Evening star., 1863-05-05
SECOND EDITION,
THREE O'CLOCK r. M.
THREE O'CLOCK p. M.
LATEST FROM THE SEAT OF WAR.
THE SITUATION AT fREDERICKS.
BURG AND CHANCELLORSvILL
THE FIGHT ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON
HOOKER RETRIEyES A CHECK IN SPLEN-
DID STYLE AND ADVANCES A MILE.
THE FIGHTING YESTERDAY,
INTERESTING DETAILS.

INTERESTING DETAILS.
Sedgwick, after getting possession Of the
rebel batteries at Fredericksburg on Sunday,
moved out on the plank road towares Chan
cellorsyille some four miles; but encountering
a staggering force of the enemy, did not push
farther in that direction
On the same day Sunday, Gibbons divi-
sion, Of the Second Corps, occupied Freder-
icksburg and most of the heights.
On Monday morning, about day break, the
enemy suddenly appeared on the extreme
heights, on the telegraph road southeast Of the
plank road. and came forward without much
resistance, our force at that point not being of
any great strength. This force Of the enemy,
which rumor announced to be renforcements,
under Longstreet, fastening up from the
Blackwater, is believed now to have been only
a body of the enemy left down river to oppose
our crossing below Fredericks burg.
Some assistance was afforded to our troops
over the river by the we'll known heavy battery
called the "Seven Sisters" planted on the
heights on the north side of the Rappahannock'
burg and Aqua Greek railroad.
The enemy, however, succeeded in advancing
until they occupied all the positions southeast
of the plank road, well down to the famous
stone wall, which is the first line of battery in
the rear of Fredericksburg, east of the plank
road, 1t not being Hooker's plan evidently to
make any serious contest fof this ground.
Yesterday at three y. m, they held about
this position: The enemy occupying all tn.
mtrenchments southeast Of the plank road
Qeading from Fredericksburg to Chanccllors
yilie,) and Gibbons all northwest OF the same
road. He also occupied the city of Fredericks
burg. Sedgwck is further out on the plank road.
and sandwiched, as it were, between Lee (wbo
is in turn sandwiched between Sedgwick and
Hooker) and the rebel force that retook the
lower fortifications at Fredericksburg Sedp.
wick, however, who is one of the best officers
in the service, knows fully what he is about,
and has, 1t is reported, already opened COM
nunicatIon with Hooker.
The loss on both sides has been heavy, some
estimating 1t as high as twenty thousand III
each army. But experienced army men hold
that the rebels have suffered materially the
most, as they have been fought in masses.
The Fight on Sunday Afternoon and Yes.
terday.
On Sunday afternoon Hooker advanced some
distance towards Fredericksburg, met With a
temporary check, and fell back, but rallied in
tulo
in distance. In this affair Hooker's hospital
tents were shelled by the enemy, and i. was
found necessary to remove the inmates
In this fight the I'D, 5th and 9th, and two di.
visions OF the I'd corps were hotly engaged:
and later in the afternoon the Ist corps also,
The fighting yesterday afternoon, as heard
from Falmouth, was mostly musketry. The
cannonading ceased about 10 O'clock a. M, but
the musketry was continued through the day.
The number of prisoners on both sides, thus
tar, is believed to be about equal
Our greatest loss Tin prisoners) was in the
1lth army corps, Howard's-late Sigers-
which is said not to have beha we'd well.
The country where Hooker is now operating
is undulating, wooded and broken, fully as
rough as the Bull Run country, though not cut
up by any large water courses The so-much-
talked.of plank road is an old one, out OF re-
pair, 80 far as the planking is concerned but
tolerably well graded
noticeable feature Of the present fighting
is, we are told. in the few stragglers seen. At
the time Of Sedgewicks crossing to Fredericks
burg every man went, and the elan of the army
as a whole was Of the same satisfactory sort.
The present Army of the Potomac Is un-
doubtedly the finest we have yet put in the
field, being composed Of veterans in every sense
rs many as six engagements heretofore. In
this respect Hooker's army is superior to the
Army of the Peninsula, which, up to the time
of its grand trial battles, had been in no
ment Of consequence, if we except Williams
burg.
Such an army cannot be beaten, and with q
commander Of the bull dog telacity OF Hooker,
must eventually force the rebels to the wall,
no matter how desperately the latter may
struggle or how pretracted the conflict.
1t will occur to the reader at once, from the
position OF the two armies, that q reverse on
either side will be no halfway affair, butover-
whelming, and hence we may expect the most
sanguinary fighting of the war before the con.
test Is settled.
THE LATEST.
No Information from Gen. Hooker himself or
from any officer in his army has ran anhaa