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ttlic Wcckln (Coistitutionaltst
BY JAMES GARDNER.
QUARTERMASTER GENERAL’S OFFICE, |
Atlanta, Ga., 1862. )
To the IFothfr 0/ Georgia•
The General Assembly of under the
sanction of the Governor, have ordered a good
suit ot clothes and a good pair of shoes for every
destitute Georgian in the Confederate service.
Your Governor has charged me with the duties
of collecting and forwarding to the field the
, clothes and shoes which have been ordered ; and
as socks term an important part in this outfit, and
one which cannot be bought in our markets, nor
hud iiQtil made, I have determined to appeal to
the noble-hearted women of my State to aid in
this great work, worthy our best energies.
I desire every woman in Georgia to send me, at
this-place, one pair ot good strong cotton socks.
Tuts will require but a small effort on the part of
each woman, yet, in the aggregate, it will amount
to a grdat work. Let each one write her name
and county on a slip of paper,-and sew it on the
pair of socks donated, so that I may know the
names and residence ot all who shall aid in this I
and philanthropic entdrprise. Will the
Justices of the Peace ih each Militia District, ’
are known to be. generally, public serving I
men, interest themselves in this good work by ■
collecting all the socks that will be made tor our
auttbung soldiers tn their respective districts, *
and taK iig then. to the Court House of their
county, and asking the Clerk of the Superior ’
Uourt to neatly box them up and forward them to i
me at this place ; designating contents, number, i
and truiu which county sent; also, to send, by
mail, alist of contributors’ names? Some kind
friend will take them to and forward by railroad,
and I will par railroad expenses, if any should
be charged. 1 have asked tor cotton socks bes
cause all the wool in Georgia should be made,
without delay, into cloth for coats or pant for
oar brave boys, now shivering in a cold climate,
and periling their lives in face ot the toe to keep
the cruel invader from desolating our homes.
Women ot Georgia! I shell not appeal to you
tn vain. I know the noble sacrifices you have
already made, and I well know that your love to
work for the soldiers has not grown cold.
Rtud bis address to your lovely daughters,
whose pure bosoms are now burning with indig
nation at tbe insuits offered their sex bv the
worse than savage despots from the North. Read
it to your neigboor, your slaves even, read it to
all. that ah may know that they are earnestly
and cordially invited,, to co-operate in the most
benevolent work.
The mother may make a pair of socks that wi.l
Mud ita/way to the cold feet ot her darling boy.
The s.s’ei may bring 'he tear of affection from
Some loud brother The anxious wife may pro.-
vide for the comfort of her dear husband and
send a thrill ot joy through bis soul, which
words c nnot describe, as he fondly gaz-s upon
fccr loveu name written upon a messenger of
mercy,. winging its heavenly flight to some cold
soldier’s relief as he stands upon the outposts
holding the enemy in check. The tender damsel
may rea sure her lover that he? plighted love
still burns wfirms upon the consented altar of
her cons’snt heart. The Dorcas-hearted woman
(whose “good works and alms deeds’’ tor the j
needy and tbe stranger are sufficient stimulus for I
her action) may find ample scope for a partial '
development of her Christian charity.
Eten the servant mar cause her master in some
• distant camp topronciinep a hearty God-blesswg
upon her kind remembrance, and cause him to i
return to see not only his 'dear wife and little ■
ones, but bis consianT- seryqjits whom he loves so i
welt. 1 will remark slaves of the South I
. are as much interested in’the ftnai success of the
Confederate States as any class of people. Tell
them tb<n I hive seen in - the tree States fhetf
colored brethren wandering, homeless, ragged,
auegry, and foist.keo, wi<h m> kind master to j
nrovide for them, nor no Xvatchfal and sytirpa* i
.• isv'fs- "f mdre ’neat.feet ’bit >•
a ffiend in tiie-dark hour of atiliction and distress.
