, 1863-12-04
THE WAR IN VIRGINIA.

Especial Dispatch to the CMeaSo Iribune.l
WASHINGTON. Dec. 3, 1868.
The town is rife With rurnors Of Mcade's
removal, and several names arc suggested as
his successor.
The following are casualtics in recent skis
1nishes, among Western troops id Aeade's
army.
eorper2,. Peter Simon, company + 18th Michigan,
Priyate James Warwick, company 4, 18th Mich
Joseph Green, company D. eeth Michigan, right
Gabas{ Fofia1, company 4, sdth Michigan, left
a'1a A1'dfsT Warren, company A, 10Th Michigan,
5esepa q: Giiord, company B. acth Michigan,
WAsu1S6ToS, Dec. "A special to the
Pot says It Is rumorcd Mcsde will beramoved
from command Of the Army Of the Potomac,
and TINT new man will lead the army in
December campaign.
The army Is in good spirits.
NEW YORK, Dec. S.-The New York Til
1u'ie's Washington special says: The runaor
tbat tlle Government il considering tho pro.
rriety Of removing Meade gains strength and
currency.
WAs1uxG7ox, Dec. 3.-The Army Of the
Potomac Is encamped On the grounds It left
On the morning Of Thanksgiving. The red
SONS for this sudden change Of programme,
without forcing Lee TO general BATTLE arc
these:
Al council Of war, held on Monday night,
the facts were demonstrated that the enemy
were lntrcnchcd behind very formidable
tarthwDrks, which thcy wcrc every moment
Strengthening. The fearful loss it,; IT ,sonld en-
| corin:. our wounded before they wonld per-
ish with cold, in case we attempted to carry
the rebel works By assnult, were some OF the
| conscientious which induced tho subsequent
action. Our rations and forage had nearly
| run cut, and the roads were too bad to allow
further transportation from our distant base
These weighty considerations, 1t is claim
ed, induced The commander to Issue an order
to fall back. Last night the Army Of the Po-
tomac rested on It's old base On the line Of the
| Orange and Alexandria Railroad.
The New York Tribune correspondent says:
sat 10 o'clock yesterday {Tuesday) NC rode 4
| circuit In front Of our most advanced artillery
t:position. We could look over into the rebel
works and see the graybacks digging away
NTH wonderful rapidity. Their guns were
were rife in camp that Longstreet had rein
forced Lee, and We were falling back on Fred
| eFicksburE, but could trace them to no
Trustworthy source. We maintained our en-
| tire battle line in the cnemy's front till about
O'Clock Tuesday evening, when al fell back
! ~A~%
0ur total losses, in the recent movement,
| in missing aud wounded, arc $40, and 60 kill
| cd. Our wounded suffered extremely In their
severe cold, while lying In wagons last night.
IA special train has already been
down the disabled men. The rail-
road track and telegraph wires remained as
| ne left them, uninjured:
night Tuesday night, end its advance could
he seen approaching Brandy Station at four
| o'clock yesterday morning. 4 party Of hyc
| rebel cavalry men came dashing up to the
west hank of The Rapidan, after our bridges
were up. They, were greeted with shell, and
rapidly vanished.
But one train per day now runs upon the
railroad, aud this ut night.
l NEW YonK, Dec 3.-Thc Hossd's Washing
ton special says: The campaign in Virgtnia
Is ended. All the forward movements on the
part OF the army Of the Potomac have ceased,
and our forces hare already nearly completed
their return to The old base along the Orange
and Alexandria Railroad at Culpcpper, Bran-
DR. Station, ind RappahAnnQck Bridge. The
retroerade Increment commenced on Tues
dag.
cauy ont the orders Of the War Department
involves the loss Of General Meade'g position
as Commander Of the Army Of the Potomac
! The reasons given for the abandonment Of
Tie campaign are, that Lee so intrenched him.
self daily as to delay any rapid advance on our
part, and, at tie same time, to preventan at
tack:
Our army fell back in safe and orderly
manner, tho enemy being ignorant OF our In.
tentions.
Generals sedgwick and Hooker are prom.
incn1ly named for General Aeaae's successor,
Tia H<,aT has f1,e fo)1oyinr. uThe Mine
river Is stream ten feet In width, but very
shallow. If VIC judge by tho depth Of clear
water, but very deep when VIC count In thu
mud ut It's bottom and sides. Extending
rced-eroWn. From the edges Of the marsh
the land rises gradually to the height Of per
haps hundred feet. Half a mile back from
the right shore these slopes open, and II
mnny places cultivated patches OF young
pines dot the slopes and extend back to tht
the hills: The enemy fortified the western
+ slope by strong earthWorks at It's summit IL
front, which, with folled trees, shrnbber1
| and brush, formed IN impenetrable abettis
They had also dug succession Of pits hal
:. wny. up the slope, within easy range Of th'
creek, and another series of the sa1nc style
defense at the commencement Of the abatt1s
His line Of defenses extended from Clark
/ mountain, south Of the plank road, to tn
: / mouth Of the stream, fully supported By ar
tillery, and was, In fact, said By military mcl
to be stronger position Than that he held q
Fredericksburg.
=. The New York 7fi1uue'< special Gays:
Sunday morning General Warren, Of th'
I'd co1pe, with the Sd division Of the 6tl
corps, moved down On the Fredericksburg
, pink road, which runs parallel with til
Orange pike, and about three miles from It
, and proceeded for 3 mile, when he encoun
tered the cncmy's skirmishers, who wer
driven forward milo and half to the west
The enemy then opened with artillery on tn
I'd division Of the I'd corps, from some. TEN
porary works on 1IiIl half mile south Q
+ the unfinished railroad, but were soon drivcl
out, and the corps rested for the night wit
the intention Of charging and aanking th
rebels in the morning. EARLY ycsterda
, morning Gen. Warren requested his con-
| / mandcrs 10 inform their men Of t1e natuE