, 1863-11-12
Chicago @ribnne.
TIE WAR M VIRGINIA.
BATTLE OF RAPPAHANNOCK
STATION.
COMPLETE VICTORY OF THE
UNION F0RCRS,
tFrom the Washington Ch.ouiclc.l
LII TIE FIELD, RArrAHAssock 8rA11os.

November 8. 1868,
Saturday, the 9th instant. long before the
g1aJ dawn had utActtd in the early, morn.
ne Army. Of the Potomac moved toward the
AapPahalnock. 1t wn6 nothing more than
one Of thoee mysterious .adyances which re.
f6t 11eYltabl5 In tile performance Of won.
CEN Envtng resched B@aieton, the 1st, I'd,
n I'd corps took the read le.dinv past Nor.
fftVlAe 10 kelly's Ford. About o'clock, o,
h,s cur cavalry pushed against the rebel out
RgEts anG dove them upon their rcser7es.
we steadily advanced to Mount Holly
We hid 1eeted, dfove than to the bank Of
TIC 117tE. It raa now abou. 3 o'clock in the
afternoon. Bayard's cavalry discovered the
eLc1Iy in front Of RarI,ahan nnock station. and
ou- infantry then quietly withdrew, and went
about other Important business. Here. as at
hel}y.s told, the surprise vas complete.
The 5th corps, commanded by General
Frerch, silently deployed TO tbs LEFT Of The
.Oranse nnd AlexandEia, railroad; tie, 6th
corps, Whose chieftain Is. General Sedr gick,
tool the right: At this time the rebels were
srugly ensconccd In their comfortable :wlu-
t!r Quarters. New clothing vas being rap.
1oly d1stahnted among the different com
manufactured In Englsnd, and Of a beAutifnl
grny color. General Lees headquarters vere
at Cuipepper;; where he WIS the cynosure Of
Iil observers. Only few weeks have elapsed
since the: 9Th CORPS retired through that
town. The Indies who had the hoaseWork
never tFart time to appear upon the verandah
which adorned the house uuch more than
they. But nov, crowded to the doors In
manner which Artcmus Ward would style
'';arcustical," and exclaimed in = lacksdalsi-
cal style. "Fareweu forever I" then, after IN
awful pause, they would add, with sugges:
tive gesture that eyen Mrs. siddons would
deisn to copy, "Go. Yankees, flee to. 7onr
land Ct wooden nutmegs and p1mkin pies n
When We surprised General Lee's ontposts,
he mas eIlo3 ing the society of his fellow
patriots: EweA Was in the bosom Of his
and lis nimble footed soldiers were around
him.. General Hill had the two divisions
which had been spared him widely separated,
orc beirg on the extreme lett, the other hay
Inc the onerous duty assigned 1t Of guarding
keily's Ford. At Rappahaunock Station waa
Etrly'e division, of EWell's corps. They
for,idcations on either eide Of tie river, on
the eide to the right Of tbs railroad was q
6srorg fcrt, from wEoBe side issued 1ong line
of Ieooubts and rifle. pits, which followed the
tortuous windings Of the stream. Directly
opposite, on the other side Of the road, was i
tort Of similar ehape, size, and strength, with
These forts commanded the open plain in the
font, and guarded all the fords. The rebels
had between four and Fix guns In each, with
supporting bstttries to the right. The heights
on the opposite shore fair1y bristled with nos;
tue pisces Of cannon. The Washington
Louisiana battery held the forts, supported
by General Hayes' Louisiana brigade, con
POSED Of the 5th 9th, 7sh, and 9:f Louisiana
1eetments. When the mature Of the attack Eas
olsecIred o Nor:h Carolina brigade com mand.
ed By Colcnel Goddard, Was rusecd on ths
pcnteons near the rnined abutments Of the
railroad bridge. Our whole. llne along the
tiver was now sharply engaged, the lond roll
Of musEetry mingllng with the continued
roals Of artillery. The day was warm, and
the inteDpera:e NindB blew the dust about In
great clouds. Through the woods the old
from refused to mtngle with the deecy clouds
that arose ADORE our artillery. 1t was about
five O'clock Low down In the west the r.
treating Eun seemed like great ball Of fire.
ODe section Of the field Was robed in rosv
light, AID there was nothing to be eeen saYs
The bursting the1ls and the rigid countenapces
Of the 1eem'n, all beg1imed with powder,
Far away 10 the left was perceptible the fiery
gieam from the caunon's mouth, and the
dancing shadows reflected from burntahed
rifle barrels aud faahipg ba3onets. In the
rear Of OR land batteries the I'd division Of
9Th corps form In battle line and slowly ad-
vance near their companions In arms. They
go to take up posltion for the pieht. and
they march In q line OF mathematical perfcc-
lion. The rebels zee the approaching hosts,
and t1en batteIe! open upon them. The
ground shakes with the sollen roar Of aztil.
lerJ the ground all over fs fractured with
explosive shells. and the long bright line IN
waSeringiy advance through III hundred yards
Of open tield, and the eye Of General aud staff,
and OF ycur correspondent, watches item
with breathless interest.