The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-05-16
war News OF the Week.


I'll. smoke is gradually clearing away |
from the vicinity of Fredericksburg, and |
~. are Seginning to see affairs IN that
quarter exactly as they were and are
ZINE enough has transpired to enable the
country to begin to form some estimate OF
the ammount and significance OF the
events which have recently transpireo
there. We haye, IN the fret place, a pref
~ clear idea Of Hooker's battle. IL was
briefly, like this Lee was in his intreIch-
uaents south of fredericksburg Hooker
proposes to force him out OF them without
MAKING a direct assault upon them Ills
plan vas, therefore, to pass Lees left flank.
and, working up in his rear, cut OFT his
communication or retreat tawards Rich
mond or Gordonsville the only practica-
ble routs left him, thus compelling him to
como out and fight, or starye. Hooker
had seven army corps. lie first crossed
there below Fredericksburg to make
feint ugon the rebel works; and while
amusing the rebels with this, he pushed the
ether four across above, to make the real
movement by flank TOWARDS Chancellor
Vile. Lee saw through the fsint at ONE,
and paying no attention to Hookers feins,
ut once massed his forces on his left. So
the fight took place there at once-Hook-
er's four corps against Lees whole army
and before the other corps engaged IN the
feint came up Hooker was whipped
Having repelled Hooker's main attack,
Lee now turns his attention TO his fortiti-
cations which Sedgw;ck had been allowed
to take, and with his whole army falls on
him, nearly annihilating him. That was
in killed. wounded and missing, of 1000;
Lee admits loss, it is said, of Is, 900.
But how this world is given to lying -
Hooker retreated back across the Kappa
hammock. it was said, because the rains
threatened to interrupt his communica-
tions 1t commenced to rain only after he
had crosaed. Then ,wo days after he
had got back, We had a long, circumstan-
tial despatch from Washington of Satur-
day, and again on Sunday, stating that
Hooker had recrossed to the Fredericks
burg side, that his army had spread out
east and west feeling for the enemy, but
had not found him; that all the killed and
woulded-rebel and Union-had been
picked up cared for; until the army ap-
preached the wilderness, the scene of the
late conflict, where they fouad the woods
on ERE, rand many of the killed a charred
mass, &c Well it believed, there is not
word OF truth in all this. Not a corps or
even a company of Rockers army has re-
crossed since the retreat. None Of our
wounded have beeL picked up on the field
since then save by the enemy; and tees
army, so far from having disappeared, is
as usual behind the iH,pregnabls fortified
lions at Fredericksburg Stonemans raid
also, it appears was over-estimased, for it
now appears all the damage he inflicted
on the Richmond and Fredericksburg r.
R. was repaired by the rebels in "a hours
That Heintzelman had left Washington
with 10000 or any men to reinforce Hook
er, or Keys, is also wholly untrue. The
old granl!cs at Washington would as soon
think of burning Washington as let
Heintzelman leave here with his 10000
men.
Hooker's army is again quietly at Fail
mouth and Leo at Fredericksburg. The
position and situation are about the
same Oh both sides as before the late bat
tie, and that is the upshot of it. 1t may
be months before there Is another move.
nent, unless, as is estimated, Lee may
make the next attack, Of which there are
some signs.
There are publications of some movement
on the York river at West Point and to
ward White House. under Gen. Reyes, the
evident object being to annoy Lees com
munications with Richmond There is
also grapevine report that Longstreet las
attacked Reyes and defeated him.
All is quiet in north Carolina and around
Charleston.
There are no indications of speedy
battle in Rosecrans' department The
rebels at Tullahoma boast that they have
been reinforced by 10000 men from No
bile, under Buckner; while the Kentuck-
ians aver that Buckner is marching
through Eastern Tennessee to invade
Kentucky via Cumberland Gap with 3d.
600 men,
1t is hard to get ineligible news from
Gen. Grant, below Vicksburs. He ap-
pears to have assembled the Big Black as
far IS the water would float his gunboats,
to within Is or 30 miles of the Rail.
road bridge east of VicksbuTg, and then
to have struck across the country with
his army towards Jackson. The latest re.
port is, that last Friday morning he was
fifteen miles form Edwards Station, which
is eighteen miles east of Vicksburg, and
An engagement was expected to take
place shortly. Rebel rumors are also aaoat
that great battle has been fought, and
that the Federals were defeated
The rebels continue in large force in
Western Virginia One wing of their
force has taken Niddletown, IN TYLER
county. the other threatens Parkersburg
Mulligan has fallen back to Mouudsville
twelve miles below Wheeling.
Democratic Rally at Wenona.