The real tru h.is that the black man has no true '
friend at the North who is waging-this unhoiy I
war. Most of those unfortunate, misguided I
slaves who have gone to tbe Abolitionists, are
now sighing in that cold frozen region for the
plenty, attentions, and endearments, of their' i
Southern homes; but the cruelshearted North- j
man holds them in unwilling bondage, and with j
harder'work and harsher treatment that the*w
have ever known before. Bitterly are they
:ng the day that induced them to leave the sonny S,
homes of their birth. J
> I want thousands of pairs of socks spun
knit by the colored friends of our soldiers, and_Jr
believe I shall get them if their masters and '
tresses will but give them the opportunity to eaK «
press their sympathy. Black men and boys hav
ing tbe chance, will cheerfully spend their dimes
for thread for their wives utfd sisters to knit. If
nothing more be needed, theyjffill hold the qes
gro’s candle, the blazing iigfitwood torch, to aid .
their fellow servant women while working for
the soldiers in the war. Some negroes may not
care for tbe noble work and sit idly by,*while
others are busy and thankfuf for the privilege to
work for so holy a cause; so, too, are there trai
tor white men, who have not only done nothing,
but some ot them have gone to the enemy and
rendered their names infamous at home and de-
. spised abroad, In Savannah, the other day, I
asked lire negro mm on our defences what they
were about; they said they were throwing up em
bankments for our soldiers to stand behind and ■
sill Yankees, and if the Yankees came while '
they were there, they said they wanted to kill one
aoiece before thev left.
‘Noble women-of Georgia! may God bless you
for what you haze already done. Manv are the
offerings ot patriotism freely contributed by you,
which have already passed through my hands on
their way to supply the wants of our brave boys
in the field, the bravest and best the world ever
aaw. My heart, with gratitude to God for such
‘ angel women, has often rendered its tribute of
thankfulness, as my eye has rested over and again
upon the tender testimonies of your unconquers
able love for our holy, our most sacred cause.
Your work is not yet over; the great struggle
is still upon us in all its terrific fierceness; our
dear soldiers are still holding bacic the miserable
hordes of abolitionists fbo are thirsting for our
blood, and anxious to desolate our fair homes.—
Shall we not spend every energy of m nd body,
soul, and strength, to keep strong, cheerful, pure,
willing, and brave, those who are now readyto
breast the storm and teach our wicked invaders
that to be conquered, we must be, to a man, ex
terminated.
Let ev>-ry man, woman and child,’ bona and
free, in the Confederate States, answer in thun«
der tones, yea, uud resolve to make this our fair
heritage, one funeral pile rather than living, to
surrender it up into the hands of those, wno iff
fighting us unjustly, have violated every princi
ple of honorable warfare and descended far be»
aeath tne brutality of the untutored savage.
If Justices of the Peace should happen to be
indolent in thia work, let some true champion
woman assume the pleasing task and put to blush
tbe man who has no souk to labor tor our suffer'
.ng troops.
I wans socks to come to me (and I believe 1
anal! get them,) from t|ie mansion of the Gov
ernor down to the humblest cottage in the land.
I have addressed the wcm.n of Georgia more
particularly, but help would be acceptable from
all quarters—the men and boys, one and all, may
here have a chance to do good. Send in your
socks, eacn, with your name and county plainly
written, as 1 nave already suggested, so that I
may transfer it to my book of record, and know
hereafter those geneious ones who so nobly and
promptly responded to my call. By-and-by,
when tne wars are over, these love tokens will
form some of our pleasantest recollections, when
some returned noble soldier, with wreaths of un
dying renown decorating his brow, kindly in
forms us that his cold, frost-bitten, suffering feet
were relieved by our timely »nd generous contri
buttons.
People of Georgia! I beg of you to be in haste,
as winter is now upon us, and I want to have the
great joy of telling our soldiers that all the tin
gens of Georgia are busily working for’their re
lief; such cheering news as I hope to be able to
communicate wilfmake them (under God) omni ,
potent, and soon enable them to wring from our
hateful for an honorable peace, as they have al
ready nobly won the welcome plaudits of an ad'
miring world tor their deeds of unequalled daring
upon many a hard-fought and victorious battle
field.
; Such a people at home, all hearti'y working
I for such an army in the field, will present such a
■ moral and physical aspect to the eyes of the civ-,
ilized world as to draw down upon us the adrnirs
! ation of mankind, and teach a lesson not to be
I misunderstood —that we have resolved to be free.
; “Strike, till the last armed foe < xpires;
Strike, for our altars aud our fires;
Strike, for the green graves of our sires ;
For God and our own dear land.”
Ira R. Foster,
Quartermaster General, State of Georgia.
P. S. Factories and merchants can render sub*
stantial assistance by selling yarns at cost to
; tb®se who will inrnish socks under this appeal.
I Every editor in Georgia who loves the soldiers.,
! will please insert the above in his paper three or
four times and greatly oblige. I. R. F.
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF SATURDAY’S
FIGHT.
Special Correspondence of the Riehmcnid Enquirer.
Battle Fietd. Saturday, Dec. 18, 1862.
