Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1863-05-08


ance, took possession Of the heights in the rear
Of Fredericksburg. He promptly followed up
his success by moving out BY the plank road
towards Charlottesville, for the purpose of
opening communication with the main body
under General Hooker After proceeding some
four miles he encountered " a staggering force
Of the enemy and-did not push further in
that direction" During the same afternoon
General Hooker, in anticipation Of and in
consonance with, this movement on the part Of
Sedgwick, advanced simultaneously towards
Fredericksburg from Charlottesville; " but
meeting with a temporary check, fell back ;
rallied, and again advanced about half a mile. .
Up to the close Of the day, however, Gibbons
division succeeded in occupying Fredericks-
burg and mos. of the heights in the rear.
On Monday morning about daybreak the
enemy re-appearcd on the heights, and, driv-
ing back the Federal troops, without much
resistance on the part Of the latter, succeeded
in retaking all the positions previously cap
tured by Sedgwick, down to the base Of the
hills and including the famous stone wall from
behind which the Confederate sharpshooters
did such execution against the advancing col
umns of Burnside. Thus matters stood up to
three O'Clock on the afternoon Of Monday -
What has transpired since has not yet been
made public; but the fighting in the several
engagements recorded is said to have been ter
rife beyond expression, and the losses on both
sides correspondingly heavy.
THURSDAY, May There is no news what
ever from the Army Of the Potomac, on which
any reliance can be placed, later than that
which was published yesterday. The WASH
ington Star Of last evening, indeed, processes
to have intelligence of the renewal of an at
tack on a portion Of General Hookers COM
mand, on Tuesday last in which the Confede-
rates were repulsed with severe loss, and in
the remarkably short space Of fifteen minutes.
Beyond this, we are told nothing, except that
the position at present occupied by the Fede-
raj troops, is " impregnable." Itis admitted
by the Washington Chronicle that the heights
in the rear of Fredericksburg have been re-
captured by the ConteGer0tes and from the
fact stated by the Star that General Sedgwick
had re-erossed the river, it Is evident that the
city of Fredericksburg has also been evacuat-
ed. in connection with this matter the ?hila-
delphia Press has some euriousy two-sided
comments 1t rejoices greatly, in the first
place, over the capture Of Fredericksburg and
the heights In the rear, by the Federal troops,
which it regards as one Of the greatest exploits
of the war, and as having most important
influence upon subsequent operations, mas
much as it would enable General Hooker Ito
fold his two wings together and stiae tie re-
beliion." About this time, however, the news
seenls TO have reached the Press that Frede-
rcksburg aud its heights had been rcCaptured;
Whereupon the Press declares with equal COM
placency, that even if the report be true, the
general opinion is that it would not be any
way disastrous to our cause. Our soldiers,
we are assured, "could easily return to this
side Of the Rappahannock and, as our guns
planted on Falmouth Heights command the
whole town, the place would soon be made too
hot for the enemy"
The Washington Star has, also, what pur-
ports to be an account of General Stoncman's
operations in the rear Of the Confederate ar
my. OF the three cavalry corps which. were
sent out on this expedition that Of General
Averill has alone returned. 1t must be evil
dent, therefore, that the doings Of the others
are altogether matters Of surmise. General
Ayerill reported to General Hooker on Sunday
afternoon last, after an absence Of twenty
three days. He had been as far south as the
Rapidan Station, on the Orange and Alexan-
dria railroad, where he--according to the cor
respondent Of the New York Times, but Fitz-
ugh Lee according to the destroyed the
bridge and track of the road General Lee is
said to have fallen back before him from Gull
pepper, where he captured small supply of
salt and bacon, which, it is said he distribu-
ted among the poor Of the vicinity. So far the
facts as given may, we think, be accepted as
tue. The Star, however, processes to have
been informed further, that General Buford
with a second cavalry corps pushed on to Cor
louisville where be cut the Virginia Central
railway between the latter place and Rich
mould. Proceeding still further west, he broke
up portion Of the same railway between
Gordonsyille and Charlottesville a third
column under command OF Col Davis, il is
alleged, has been much more daring and equal
lv cnceaaafu1 Il ia claftuod h, fi,o Cftr ~ at
Col, Davis has destroyed the Richmond and
Fredericksburg railroad at Hanover junction,
together with sundry bridges along the line
and has even turned up the track to within
five miles Of Richmond These statements
must, however be received with great reserve
until confirmed from other sources So far as
we know, at present, General Stonnman has
not been heard from since he set ont on his OK
petition; nor does the Star claim TO have de-
rived its information from any official source /;
and although the Richmond papers are cited
as confirming the reported damage done 20 the
Fredericksburg railway, the absence Of any
extracts from those journals leaves the whole
story fairly open to doubt.
That these commands, If they have not been
interrupted are capable Of breaking up, at
various points, the railway communications
with Richmond, there cannot, of course, be
any doubt whatever. But il is equally GER
tain that the distance trayersed, and the OK
tent of the damage inflicted by them cannot
be known with any degree Of accuracy until
their respective leaders return to headquarters
or are heard from in person.
We have said that nothing has been posi-
lively heard from General Hooker since the ai-
iernoon Of Monday last, unless we accept the
"adviccs from Falmouth, which, we are
told, have been received al Washington up to
Tuesday noon, aud which announce that
" there has been no decisive victory gained
yet In view Of this retceHce on the part Of
the Administration, The New York Journals
fall back upon speculaEons on " the situa-
tom Their lucubrations are, on the whole,
Of gloomy cast. The Herald in referring to
the lighting on Monday, has no doubt " that
had the issue of the day s work been a Union
victory we should have heard Of it," The
World is Of opinion that @ the latest news
leaves us in painful doubt as to the actual con-
diuon Of aaarsn The Tribune thinks that
all depends upon the success Of Stonemau,
and demands If there are troops In Washing-
ton that they be sent to the front of Hook
err says the Tribune, needs them, send
every man that is not wanted IN the forts. -
Finally, the Times is not iusensible to the
possibility Of adverse fortune, since that at
taches to the situation Of any army but is
nevertheless, on the whole, hopeful ofafavora-
Die result.