Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1863-05-15
rnvn 1HE ARMY or THE po1omAC.

.
army In safety on this side Of the Kappa
/ hammock
General Lee having been heavily reiniorc-
ed, appeared to have found himself in sufIi-
cient strength to renew his attack on Hook
er's exhausted troops, and was so far success
tul that II has been deemed prudent to with
draw the troops across the river.
II is only too evident that here as so often
before the rebels succeeded in concentrating
their forces upon the point Of attack while
those which should have strengthened the
1 National Army were too far distant OF too
long withheld to enable Hooker to maintain
the position which he had gained by a mas
tery strategy and held through two trem-
endous battles.
II must be presumed tina, the effort to
break Lees communication with Richmond
failed. lie was able therefore TO bring up
the whole rebel force from Richmond and
/ points below and Gen Hooker Is compelled
to retire before overwhelming numbers.
The firm Of Samuel Hallett q Co.. who are
said to have the very best means Of informa-
tion, have issued the following circular, which
looks brighter than previous accounts;
We are in possession Of accurate informa-
ton derived from our army correspondents
and communicated by telegraph, mail and
/ special messenger down to very late hour
which goes 20 establish the following facts
lst. The successful rcorossing Of the Rap
/ pahannock by Gen. Hooker was not the re-
suit of a defeat by the rebels, but precau-
tionary movement caused by the rapid rise Of
| the river.
His doubt in regard to Stonemans success,
/ the possibility Of Lee having been largely re-
| inforced, and the delay in sending to his own
aid CORES pondng accession Of force. Gen.
Hooker, from the moment of his FIRST cross
ing the Rappabannock, declared that he would
not remain to allow il to rise in his rear
2d. Richmond papers Of the 5th instant
acknowledge the success Of Stoneman's raid,
and that he had penetrated TO within six miles
OF Richmond, tevoing up the railroad track
and destroying the bridges.
We are now assured that Gen. Stoneman,
having executed this work, is guarding the
/ line of approach to Lees army from Gordons-
vile, to prevent the transmission to him Of
supplies.
3. General Peck, at Suffolk, has ascer-
tanned that the force opposed to him on the
/ Blackwater and Nanscmond, has been with
! drawn, and he is on the move to assist in the
final denoument.
4. General Keyes also, with strong force,
is on the way from Williamsburg, to reinforce
the army OF the Rappahannock.
5. The preparations to remove our stores
| from Aqua Creek in accordance with a
/ plan before framed to change the base of sup
! plies to the line of the Orange & Alexandria
/ Railroad, and it is already public that Gen.
] Heintzleman is leading 10000 veterans by
that route to the aid Of Hooker.
6. The losses of the enemy thus far ex-
coed our own, and his facilities for procuring
both reiniorcements aud supplies far infe-
risr to ours.
Thus, it will be seen that the Army Of the
Potomac has sustained no defeat. The de-
lay of the Government in forwarding rein
forcemcnts has ocoasioned a temporary pause
without materially iniuring its morale or Of
fensive power, and when it is certain that the
efforts Of the enemy to overwhelm II have
/ failed while they have had the effect to weak
en- their own strength at Charleston, where
combined land and sea attack has probably
ere this been made by the Union forces. 1t
will thus be seen that there exists no sub
stantial cause for dependency discourage
ment.
From Gen sedgwick's corps the Herald
prints the following IN substance:
1t appears that after the great struggle OF
Sunday, Lee detached large body of his
rebels to meet Sedgwick and it is now known
that Longstreet was also rapidly getting in
/ Sedgwicks rear at the same time. Early
on Monday morning large masses OF rebels
appeared ou the heights east Of Fredercks-
/ burg, where we bad but small force, having
sent large portion to strengthen Sedgwick.
/ The position was relinquished after short
resistance, having first removed all the guns.
Gen Sedgwick was hotly engaged all Mon
I day, the rebels pressing him at all points
His men were obliged to give way before the
Overwhelming masses of rebels, and his dis
comfture seemed certain, when the Vermont
brigade made ferocious charge repusing
( the enemy, and securing the safety OF Il at
portion of the army. The slaughter Of the
enemy here near Banks Ford) was perfectly
horrible, whole brigades OF rebels being liter
ally wiped out.
General Sedgwiek, however, recrossed the
river in the face of the enemy after midnight,
the enemy raking our bridges with artillery,
causing great loss of life. HI succeeded in
getnug across in comparatively good order,
and marched immediately to the United States
ford to join Hooker's main army
The President and Con. Haleck visited
Hooker at Falmouth yesterday.
II believed that the army will not long re-
main inactive
The loss of Gen. Hooker in rccrossing the
river was Iiaing The enemy did not molest
him. Gen. Couch slightly wounded. Gen.
Brooks of Vermont was wounded. Gen Mills
was wounded and some reports states that he
was killed Sargeant Holmes of the 9th
Maine, a nephew OF Vice President Hsmblin
was killed.
Loss 2sth Massachusetts, wounded and
80 missing 43rd New York 800, their time
was about mp 5th New York, killed. 32
wounded and | 5 missing Gems. Slckles and
Birney we.o stuck 10y fragments of shells
but escaped injury.
The Heralds dispatch states that it is now
evident Lee had under his command from
800 600 to l4O, 900 men and that the whole
rebel army of the East, was concentrated
upon the tappahanuock, before even the cav
airy advance had crossed the river.
The Times special states that Gen. Sigel
has resumed command OF bis old corps in
place OF Carl Schurz.
Gen. Averill is placed under arrest and his
command given to Gen. Pleasanton by Gen.
I H,oLer in conseoupnco of rcturninp without