This morning the San struggled up through
the obscuring mists which overhung the land
scape, but his rays were for an hour or two in
tercepted by some ashen clouds slowly drifting
overhead. Everything was still as on any mild
December morning. Scarcely a breath of air
watted the falling leaves, or stirred the fringes
of the pine. The fog and smoke, thoroughly
mingled through the night, and shrouded hill
and plain in a greyish, dim cloud.
As this began to rise, about eight o’clock, the
roar of the enemy’s artillery woke the stillness of
the scene, aud signalled the coming great battle.
Hastening to the front, I obtained a
bird's eye view op the battlefield-.
The observer, who stands on the heights that
rise abruptly from the suburbs on the western
side of Fredericksburg, and casts his eye to the
southwest, sees stretching before him a level
plain, to where the Rappahannock, making a
broad curve, with the rising hills on the north
bank, forms the horizon. This plain is about six
miles long, with a mean breadth o{ two and a
half miles. On the right the plain is^ scollopped
by spurs of hills, gradually sloping’down into
the bottom land, at intervals of about.amile,
clothed with pines and leafless oaks. On
the left, where the Rappahannock sweeps along,
hid by its high banks, a succession of hills rise
much more abruptly than on the right, the Face
of the hills bare or clothed - with struggling pines, -
and the summits . crowned with dense timber.
These hillsides are white with the enemy’s tents
and trains, and from the crests his batteries
bristle in countless profusion as far as the eye
Oin reach.
Now, let ns cast our eye again down this bread
stretch of bottom land, and note what a bird’s-, i
eye view affords. First is the town of Fredericks'
burg, some of the ruins, still se.uoiug up wreaths
of pale blue smoke, hut the town is not so much
demelishea-as some excited imaginations may
have supposed, and hardly enough to attract the i
attention of the casual obser. >'r. Thee the niuin j
.-.s seen, we.emmjr l }" Jqwest. i® .-
luaily level. A tea low lohg narrow'gr< Ves of
lehfless’oaks break the monotony, and here aud
there seme clumps of cedars are seen. The fields,
containing, on aa average, a hundred acres, are
separated'by worm, fences and ditches, the latter
indicated by lines of low hedge. The enemy’s
lipr -rup’’' ' “ left of this plain, and
which the oasual
J take to be dark clomps of
v the fields. In the centre
river, t?n rising ground, is
'n J nty-ope heavy guns—there
iese ' distinguish-
as one is able
which
jic of the river and
emerge near pontoon bridge spans the riv*
er—a single V Mga, lam told. Ttiiabattery forms
a prominent the picture, especially when
it fires regularly by section, sending its shells
across the plains and into the»rising hills on the
‘ right. A short distance above.thuj battery, that
is next to the observer, a narrow grove of oaks
extend diagonally into the plain, half a mile, per
hape terminating in low marshy ground. A
deen gullv extends the length of this grove, and
is spanned m the middle by a railroad bridge,
the I ne of the railroad indicated here and there
by patches ot rid earth which marks its length
down the left side of the valley. In this grove
the enemy- find concealment for a brigade, which
keeps up a random fire on our troops until dis
j lodge! by a regiment sent from Ho ld’s division,
i Nothing but pale clouds of smoke struggling
tip through- the undergrowth and forests on the
h.lls to the right, indicate the presence of our
•orces.
THE BATTLE.
Now the fog has lifted, revealing the dark and
fieaw columns of the enemy moving down the
opposite bank of the river. Far down near the
lower part of the valley, they are seen debouchs
ing. Whole tieldsare gleemsng with bayonets.
They continue to pour out upon the plain in a
stream which seems to come from an inexhaust
, ible fountain. The meadows are black with them,
tens of thousands in solid columns. We can
( only vaguely conjecture, at this distance, the
number? Old soldiers think there are sixty
thousand. Where are our men ? A solitary bat
tery of four guns, commanded by Captain Carter
Braxton is to be seen on the plain.. The tire from
the enemy’s battery of twenty-two guns, opens
upon it, but it makes no reply. Other batteries
direct their shots towards it but it has evidently
made up its mind not to be hurried.
