
night, and coming hours will reveal their locality.
The whole army las rece!vea cooked ratinns for
three dsys and SKY rounds OF castI.sdes 7@rs
Is general sdttsfdctiHa nn eCery face at The pres
pee. Of a moue, and spirits SrOp rsdaaddat
Ample arrangements have been made fer the
cep,ion Of tho wounded Me1 in the coming fight.
Two hospital tents each accommodating twenty
men, hsve been allow cd to every regiment, and, in
Additioa to these the division hospitals have su.
cient number CT tents to furnish two niore to each
regiment. Good fires and covering will be pro-
v:ded for hos oita inmates, AID no suffering from
cold will be endured
Lac, evening at dusk tho curious slate eolored
rontoon boats. looking at distance lie whales
IL i'd waiting upon their wagons In Dsleys nshr
the river, with horses harnessed reao5 for speedy
employment 1t was thought they would be laid
across st O'Clock this morning, and thst part OF
the army would speedily follow and engage such
troops might hasten ifotn their encalnpments to
meet them
A. NJ A large portion OF the army is under ordsrs
to move at dsylisht. The NEON is bright. Many
bravo fellow takiug h.s last iis ing sieep.
THE BOMBARDMENT AND CAPTURE OF TREDERICKs.
BURG-DETAILs OF THE BATTLE
Under this head is givsn dispsAch dated "0ppo-
site Frederick sburs, Dec. II, 3 P. ID"
Between and o'clock this morning the pontoon
train In charge of the 18th and 50tn New York En-.
gineers, under command Of Gan Woodbury., pro.
ceeded to the river bank wher9 with infantry sup.
ports an attempt was made to throw three bridges
across the river-one At the poin: whers the rail.
road bridge formerly crossed and two more oppo.
site the city, bat nearer Falmouth.
dali haze so obscure0 the movement that for
q time Ii was rot discovered by the rebel pickets
The pontooniers hal suacseded Ia psi tally con-
struc ing the bridges VIXEN tie rebels suddenly
opened very brisk end deadly fire of muske!ry
from along the banks OF ths river and the windows
Ct the housss compelling q cessation Of the work.
Some of our men were shot midway Of the stream
and falling overheard fohted down tie river.
Returning TO the cover of the surr Inding hil.s
the men were again formed. ead scout 3 o'clock tne
attempt TO bridge the river was renewed but tho
rsbcls had now Deen thoroughly ar0used 10 9 sense
of what was going forward and with reinforce
ments OF shsrpshootsrs swarmed the opp site
banks and houses. Nothing daunted at tie hot fire
they poured In at tns appearance Of our tToops
the poutoouiers wen, galiantly to work but In
vain stcrn cf bullets eaveloped them. The ait
was alive with the leaden messeogers OF death
The planks and bosts were riddled by every vol!ey
Cnce more they were compelled 10 retire, and
they fell back TO the ridge of hills running parallel
with the river. As ii YVES eV.tent tnat the rebels
were determined to uss ths houses OF the city for
defence contrary to eu implied agreement IL tna
correspondence which recently passed by dag Of
truce, our artilieryneu were ordered to tira upon
the city. Accordingly, BepjsEins, Edwafds's,
Muhlenburgs, ecd other batteries OF the 9sh corps
together with the batteries to the right and left OF
the city, commenced "a almost simultaneous bon-
bardment. The fog was so dense that il was i'm
pcssihis to see but short distance beyond the
edge CT the river. The houses, however, il which
the rene. shArpshooters hsd ensccnced f5erhseives
were pl&ny visible. and to them for tiias he ire
was partieulariy directed The etfec. was their
partial demolition In short tine 3 f.er the first
IRE they became un.ens5ie by the rebel rihemsn,
who retreeted to the rear Of tie town, where they
took shelter behind the as yet unharmec build.
logs.
Hy O'Clock, the bo;abazdIaent had become gen
srsi and from that time until O'Clock the roar Of
artillery was incssssut From the vicinity of tina
Lacy house, q brick building overlooking the cen
tre Of the city the batteries Of the 9th corps raked
the streets with sheli, shrApnei aud grape Though
the fog sill continued to obgcUre, in measure the
results Of these discharges, yet the walls could De
heard tumblina and the timbers crashing.
The rebsls with the greatest stuhocrcnsss, stiii
kept within the city. and at times parties or them
could be seen going from one point to another OH
The d0rbe-quick. The carnage Cannot but ne tear
1u amongst them. II Is somewhat singular that
the rsbsl batteries did not return the Ere OK our
guns Up TO the p1esont time they have not open
ed In response.
About 10 o'clock the enslneera were formed TOE
. third attempt to construct the bridga Tee 6in
Connecticut, under Col Ward. was lying at this
time pear the river bank, In support OF one Of our
batteSiss Altar the previous instfsctuA attempts
on the part OF the engineers 70 cro4s. party OF W
men from the regiment under Capt. March volun'
tesred 10 assist in this new ondsAvor TO Anish lay.
Ing the bridge. and once more the column with this
rslpf rcamALt started down to the river.
Under the direction 0f Gen Woodbury. they
seised tho planks ana carried ont some dossn 70
the end Of the string OF boats, placed pyt OF
then, and were then compelled TO retire under
very calling 6rs from the rebel EhaxpshooterS who
were snseonesd sesursly In IiAs p!ts bslsw the
ranes Of the artillery, and within 10 CT 70 test cf
ths rivers sdge Two Of the 6th Connestisut wEe
wounded n this attempt, aad the snsiEsers nn9ed
severely. 5hs movement having hesn TINS insss.
ruptsd. the whale party were ofdsfed hack se snsn
1s Il dsIoek II was di.sovsssd that ons Of The
houses Was On AFs 1hs aaznss which conmsneee
yrsasrtsksbase 4 nov suvslopsd In 6fe end smoke
An sn1lealne Ars b. besn opened On the .sbe. .
E1s ~ f01 esS ba1tsei1e - the rivG, and H.
beao suesoanlal - ~ = 1riying ~ aalDeAeeeea