Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1863-02-09
From Before fredericksburg.
: f,om rho correspondent of the Phi!a. Inquirerl

In former COMMUNICATIONS OF youi colioopoa
dent It was stated that a demonstration upon
the right dauk was looked 1or. Even III the
las letter mention was made OF a @funiof HAS
the Confcderates were throwing poh1oH1
bridge across the f{appahannock at shoI
distance above Kelly lord.
Thare was more ground for the story that
many were prone to suppose. IL arose 1fo'n
the fact that the Cunfederates were veIy active
il r.nai,ine the railroad bridge across the riy
or, which had been partially destroyed during
pope' campaign last summer. tie work had
l.een hardly more than completed when the
C,niederates undertook to run trains across the
bridge.
They succeeded in passing several trains
across without molestaton and this enlOoIden-
e1 them to march their soldiers over It, Ihls
bridge was intended, cyAdcntly, to be used to
some purpose, and o'4r forces became tuijy
convinced of this. y large force OF cavalry
WAS moved in the night with view OF captui-
inc the first Of the enemy who again crossed.
On Wednesday morning some OF the Con
federatc cavalry made 1hrlr appearance, AND
had hardly noie than worked then way hail
across the bl ilge, when yuIley from the car
bines of the Uuonists was fired. The Conted-
crates charged, but their effort proving futile,
the wheeled and hurried to the opposite side
Of the river from which they started. Several
were killed, and a number wounded. The
Union mcu sustained but little damage. =
They remained in possession OF the bridge, but
dill not pusue the retreatlng enemy.
The COnfeuetates made i halt when once
within the protection OF i larger force or theirs,
and III Il short time reappeared reinforced
They eyinced determinations to Illustrate the
designs OF the Union men to cross, II such was
! ,+t,i,y .Sf17.
ed to tear the structure doWn. The Federal
force was on this side Of the river, watching
their movements with jealous eye; and, not
to be outdone, went to work with a hearty
will in demolishing this end OF the bridge
ihey even went farther than the ConIeueratcs
They Llew the heavy abutmcnts up, and thus
the Contederates are deprived OF replacing the
structure without the AID OF masonry.
Had the structure remained intact, the pro
liability is, that the Uontederates would have
Succeeded when we least expected them, II
working a large force OF theirs from the other
to this Side Of the river This being done,
thew could have used their cavalry and artillery
with great effect upon our extrene right. The
party that Was crossing at the tine, IS supposed
to have i,ecn merely the advance OF a much
larger force i'll the rear. This was confirmed
bv the appearance OF large body shortly after
the attack, who were apparently working con
jointly with that " no had just retreateu. The
destruction Of the bridge IS timely thing for
us as our right flank has been 50 long menaccd.
In the woods about light miles beyond here,
toward Dunltlies, where a line Of pick ets cx
tended through the woods, "a large body OF
Confederate cavalry, Oh Thur day, made an
impetuouS dash upon our pickets. They kill
ed TWO OF them, wounded several, among whom
was Il lieutenant, aud captured twelve. These
all belonged t. he Seventeenth Pennsylvania
Cavalry. ... ....a -, ;.
The Lonfedurates were SO overwhelming in