The enemy, now formed in three heavy col
umns, advances to attack our right; on they go
at double quick towards the woods, making the
| earth shake under their tread, with colors flying
and arms glistening in the sunlight. Where
are our men? A long sheet of flame from the
skirt of woods at the foot of the hills, a cloud of
smok i, a roar and rattle of musKetry tell their
whereabouts. The advanced column Halts, de
livers a hasty fire. A continuous stream of fu„
i gitives from' the front scour across the fields
i rearward; some are halted aud formed in
I squads, but can never be forced again to go to
the front except at the point of the bayonet—•
The smoke now mostly shuts the combatants
from the review of the spectator. There is breaks
ing of ranks among the enemy, rallying and re
rallying but to no avail. They cannot stand the
murderous fire. They give it up as a bad job.
Meanwhile the battery in the field (Braxton's) has
’ opened afier long endurances, and at the right
moment 'makes its mark. The coolness and
precision with which it is handled, wins the ad
miration of all observers. The manner of its
action will be noticed hereafter in complimentary
terms in official reports. Other batteries did
their work nobly, but they with other particulars
of the engagement on the right, must be noticed
where each can have justice done m an extended
account.
AUGUSTA, GA., WEDNESDAIORNING, DFC. 24, 1862.”
i — j.. j, —__--
THE STORMING OF |L.
The Yankees commenced hrming of the
hill at 11J£, A. M., with six les, and were
repulsed four times, with itq slaughter.—
They were mowed down rndreds. Two
hundred and fifty bodies weried on a space
occupied by\only one regimJhe firing was
kept up incessantly until. 3 l<. Col. Wal
ton’s battery held the heigluring a mur
derous fire into the The
batteries on the various hilli* assisted the
battery on the heights, keepb a continual
stream of fire, each volley tb& the ranks of
tbe enemy in a terrible njannf
The Battery of Capt. Miles )<sQn, of Rich
mond, covered itself wttb glorl'he firs was
opened on storming reg.imly’his battery,
The railroad gap, at one tiu.ls filled with
Yankees, when a well diteevsot from the
Battery exploded in their miiiilliug about
fifty of the hirelings. Capt. Ms battery was
hotly engaged on the 11th, ?2.1d 13th, and
won tbe admiration of ai’ coihmanding
officers, by the coolness and ;iou exhibited
by the men in handling their;. Atfotiishing
to say, not a man of this compiwas ¥ killed pr
wounded. I
One rifle piece of Captain Ink's "battery,.
near the centre, has been enga On Saturday
aiternoon it played upon thnkee brigade
driven by Hill’s men from thels, in trout ot
Bernard’s. This portion of .thttery has been
under a heavy fire for three i»ast, but has
fortunately suffered no loss, j remainder of
Captain Ewbank’s gunk are sohsed that they
will perform efficient service h called upon,
i m which event we expect tochcle a brilliant
achievement on the part of ! gallant com*
mand, t
Late in the afternoon com-t .magnificent
charge of a regiment of HooAvision, across
the plain, routing of a the line at
the railroad, and while under concentrated
fire of a battalion of artillery, ing 'he enemy
from the skirt of woods before nttoned, cap
turing 41'prisoners, represent six regiments,
and. on the whole, covering the ith ineffaca'ble
glory.
The first company RiehmondiwitzerS, Capt.
McCarthy, was engaged near tfiintreon Friday
and Saturday. Private Maury, jthis company,
was slightly wounded in the arm
Tfie loss in killed and wotsfcl, in Cook’s
Brigade, in the fight on Mis and Willis’
hills, may be estimated as foljjroj
K’g> WOUNDED
27th North Carolina j?- 15
15th “ “ / ' ' U 3
46th ” I 75
48th ” “ j 140 -
Total, j 848
PARTICULARS OF THE DEATH .fi'BK. CUB 3.
A group of officers, consisti'- of Gen. Cobb,
his Adjutant, Capt. Herring Ge Cook and his
Adjutant, Capt. Butler and Cap Srewster, were j
standing in the telegraph road, ar the scene of j
I action, when a shell exploded I their midst, a '
i piece of which struck Gen. Col lon the thigh, '•
"the same piece also striking ’ii. Cook on tide i
left temple, fracturing his skul |By the same
explosion Capt. Brewster war|ad>y wounded
just above the knee, and Capt. firing seriously
in the hip. Gen. Cobb, on beiejstruck, quietly
asked for a tourniquet. A siikt|dkerchief was
i made to serve the purpose as &4s possible, but
'u> littie avail. He was led fre a the field, and
: ail the aid rendered that medic, kktii cpuld de
vise, but m vain. He expired h a few hours,
free!}" giving up his life m defetoe of his coun
try's tteedom. . i. lon.
