Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-05-04
Tha Armies abopt OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

The Armies about treuerlckSOuSs
Since our last ISSUE this city has presented those evil
dences Of sensibity and with which it has al
ways awaited the tidings Of a battle believed TO be in
progress ormpendng in which its fate and the IN
teress Of the Coniederaoy we're, to some extent IN
voVed The most Of the day Saturday it was believed
general action in the negbborhood Of Fredericksburg
was going on Yesterday, it ascertaned that the
authorities had no information Of battle Saturday
but the impression renewed thar general engage
mens vas then yesterday in progress While we write,
The fact is not definitely known, but before we 90 to
press we will probably have information on the subject
The relative positions Of the two armies confronting
each other few miles west Of south from Fredereks-
burg renders certain that battle, if it have not al
redy taken place cannot be deferred or avoided except
by the preeipate retreat of one the othera eOntn
eency which as respects General Lee, is by no one re-
garded possible.
What we at present know 70 have Occurredis that the
enemy. crossing over the main body of their forces
some miles above Fredericksburg, bad formed line
upon General Lees left flank and that he bringing up
the principal portion of his army from and below Fred
ericksburg, had faced them in line nearly at right
angles with the position hitherto occupied by him. This
afforded the enemy an opportunity to send cavalry
force to their rear and right to cut the Central Rail
road Of which opportunity they awaited themselves on
SATURDAY, but 10 what extent not yet fully ad-
vised. This was the execution Of a scheme devised
orignaly.by Burnside and intended to have been put
in execution during Christmas week His plan, as de-
yeloped in the report Of the Investigating Committee
Of Congress on the Conduct Of the War, was to
divide his army into two parts, sending one up
and the other down the river from Fredericksburg,
both to cross or threaten to cross the river and one to
make real attack and the other eint, as eircumstan
ees might at the time decide In the mean time, cav
,ry force Of twenty Eve hundred men, supported by in
hptrv, we're to be despatched towards Kely's Ford,
where by the aid of the infantry they we're to force
crossing. This accomplished five hundred of them were
TO move toward Cupeper COur House. another FIVE hun
sred towards Warrenton, and another five hundred in
still another direction All this for the purpose of
hsng and misleading pursuers. Bat the remaining one
thousand who we're to be picked men, on picked horses
were TO make forced march for the Central railroad,
q, or below Gordonsvie. Having destroyed as much Of
Il a. practicable they to hasten on 70 the James
River canal to which they to do all the injury they
could BY blowing up locks and otherwise; aud then to
push across to the High Bridge on the SOuthsde rail-
road and destroy it. After accomplishing these feats,
they we're to make their way Suffolk, crossing and de-
stroying the Petersburg and Weldon railroad. The
,eheme was a bold one and its execution might not
have been arrested by before great mischief had been
done Il is true, few none Of those engaged in it
would ever have reached Suffolk; but it would have
been poor compensation to have captured killed
the whole party after the work, most of it. had been
done. Luckily, Just as it the Of being at
tempted-afer indeed the troops were in notion our
GOOD genius, Abraham lincoln alias Hanks telegraph
ed from Washington peremptory order to Burnside
undertake no movement without first consulting him
Fb, was in consequence Of statements made to Lincoln
nv two of Burnside's Generals, John Cochrane aud
Newton, 10 the effect that Burnsdes army had lost al
confidence in him, was thoroughly demoralized, aud
would not fght under him. The quarrel that followed
resulted in Burnsides withdrawal from the command of
the army.
But the scheme not given up. It was adopted by
Hooker (Wbo pretended contempt for Burnside5 mill
tary genus and was attempted to be put in force early
in April, but was fOed in the handsomes style BY tz-
hugh Lee and Stuart Now again il is attempted, on
much grauder SCALE ard with partial success as far as
Lpown-whether with more than partial success remains
be seen. That General Lee was not taken by sur
prise we assume not only from the accurate knowledge
be has always exhibited Of the enemys desgns-and
from the nOtOsiety Of their purpose in hisaer, but
from the additional and conclusive fact that be had had
all army stores removed from Gordonsvile and from
other exposed points It is impossible that despair
ing Of getting fight out Of Fighting Joe Hooker, in
any other way he blited him with the chance of this
destructive raid.
Our adviees through Yankee papers Of the LIST Nay,
and especially from letter in the New York Tfi5ns,
written from HoOkers camp, April 27th show that tie
movement had been started again some eight or ten
DAYS aieer the Kellys Ford failure but was thEarted
again this time BY bad weather ana high streams But
tbe writer gives the assurance that it'll be executed
AZ soOn as the weather permits. With the liehss be-
fore us here would seem reasonable groun to doubt
whether the whole great movement Of Hooker Id NJ
cher design than 70 cover and protect Ibis raid, cut
sl the lines Of Communication Eeachrg the Seat Y