Year: 1863

The Situation--A decisive battle imminent on


the line Of the Rappahannock.


The imminence of decisive battle, involving the
fate of Capital has again attracted all eyes to the
lines of the RappS6annock By series of move
ments swiftly and skilfflly executed the Federal
army has crossed the river and succeeded in flank
ing the position held by General Lee. As stated
in our last issue the terms Of enlistment of thirty
eight Federal regiments, within a few days of
expiring ard they have persistenty refused all in
ducelnents to reenlist. 1t is obviously HoOker'S
intention, by placing in his rear both the Kappa
hammock and the Rapidan to precptate the collision
so long deferred and risk his all the desperate
hazard, before his army should be weakened by the
departure oftheSe home esick regiments. The knowl-
edge too that our forces in his front had been di-
minished by the Withdrawal of troops to menace
points of lesser moment was probably not without
weight in inducing an immediate attack. From the
Richmond Examiner of Saturday, we get the follow
ing interesting account of the enemy's movements
up to that time:


1.-The passage of the Rappahannock on Wednesday
was Eeint The bulk of the Yankee army moved
I'D the river while the Confederate attention was
fixed on the detachment which had crossed at Deep
Run The detachment was then withdrawn to
Stafford. Meanwhile Hooker passed the Kappa
hammock at Kelly's and other fordS, then marched
through that portion of Culpepper which fills the
fork of the river till he reached the Rapidan at Ger
mamma Mills and Ely'S Ford, skirmiShed with our
cavalry near Charlottesville and having got pos
session of that place is said to have reached point
very near to Spotsylvania Court House.


The line of battle has been completely changed.
It strl tches from E!y'S Ford on the Rapidan to
Spotsylyana Court House. The Federal army is
now on the south side Of both branches of the Rap
pahannock and its front is parallel with the Rail
road from Fredericksburg to Richmond. 1t is upon
the flank, and partly upon the rear of the position
defended by the army under Lee in last December.
According to this statement which we consider
exact Hooker has turned the famous hills of Fred
ercksburg 1t is evident that this man9uvre will
neceSstate q corresponding alteration in the GSy0
sition of the Confederate troops, and that the
battle will be fought in the country between Fred
erieksburg and Spotsylvania Court House, unless
the enemy should endeavor to continue his flank
movement beyond the last named place to cut the
Central Railroad.


Whether the enemy has gained an advantage by
the execution of this movement is quite doubtful.
1t is true that the deadly slopes around FrederckS
burg and all the well-contrived Notifications which
defended them, are avoided The ground On which
the battle is now to be fought is without fortifica
ton and offers remarkable advantage of position
to either party This much Hooker has gained
But in other respects his situation is far than
before. His supplies must come either oy wagon





the circuit he has made from AcQua Creek. Our
own army still commands the supplies of the two
railroads, the Richmond and fredericksburg and
the Centra! road. Beth pass within ten miles of
Spotsylvana Court House. Supposing that to be
the point of contact between the two armies it is
evident that supplies will have 10 be wagoned
only ten miles, while those of the enemy must be
yag0ncd thTsy-iive miles the least. The whole
country IS more or less wooded and except that
TART of it close to the rivers, is red clay rain
will render it bad. A heavy rain will raise the Ra-
pilian and RappahannOck in one night, till they are
nnfordsbe, and thus cut off the supply of the Fed
eral army altogether. Hooker must force fight
Immediately, incur great risk from these causes.
But hazardous and difficult supply is not the
onlv thing to he balanced against the apparent
cess of hls flank movement. In his position
his army sads in very greet danger of being itself
aan&ed lie IS thirty five miles from his base
his communications bass along the Of circle
while the Cos,fede1 ate ARMY holds the diameter.-
One operates on the long line, the other the
short and in theory, at least the advantage is de-
ciSi7e.


The result will be known in very few days
perhaps in one day. The Federal General has not
placed himself in this perous position to hold it
long


lie will fight at once if Lee will let him, for by
This time he sufficiently we'll acquainted with the
character of the rivers which he has crossed to know
that rainy day will ruin him. He has set every
thing on the hazard Of battle for if he is defeated
on this side Of the river and in the heart of Sposy
yania neither he nor his army will ever moro see
the hills Of Stafford. The whole design and Gxecu
ton Of this man9uyre, marks the character of the
,nan now at the head Of the Federal troops He has
capacity some courage and much natural reckless
hess improved and cultivated by long experience
at the gaming table. This found him dis
graced and broken advcnturer, bankrupt in fortune
and in fare without a respectable friend or an hon
Orabe hope He has been lucky enough at the
lnh hoc, Ny-ith he hlyn
= true gambler, he will not finch from the " rG
tout" lie wins loses all before he rises from the
table. II he loses he is no worse off than he was
before; if he wins he will loom up Yankee Ma
poleon and will soon be the Dictator of his country


The situation of the moment is certainly one of
grave interest to the Confederacy, but we can see
nothing in it to occasion apprehension If the
chance of war falls aglinst US, the worst that will
probably come of it will be contraction of our
lines to points nearer Richmond for we cannot
imagine that the Confederate commander under any
circumstances could permit Hooker to interpose
between fredericksburg and Richmond before he
had completed its evacuation. While defeat, cr
at least disadvantage, is always possible thing
in war; there is not one fact now known that renders
such event likely. The Confederate army IN Spot
sylVania is far superiour now to what 1t formerly
was and it always superior to the best Federal
troops. Lee and jackson are aber men than
Hooker. They hold the interior line, and possess
the advantage of concentration. A decisive victory
OF the Confederates may be reasonably anticipated


The Richmond Sentinel of the I'd instant says


We learn that our own army was in motion on
yesterday frOm right to left and was changing 'front.'
to meet this new front, of the enemy. The demon
stration and the cannonadeat Fredericksburg, were
but heavy feiRt. The two armies are now so near
together, and no water between, that We presume a
battle to-day or tomorrow is probable if not neyl,
table. Hooker is certainly making bold move
and stakes a vast deal on If defeated, as
the Confederacy is praying he will be, he cannot
escape without heavy disaster.


We learn that Rarlys command is left to man the