TUESDAY -12 O’CLO If. * ■ |
i On Monday utiernoon :he Y<u-k|?e ’Vr-’?,''
r-oi.i'-'.-erii.. iV'yA-et ’’ a- f
viewed tbei«u-«Tffire • length Dy BurMilre.- The'f
column appeared about a mils in length. Some i
of their big guns to the left threw a few shells
to add to the display; > lon.
F.-Om the Atlanta (G a.) Southern Confederacy, Dec. ISA
appointments
OF THE M’. p. CONFERENCE OF THE GEORGIA DISTRICT,
FOR THE YEAR 1863, MADE AT THE LATE ANNUAL
session, in Atlanta.
8 C Masters, President of the District.
Atlanta Station—To be supplied. A. W. Mitch
ell, Assistant.
Carroll Circuit—F H H Hendereon, Superinten
dent. John Thurman, Assistant.
Chattahoochee Circuit—J B Watson, Superin'
tendeut. A Stringer and J A Farrabee Assist
ants. ;
Columbia Circuit—To be supplied.
DeKalb.Circuit —E Morris, Superintendent. G
W Morris, Assistant.
Gordon Circuit—.-w short Johnson, Suberins
tended. O Reeves. Assistant.
Halt Circuit—A R Farabee, Snpertfftaudent. c
Cnttny, Assistant. ' . -
Hopewell Station— To be supplied.
Heard Circuit—W Paschal, Superintendent. G
Har'in, Assistant.
| Henrv Circuit —8 Moore, Superintendent H C
I Andrews, Assistant.
Marion Circuit—S Hixson, Superintendent.
Merriwetber Circuit—T A Garrison, Superin*
tended. J Westwood aud W Snell, Assistants.
Newton and Walton Cirariits—J W Baker, Su
perintendent. JO A Radford, Assistant
Austin Chapel Station-.-?W Merritt, buperin*
ten aent.
Ocmulgee Circuit—To be supplied.
Palmetto Circuit—B P Rogers, Superintendent.
Randolph Circuit—J A Roser, Superintendent.
W Haision, Superanuated.
Spalding Circuit—T Hutchins, Superintendent
W Griffin,' W I Griffin, and T A Adams, Assists
ants.
Twiggs Circuit—To be supplied. ,
Paulding Mission—To be supplied.
Agents for the Missionary Society—S H Griffin
and W Hollinsbead.
Home Missionaries —3 B Ransom, J C Thur
man, W Shaderick, K 0 Conner, W Steed, H
Parks, I G Mitchell, J P. Turner, M M Westbrooks,
E L Stephens, J B Tumlia. Aaron Turner.
How He took Him. —Wm. Gowdy.of the South
ern cavalry was scoutfug in the vicinity of Mors
freesboro, and rode right up to a Yankee cavalry
regiment. "Observing the mistake he wheeled
his horse and dashed oft'at full speed. Th« whole
squadron turned in after, him. His hyrse and
the Colonel’s being supetior' stock they were soon
out of sight and oriving.on at about “two-forty.
When about two miles on the ; r jaurney toe
Colonel concluded that he was near enough to
offer his flying comrade a cnnversatioA. and there
upon peremptorily ordered him to ha t. Gowdy
replied by an extra touch of his spurs to his steed,
when the Colonel drew a navy reß»'er and when
just in the act of presenting it th fire upon the
uncourteous youth, his horse stumbled and tne
pistol drooped from his hand; as quick as light
ning. the young Rebel reigned his horse round,
dropped in behind the chagrined Colonel and
asked him poalely. if he plmed, io march into
camp The Colonel has sin* retired from mili
tary duty in the Federal lines, and reports every
morning to Colonel John Morgan. .
S fi'enn.) Truo Patriot.
" 33F" We are indebted<4o P. W. Alexander .or
the following dispatch:
Richmond, Dec. 13ttj.-Write to Mrs busan
Brewster at Gainsville. that Captain Brewster
was wounded at Fredericksburg, and died next
day. His body was dn the way to Georgia.
KST The~Emperor ot France has just pur
chased Malmaison, the last residence of the much
admired Empress Josephine.
THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG-
From the Richmond (Fa.) Bnnuirer, Dec. 15.
The occurrences of the past three days before
Fredericksburg.have excited an interest and en»
thusiaqm among our citizens, not less vivid than
the intensest feeling concurrent with the memor
able battles around Richmond.
On yesterdey, all of the public conveyances in
the city were put in requisition, and upon the
arrival of the two train loads of wounded, the
work of removing the sufferers so the various
hospAais was performed with expedition and
dispafleh. . .
