| Show PROGRESS OF THE WAR tiie sn ts of the grand army of the potomac since gen burnside was invested with ita command on an the ath of nov have been attended with the greatest grea possible secrecy anul anil the pu public lalic have known nothing concerning el them comparatively till recently further than it was generally und understood ei stood that some considerable portion of it more or lese leas was bein being concentrated near fred itric k ciller as a feint to draw the attention of the enemy in that dire aire cean cUan while an advance on richmond was vaa being made from another quarter or to force their way by that route to the confederate cap tal many are the speculations which have been indulged in rela reia relative tivo tiyo to the operations and movements oe of gen burnside who many have believed would by his big superior judgment perseverance and military skill vanquish the confederate armies crush out the rebellion and establish bata eata blish the supremely mecy of the constitution and laws of the old federation in tha secede states in the course of a few months sotie sotie 90 tle tie supposed that as soon as he could get matters and things pertaining to his command arr arranges arranged angea to ills his notion he would move direct on to richmond deplae oe of all appo opposition and when be he commenced movin moving 9 they were disappointed in his ills marching down the rappa nappa saunook iian lian cods to fred Fied fredericksburg ericksburg others thought 0 it a strategic movement and but few apparently patently ly understood that during a the time the army of the potomac was measurably inactive timex after mcclellan was rell reli relieved eved of command and before got fully installed as bis his successor gen le made such disposition of the forces under Ms his command that it would have been impracticable and hazardous for gen burnside to have movel moved in any other ather direction had there been no obstacle of d a formidable natura directly in front it is not probable that the army army of the potomic would have taken the road to fredericksburg instead cf of marching arching in towards richmond by way of gor dansville dons donsi ille ville when hen Barn burnside side got ready for operations and on its arrival opposite that place the commanding D general would have of course crossed tha the river occupied the town and moved on southward if the enemy had hadl not lieen heen there or in that vicinity ia in such force as to render a general engagement eRga gement with the confederates extremely hazardous an unsuccessful battle fought then would have f forever irever blaster 1 burm Barm bargides bur Dur naides ides ldes hope et of future glory and his name would jooa have been leen added to the ther list of major generals not in command from all that has been made known cnown crown itis itis very evident that there has been no Ty mysterious strategic movements in pro grees greis and the delay ia in crossing the rappa at fredericksburg has been for the assembling and preparing a force deemed bumm Buff lelent to repulse the enemy and render the success of the tb e grand army more certain it remains to be seen and fr fir fur futile historians I 1 to record when the results of the campaign and of the war shall have been faly uly made anade known which of the two opposing opp I 1 g armis gained most by elapse th of time timo itts inis represented that the confederates have erected electea formidable borkson work son the hills back of the town and up and down the river niver of or great extent which were commenced before the federal army arrived then there and that they iley have lave been bean astren a their lines and collecting forces in that thai vicinity ever since filin flora the statements which have been published it has been impossible to determine with any debres degree of certainty the I 1 federal federal or coli Cori confederate federate army at fredericksburg or within supporting distance in the event of a conflict was th inore more numerous and better hetter appointed that general Bur 13 burnald has Us been furnished with all the men and munitions ns of war deemed necessary to ensure a decided victory ayer tha th enemy w when eu the long expected battle should be fought ia is not i doubted doubled and the enemy is believed t to 0 have been equally well prepared j between the first and tenth oe of def Dei december ember the cavalry are represented to have crossed the river at various places above fredericksburg and attacked the federal outpost without any apparent intention of i brin bringing inz on an engagement but simply to annoy the tro troops and ascertain as far as p their strength and position the frequency of their attacks in which they often as reported surprised detachments and camps caused gen burnside Burr durr eide side to issue an 0 onder order der in which he expressed his determination to dispense with the further services of every officer in command of a poat post camp or detachment who should suffer his command to be surprised by the enemy which ia is said to lave have given riven treat reat fatis satisfaction faction all thin thir things igil having been prepared and in i readiness as far as possible the long tong t desired forward movement was commenced on the night of the 10 loth ah dinst instant an t and before daylight on the mornin morning of the lith the work of constructing pontoon bridges was commenced at 0 and three miles below at thel the iatter latter place where gen franklins frankling division were to cross there was as reported but little opposition but at fredericksburg three erfour or four unsuccessful attempts were yere made to construct the bridges the fire of the emmy enemy from their rifle pits hat hav having hating ing been sa 53 murderous that the engineers had to abandon the bridges after they were about halt completed gen burnside ordered up his big artillery and opened fire on the towns town under cover of which the bridge ge building operations were resumed but with no better bletter success till an enfilading in firo fire f lre ire by artillery from the right t compelled tb the e enemy to leave their pits at what hour the brid bridges b ea were completed and the army com coia commenced to cross over bas has not transpired transpire dt but it bas baa been announced that a large portion oe of the army were in the occupancy of fredi ericksburg the next day and that much hard fight ng has been leen dore dor e result resulting irig fatally to many a brave man bue but not BO so far as known in the repulse of the enemy ard the abilities are from the nature of the position the number an and 1 strength of be contending armies that much bloo blodi I 1 will be shed before j the works of the enemy will be reduced or they compelled to evacuate them and fall fail fallback back to richmond j some movements of the r federal troops in eastern north carolina have of late been 1 reported bat no battles have been fought there so far as known in mississippi ala aia 1 bama tennessee and kentucky all is not peace yet et the guerrillas beem seem to be as I 1 active aa as ever but neither nor f grant cavit rec antly had a fiat fight el with the enemy there has nothing been permitted to be published for several week weeks in relation to 1 McClern ands mississippi miss 8 dippi expedition the destination of 0 gen banksy great southern expedition has blas not yet tran transpired spited but the war is still progressing nevertheless |
