Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-05-16

as much as possible, dug ride-pits and threw
up temporary embankments. OF course this
saved an immense amount of life on our
side, and besides, made it correspondingly
disastrous to the Rebels.
The exact loss in killed and wounded is
not known but it will not reach more than
niue thousand.
GENERALS KILLED.
The orly Generals known to have been
killed on our side, so far are General Berry
and General Whipple. The former was a
Major-G General of Volunteers. from Maine,
and the latter Brigadier- General of Noun-
teers, taken from the regular army. We
believe that on the breaking out of the Re-
bellion he was in the Typographical En-
gineering Department of the Government,
and was esteemed a good officer.
THE RE-CRossING OF TIIB RAPPAHAFNoCK.
WASHINGTON, May 7.
The intelligence of General Hookers
retrogade movement to his old camp reached
your correspondent at a early hour of ycster-
Gay; but from considerations of policy we
did not forward it for publication To-day
the I1ttelligcncer, the official organ of Secre.
tary Seward, announces it by authority,
consequently there need be no further con-
cealmcnt.
The causes are said to be, first, the non
fulflmcnt of General Stoneman's part of the
programme in early cutting off the Rebel
communications. Up to Tuesday evening
General Hooker had not a word of reliable
intelligence from Stoneman, and knew not
whether he had succeeded or failed. 1t was
an essential point that the Rebel railroads
should have been cut last Friday. The
heavy rains of Monday night and Tuesday
morning had raised the Rappahannock six
feet, and bid fair to raise it to such a height
that he could not keep up his pontoons.
General Sedgwick had failed to make a
junction with him on Sunday or Monday ;
the Rebels had massed large forces on him
(Sedgwick) early on Monday morning, and
about p. NJ, the Rebels formed on an open
plain, and apparently had fifty thousand
men.
General Sedgwick posted his artillery on
q range of hills, and as the Rebels came up
he double-shotted his guns and moved them
down at fearful rate Regiment after reg
iment melted away before his guns; but on
they came. They piled up the dead and
dying in heaps, and then clambered over
them, and threw themselves upon .he artil-
lery rs they were courting death finding
himself overpowered, Sedgwick ordered a
retreat to this side of the river and made for
Banks Ford. Then commenced the slaugh-
ter of our troops The Rebels pursued him
with iiendish terocty. Gibbons Division
had become separated, and crossed at Fal-
mouth but during the night the Rebels
shelled the portions of Banks Ford, and at
one time came near causing Il panic upon
this side among the teamsters and scattered
troops.
General Hooker finding that he ran risk
in remaining, ordered his troops to re-cross
the river. The eight days rations had given
out, and 1t became necessary to replcnish
the supplies of all kinds. The move took
place at United States Ford, without any
serious difficulty, and General Hookcr's
headquarters are now at Falmouth.
The President left at midnight last night
to meet him at Acquia Creek, to consult
him as the future.
General Averill is under arrest for not
having gone to Gordonsyille and destroyed
the railroad running west and except the
news from the Richmond Wig of the 4th
and 5th, there is not word from Stoneman.
There is considerable anxiety expressed as
to the whereabouts of General Stuart and
his cavalry. He has not been heard from
since last Sunday morning. 1t is feared he
will turn up where we now least expect
him
Our loss in the last week is about ten
to twelve thousand killed, wounded and
prisoners, and that of the enemy at least
$4,000. We have over 5000 prisoners.
Many of our wounded fell into their hands
and the loss of Sedgwick's Corps is said to
be 5000. We have eleven flags and thirteen
pieces of artillery, taken from the enemy.
Should Stoneman have done his work well
it will be two weeks before they can repair
all the damage, &C., get up supplies freely,
and before that we can have rcinvigorated
our own army, and with rcinforcements can
again assume the aggressive.
General Hooker is said to be in the best
spirits possible under the unfortunate delay
he has been subjected to in the destruction
of the Rebel army.
Yesterday General Milroy captured a
Rebel officer on whose person was found q
fresh despatch from General Lee, stating
that his QRebeD loss had been ''fearful."