The fighting of Saturdry was chiefly by Long
street’s corps; a part of Jackson’s corps being in
reserve at Hamilton'js Crossing. A. P. Hill s di*
vision was of the part which was in the battle.
At the time Gen. T. R. R. Cobb was slain, his
leg’.on was holding in cheuk 15,000 of the enemy.
Tiie remains of the gallant and distinguished
gentleman were brought to Richmend on yester
day evening’s train.
Our loss in the battle of Saturday is variously
s’aied at frotp six hundred to one thousand in
killed and wounded. The slaughter of the ene
my was very great—vastly exceeding ours. Our
artillery was admirably served, and was very ef
fective." It suffered considerably.
Gen, Gregg of S. C., was very severely and it
was believed mortally wounded. He was shot
through the body. _ l a
G-n Pender was slignVy wounded in the head
or arm. We understand he reported for duty
again on yesterday.
There were several unfounded reports here yes
terday—one which stated that the gallant Gen.
Hood" was killed. We are happy to say was un-
J \ve understand that several officers had very
narow escapes—among them General o. E. B.
Stuart, whose neck was grazed by a bu.tet.
Our soldiers were cheerful and confident o. final
success. , , . , ~
The enemy were driven bac£ a considerable
distance in the fight of Saturday. Our troops re
tainad their strong position da the Massaponax
hills, about four miles this side of
burg.
DEATH OF GEN. THOS. R. R. COBB.
The intelligence of the success of our army on
Saturday was coupled with the loss of seversa of
our best generals.' One of these was Brig. Gen.
Thos R. R. Cobb, of Georgia, whose loss will be
deplored throughout the Confederacy. Gen. Cobb
possessed intellect of high order, extensive cul
ture auff unusual ability as a writer and an ora
tor. ’ His profession was the law, and his reputa
tion was already very high when the culmination
of the slavery agitation in 1860 .led him into the
arena of polities. He entered warmly and enthu
siasticaliv into the movement for secession in
Georgia," and contributed largely to the result
which followed. This was tne first time he had
ever mingled in politics, but he was at once
chosen as one of the representatives from Georgia
to the Provisional Congress of tbe Confederacy,
i As the war began to assume larger prop«r
--' tions he determined to raise a legion. This he
readtlv accomplished, and after seeing much hard
j service as Colonel was lately appointed to the
I rank of Brigadier General by the President. We
know hardiv any one whose career promised so
much of future "usefulness. A true patriot, an
exemplary Christian, a statesman, and a gentle
man in every sense he has fallen worthily upon
tn 4 held of a victory which will live forever m
history. Virginia, on, whose soil he died, mourns
with Georgia over the loss ot one ot her noblest
S >t We*lso hear Br eadier General Gregg is mors
tai ! y wounded. This we tear, is too true. In the
death of General Gregg, the country will lose a
brave and skilltul solaier. His regiment was the
verv first that caine tn Virginia at the outset of
<wio aud bis snwwary ves .spaotaUyi-i»>- La !
i cherished by our people.
i From a correspondent of the Enquirer, aated
the I3th, at Camp near Fredericksburg, we se
lect the following : ,
We are hear near the great fine of battle, ana
will briefly capitulate what we have seen aud
heard, the enemy attempted the passage of the
Rappahannock by laying down their pontoons at
1 o’clock ot Thursday moi ning. They were per
mitted to get their bridges half finished before
our men fired upon them. About dawn, however,
the 17th and 13th Mississippi, a part of Barks
dale’s Brigade, opened fire upon, them, killing
and woundyag a large number. These regiments
were armed with Springfield rifles,, and for a
while drove the pontooniers from their work
Then it was that the Yankees opened upon the
town with shot, shell and grape, to the destruc
tion ot the houses and ■ |he terror of its panic
stricken and flying inhabitants, two-thirds of
Which were women; but doing little or no barm
to the gallant band of Mississippians who were
there to dispute their entrance.
The firing upon the town was not responded to
by our batteries- Aud here the magnificent
spectacle was witnessed ot tbe Yankees tiring for
four mortal hour upon the town of Fredericksburg
with batteries placed close together over a space
of nearly two miles, and ranged in three tiers.—
As the result *of their fiendish work, the two
‘Squares on the North side of Main street, on
Which are situated the Virginia Banks and the
Offices, were entirely destroyed—the enemy
i throwng what is called “liquid tire.’’ The sight
• is represented by those who witnessed it as one
lof surpassing yet terrible grandeur. The in.
habitants who Were caught* inside can tell of
manv hair breadth escapes. In one instance
twenty-seven shells went‘through a frame house
in winch were some eight persfins without killing
auv of .hem. Some who sought shelter from the
shells m their cellars, were compelled to vacate
because of the houses catching on fire over their
Uo f he* bouse so long the residence of Mary, the
mother of Washington, was shelled, and nearly
rfe-itroyed
Tne Yankees hold the town, and nave their
pickets out as tar as the run which flows just
i behind tbe totyn. ? .
