New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-01-08

Have the lscbcls ESncunfed-Afnr m0tive
IndIcaiions-Give our Cavalry.a Chance
-aurnsidc's POlicy-The Late Battle
Night Alarm and iGs Origin-The 26;h
New.York-RebelA udacify-The Fight
ing i'm the West-The Proclamation in
the Army.
RrGHr GRAND DIVISION. Tuesday, Jan. 6, 1868.
Has tho Rebel force on our front been Withdrawn,
or largely reduced Does the enemy hope to re.
enact Manassas and Cornth, leaving us to storm
empty breastworks and capture deserted campsl
Are the tents, pickets and grey brigades which We
zee across the Rappahannock these hazy, Indian
Summer days, a thin outercrust, kept to aniuse u.s.
while the body of the foe has gone TO Suffolk, Vcks
burg, and Murfresborof
The few contrabands who run the close blockade
Of the Rebels assert that Lee, Lopgstreet, and
Stonewall Jackson are still On our front. They do
not speak Of the Withdrawal of any large bodies Of
troops Lee himself was there only few days
since Gen. Burnside has an Official communica-
ton from him dated T" Camp near Fredericksburg,
Dec. H.
Still, relying upon our inactivity, he has probably
sent away many of bis troops 10 fight In other States
The heavy increase Of his pickets the osentatious
display Of his camps out in the open fields, in fun
view Of forces point strongly in that direction.
IL is difficult 10 imagine any motive for bringing the
tents Of several brgades out of the shelter Of the
woods. and pitching them on the bleak, bare hills,
except 10 cover some important movement in the
rear.
Recent Richmond papers, too, allude to rapid
movement Of troops under direction of Gen. Joseph
t. johnston" And they characterize the destruction
Of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad-the
trunk line from Richmond to Internationally our
cavalry IRON Kentucky, as peculiarly unfortunate
just now, while the road was being used up to its
utmost capacity" En- PEASANT, that raid is most
crediiable To our Western cavalry, demonstrating
that the capacity for these dashng expeditions is not
confined 10 the Rebels. The destruction OF nine
miles OF railroad, and the capture and parong Of
200 prisoners, ninety miles IN the enemys country,
is something TO boast of. think you would have
seen equally brilliant and more important results
from expedition Of picked cavalry from this army
last week, had not imperative orders from ashing-
ton suddenly contaminated IT,
But this 10 leaving the main question-whether
the enemy has Withdrawn from orr front. There is
sure way OF asceraning-to move across the
river ut some favorable point and feel of him, vigor
ously. We should have done this several days ago,
but for the memorable veto Of the powers at ash
ington The reasons for that veto may be excelent
but there is man, high or low, in the whole coun
try, who 10 more panied by the enforced passive
ness Of this army than Gen. Burnside himself. He
believes that 1t is the function of army to fight;
and il "a wise and mastery inactivity" lie to be the
policy OF this army he will not long remain in COM
resignation, which he has once rendered.
Apropos to this subject all our later information
confirms the remark Of Burnside, after tho battle OF
Fredericksburg; "We shall never know how near
we came to success" The testimony OF contra
bands, refugees, wounded and captured Rebel ofi'
GERS, all shows that on our left the fate OF the con-
ilIct trembled in the balance. think it Is now the
unanimous opinion OF our Grand Division Command
era that if only fent had been made on our right,
and nearly or quito the full vigor OF the attack
thrown on our left we should have driven the
enemy completely from bis works, aud utterly routed
him. But It is 80 easy TO DO wise after the fact
Army existence grows monotonous. Occasionally
we have an order to double the pickets, based on
movements or rumors of movements by the enemy.
The other night there was quito an alarm on the
left. in Frankns Grand Division. Our midnight
sluInbers ION the right were broken by message
from Franklin that the enemy on his front had
largely increased his picket force, and appeared TO
be throwing pontoon bridge over the river, amoye
ment preliminary to crossing. This looked like
business. Preparations to resist the attack were
made along our whole line But the night passed
away without any clash Of arms; and in the morn.
ing the alarm was traced to the vivid imagination VI
picket, who, seeing an old fat-boat come floating
down the river, rushed to his commanding officer
and reported the enemy throwing pontoon bridge
across
A ride through the Left Grand Division yesterday