, 1863-01-15
SOUTHERN NEWS.
SOUTHERN NEWS.
H0H tie Defeat vas ReceiFed
in Richmond.
GEN. LEES ADDRESS TO HIS
ARMY,
E'hc Northeru Copperl,cads.
AFFAIRS In TENNESSEE,

L.
| known, has been suffered by the army unde
| Gen. Bragg. The statements 1t. victoriou
! career during the two days Of the engagement
| already recounted, are not contradfcted But
since then, the force and position Of the par
tics 1laye been entirely changed. On the frs
day, Bragg drove the enemy from all parts o
tho field except one, and took 4, 600 prisoners
| whom We still hare. On the second day b.
| carried the remaining position. But th'
enemy were not routed, and did not retire FIR
Rosccrans assembled all his reinforcement
and reserves, and, with their help, has takel
MurfrecsbOro and forced Bragg to retreat
Whether the latter General fought thirl
battle before falling back, Is not yet clearly
ascertained. 1t Is, however, most lamcntabll
certain that the enemy has carried his point
and retains all the advantages excep'
the loss Of prisoners and arms result
| ing from the battle of Murfeesboro; and nov
lie can succor Grant, clear out the cavalry, ant
perhaps resume operations on the Mississippi
It must be confessed, that a good deal Of for
tltude + required to support 80 painful dis
appointment with equanlmity.. Certainly
after such official statements as those Genera
Bragg has made, on tn" Inst day Of the pas
year and the beginning OF the present, this Sc
| quel could not be nationally anticipated. I
is true that nc may not have Jet heard ths
end of it. Behind General Bragg Is Genera
Johnston. Although he can not hope to con
centratc our troops from distant points
with the same ease and rlpitity as the enemy
who have the r1yers at thcir command, Jet it
have reinforcements, too, still to appear on
the scene. Perhaps, then, the tale is not told
and perhaps there lnay be another act In thG
drama Of Murfrcesboro, on which the curtain
has not risen.- So far, the news has come il
what may be called the classical style Of thu
Southwest. When the Southwestern army
fights a battle, we first hear that 1t has gained
one of the most stupendous victories on rec
ord; that regiments from Mississippi, Texas,
Louisiana, Arkansas, &C., hare exhibited an
Irresistible and superhuman power, unknown
in history this side Of Sparta md Rome. As
for the Generals, they usually got oil their
clothes shot of, and replaced them with asuit
initiated. Next day more dispatches como,
still very good, but not quite so good as the
first. The kilograms Of the Third day are in.
Vurfally such as to make mist, middle,
and fog Of the whole affhir. But we are still
assured that our troops are victorious; and
only alter several days more does the unpleas-
ant truth leak out, that they are not 1uIte
victorious, but layc, In fact, lost little
ground, after gaining some very brilliant sue
cesses. So far as We know anything about
the battle Of Murtfeesboro, 1t Is the parallel
and repetition Of Shiloh. Even tic number
Of prisoners are giye1rthe same ciphcrs. But
we have not yet ceased to hope for something
therefore dismiss this unpleasant theme for
the present, with as little reluctance as the
reader may imagino.
GEN. LEES ADDRESS TO THE REBEL ARMY.
A3DS'AA'A''7 <'s Dseember @ % d, 1s6s.
GENERAL ORDER No. 39.-1. The General
commanding takes this occasion to express to
the officers and soldiers Of the army his high
appreciation Of the fortitude, yalor and deyo-
tion displayed by them, which, under the
blessing Of Almighty God, have added the
victory Of Fredericksburg to the long list OF
their tTiumphs.
An arduous march, performed with celebrity
under many disadvantages, exhibited the dis
cip1lnc and spirit Of the troops and their eager
ness to confront tue foe.
The immense army Of the enemy completed
Its preparations fer the attack without inter-
rnrtion, and gave battle in its own time, and
on ground Of its own selection.
Il was encountered By less than 10000 of
this brave army, and its columns, crushed and
broken, hurled back at every point with such
fearful slaughter that escape from entirc de-
struction became the boast Of those who had
advanced in full confidence Of victory.
That this gTeat result was achieved with
loss small In point Of numbers, only aug
ments the admiration with which the com.
troops, and increases his gratitude to Him
who Las given us the victory.
The war is not yet ended The enemy Is
still humorous and strong, and tho country
demands Of the army renewal Of its heroic
efforts In ler behalf. Nobly has It responded
to her call In the past, and she will never ap-
The signal manifestations Of Divine mercy
that have distinguished the eventfnl aud glo-
rious campaign Of the year just closing, giyc
ASSURANCE Of hope that, under the guidance Of
the same Almighty hand, the coming year
will be no less fruitful Of events that will in
sure the safety, peace and happiness Of our
already iulpcrishablc name Of the army Of
Northern Virginia. R. E. LEE, General.
TILE PEACE EPRoPos1T10Hs-TnE ORGAN or TIE
SOUTHERN coSFEDERCT On TIE sCB1gcT.
From the Richmond Enquirer, Jan. 81
In our issue Of Saturday We gaye SONG ac-
count Of the meeting lately held in New York,
at which resolutions were adopted calling
upon New Jersey to invite q Convention Of III
the Yankee states, to meet at Louisville, In
February next. According to this hopeful
-sche1ne the States III rebellion were to be
invited to send delegatcs to represent them in
this savory cpnclayc, and in case they yielded
to nc proposition, all armistIce of SIX months
by sea and land, was to be proclaimed. We
nre told that the resolutions we're, "u,lanf-
ntously' passed, and TINT Mr. Brooks, the ora
tor Of Inc occasion, WAS enthusiastically up
plAuded.
From the above it h. plain enough that the
ynlor Of our soldiers and the skill ofour Gen
erals are beginning to tell. Richmond, Ma
nassas, 4harpsburg aud fredericksburg have
almost wrought their lesson. The tide is be-
ginning to turn at the North In favor of peace.
The glorious victories at Murfrecsboro and
VfcksbuIg, which hare occurred since this
meeting was held, will doubtless give fresh
impulse to the sentiment of which it is man.
Hesitation. But while the North begins to see