In the town they are holding higti carnival,
breaking, destroying and plundering ail that
lies in tnair way.
The deeds,oi gallantry performed oy our men
thus far challenge our admiration, and assure us
that when the great struggle comes, every man
will fearlessly do his duty. Tbe army is m tine
health and excellent spirits; only three sick were
J reported on the rolls ot one of the largest bri
! gjdes of the army on yesterday.
! A Georgian, on picket in town on Thursday
I night, killed one man and brought out six pris-
I oners. All of them thus caught were drunk; and
it is said that rations ot whiskey are freely sup
plied the men. It is also reported that the first
brigade which came across, had to be forced at
the point of the bayonet.
Tne fighting yesterday was mainly artillery
duelling across thq river and picket fighting.
The Yankees are trying to force citizens who
remain to go across the river.
The Yankees have as many as five pontoon
' bridges. Three just opposite the town and two
mst below it. The gallant Mississippians under
“Barksdale kept back the pontooners for nearly
24 hours, notwithstanding their exposure during
the entire time to shot and shell. *
: The firing began on the part of the enemy
about this morning, and they have kept up
the shelling very constantly ever since.
1 At this hour, IP. M., the indications of a gens
J eral engagement are multiplying. Our troops in
1 everv direction are hurrying forward to the field.
The'battle may commence this evening.
THE BEEDGEBS*
i The amount of suffering inflicted on the nons
combatants of Fredericksburg by the unprincu
VOL I 5-Wot
ped foe is heartrending. The pietnns Whitt
meets the eye at every farfli house, cabin and
fugitives from burning homes ana desolated
hearthstones, clustered in melancholy groups !•
the houses and about the yards, watching tbe
clouds hovering over the fated city and listening
to the steady roar of tbe artillery, whose every
volley adds to tbe already terrible scene of des
truction —is enough to affect the stoutest heart,
and from the most charitable call out curses on
the infamous authors of so much misery. The
continued inaction of the enemy gave assurance
to a numbar of families, who had for many
weeks been suffering within sight of their homes,
that the danger of bombardment bad passed,
and within the past few days they return
ed to the city. They were startled from
their dream of security by the hissing
shtjll through the bed-ch am be.-, the rattling o.
grape in the street, and the solid shot opening
its way through roof and floor, eyen of churches,
and ploughing up the very bones of their anoess
tors in the churchyards. The shrieks of women
with their infants in their arms, snatched hastily
from peaceful sleep, as they ran tn frantic amaze
ment and terror through the streets, was enough
to appall any but a Y'ankee’s heart. Somesought
refuge in their cellars, blazing rafters and steam
ing timbers overhead irove them again into the
street. How any escaped is a problem whose so*
lution must come within the catalogue of miras
cles. There are rumors of women and children
having been killed,-or perishing amid tne flames,
out amid the confusion of conflicting report a,
we can affirm nothing definite. . „
Some are said to be in the town yet, unable to
get away. What their fate will be is a matter of
s id conjecture. •'
Between the present terminus of the railroaa
and Hamilton’s crossing, about two miles, we en
countered numerous fugitives from the burning
city. An o(d man, accompanied by his wife and
four or five children, was seeking a roof to shelter
them. They saved notbing.bat the clothes oa
their person, the results of long years of toil re
maining in ashes behind them. A most affecting •
sight was a widow with four little children, some
barefoot, and others in their nightclothes, follow. ,
mg her weary steps. An infant in her arms was
crowing busily unconscious of the tears coursing
silently down the mother’s cheeks. This scene?
however, forms only part of the sad picture on
every hand presented. Let us hope that every
exertion will be made by the benevolent to mitigate
the suffering of these poor refugees.
Nuar Battle Ground at Hamiltot’s Crossing, >
Dec. 14,1862. F .
Since the close of my letter on yesterday the
battle has been raging fiercely and- furiously
along a line of six miles, reaching from a point
just about Falmouth along the river as far down
as Pratt's. The ball opened on our left with
artillery about A - and was carried 0:1
with heavy guns until about half past one, whan
the infantry first went into action on oar right.
Then it was that, for hours, the combat raged
with an intensity at least equal to, if not greater,’
than anything that has occurred during the
war. . . . , , ’ , i
Your correspondents were on the right, and of
course call speak with more accuracy in regard
to the fighting on that wing than on the left. ,
Jackson, sustained'by A. P. Hill, bore the brunt
ot the battle, and nobly did they sustain them- .
selves. The Yankees fought well, hut were re- ,
peated!? driven back. At one time, it was said
they had been forced back to the extent of «ne
and a half miles. Our line of battle extended
along the j ailroad track, whilst that of the •
en-mv was formed on the country rotd runs
nmg parallel with the river. Here they have
the benefit, in case being forced back, of the
natural fortifications which the. ditching, for
the purpose of draining, on either aide of the
<oiud ’viX> a’ked .W-’. e
; ’ ai.owed tiiis advantage? The answer
mu«t be that the enemy’s guns from the north
side of the river'commanded this position, and
the position chosen by our Generals was for de*
tensive operations, far superior, being all along •
on the rise of gentle slopes skirted by woods.
The tioops of lheenemy «n this wing were most*
ly old ones, being Meade’s Pennsylvania Reserve
and Stoneman’s corps under the immediate coma
mand of General Reynolds. The prisoners capv
tured by our men, about 25O'i« number, said that .
Burnside commanded on the field in person. We
have seven Yankee commissioned officers. The
prisoners seemed by no means dissatisfied. at
being taken. ♦
LIST OF THE WOUNDBD.
The Enquirer gives a list of the wounded that
had arrived at Richmond up to the evening of
the 14th- From it we select the following ;
FLORIDA."
Private J Craft, Co D, Sth
Thomas Miyell, Co K, Bth
Private J ’N Fuldmg, Co A, Bth
Private T W Harper, Co B, Sth
Private W TSwails, Co E, Sth
Pit rate E (Jurl, Co C, Btb •
Lieut J L Aeaster, Co I, Bth
Private if Lewis, Co K, Bth.
Private D Sanders, Co C, Bth
Private J Manley, Co K, Bth •
Private C Roberts, Co 1, Bth
Private G W Smith, Co K, Bth
Private J P Bracewell, Co G, Sth
Private C Otbelo, Co I, Sth
Lieut E G Jandon, Co I, Sth
Capt J McCaw, Co B, 7th
GEORGIA.
.Private H J Kampson, Co E, 23th
Private S H Tarpley, Co A, 44th
Private B Tatem, Co B, 17th
Capt C W Mathews, Co M, 17th
Private W D Chapman, Co C, 17th
Private J T Loyd, Co If, Bth •'
Pri rate M M. Nicholson, Co K, Bth
Prhate.J Darbey, Co A, 17th
Private A Carpenter, Co B, Bth
Private W J Hering, Co D, 14th
Private R N Robinson, Co I, lsth
Private J Stephens, Co E, 26th
ALABAMA.
Private S Miller, Co C, 48th
Private A A Jones, Co I, 14th.
Private J A Hodnett, Co K, 4th.
Private J A Haines, Co F, 14tb.
TEXAS.
Private C S Worsham, Co E, 4th.
Private H Harrison, Co I,4th.
i Private H Dausby, Co F, 4th.
The nature of the wounds are not stated. The
editor of the Enquirer says most of them are se*
ripus.
£sl*“ We take the subjoined paragraphs from
the Mobile (Ala.) Register and Advertiser, of
Dec. 16th :
Yocona.—The proper name of this stream—a
tributary of the Tallahatchie, and between which
and the Yalobusha the Yankee army of the Mis
sissippi is now stuck—is Yocknapatafa, signify
ing in the Chickasaw language, “split ground
that is plowed land.
Death of Gov. Jackson.—The Vicksburg Whig
learns that Gov. Claiborne F. Jackson, of Mist
souri, died a week or two ago in Arkansas.
Col. T. N.Waul.—Col. Waul,of Waul’s-Tekaa
Legion, has been appointed Post Commander at
Grenada. He is an old resident of the place,and
familiar with every inch of ground in that
region. Col. Dan Russell, too, who knows all
about the Yalobusha aud Abatupoqbogne, is
there too.
The Federal Government has purchased
gixtyxeight acres of land near Indianapolis, for
a permanent arsenal, under the recent act of Cons
’ gresS.