Nov
30
by John Beauchamp Jones
NOVEMBER 30TH.—It is clear and cold. The boat in which my son and the battalion of clerks went down the river yesterday, sunk, from being overloaded, just as it got to the landing. It is said some of the boys had to wade ashore; but none were lost—thank God!
This morning early, Lee and Meade confronted each other in battle array, and no one doubts a battle is in progress to day this side of the Rapidan. Lee is outnumbered some two to one, but Meade has a swollen river in his rear. It is an awful moment.
I took my remaining son to the office this morning, to aid me in Custis’s absence.
At night. Nothing has yet been heard from the battle, if indeed it occurred to-day. It is said that Meade is ordered to fight. They know at Washington it is too late in the season, in the event of Meade’s defeat, for Lee to menace that city, or to invade Pennsylvania. It is a desperate effort to crush the “rebellion,” as they suppose, by advancing all their armies. And indeed it seems that Meade is quite as near to Richmond as Lee; for he seems to be below the latter on the Rappahannock, with his back to Fredericksburg, and Lee’s face toward it. If Meade should gain the victory, he might possibly cut off Lee from this city. Nevertheless, these positions are the result of Lee’s manœuvres, and it is to be supposed he understands his business. He has no fear of Meade’s advance in this direction with his communications cut behind him.
Captain Warner has sold me two pieces of bacon again, out of his own smoke-house, at $1 per pound, while it is selling in the market at $3.50 per pound—and he has given us another bushel of sweet potatoes. Had it not been for this kind friend, my little revenue would not have sufficed for subsistence.
While the soldiers are famishing for food, what is called “red tapeism” prevents the consummation of contracts to supply them. Captains Montgomery and Leathers, old steamboat captains, with ample capital, and owning the only steamboats in certain waters of Florida, have just proposed to furnish the government with a million pounds salt beef, on the main line of railroad in Florida, at a reduced price. The cattle are exposed to incursions of the enemy, and have to be transported by steamboats. They endeavored to make a proposal directly to the Secretary, which was so expressed in the communication I prepared for them—as they were unwilling to treat with Col. Northrop, the Commissary-General, who has become extremely obnoxious. But it was intercepted, and referred to the Commissary-General. Learning this, the captains abandoned their purpose and left the city—the Secretary never having seen their proposal. Our soldiers will not get the beef, and probably the enemy will.
Nov
30
November 30, 1863, The New York Herald
Our latest news from the Army of the Potomac is up to Saturday morning. It was reported that General Kilpatrick’s cavalry had attempted to cross the river at Raccoon Ford on the day previous, under the fire of the rebel batteries, but were driven back. Severe skirmishing has been going on at different points since Friday, at which time the enemy had fallen back from our centre to within two miles of Orange Court House. Our line of battle appears to have been formed on the road leading to that place. The corps of Generals French, Warren and Prince had pretty heavy skirmishing with the enemy, but in each case either drove them back or maintained their own position. General French, with the Third corps, lost heavily, and not only held his ground, but captured nine hundred of the rebels, the Sixth corps being thrown forward to support him. The Fifth corps’ train was attacked in flank by the rebel cavalry on the plank road, who destroyed fifteen or twenty wagons. General Gregg’s cavalry, on the left, had a severe fight with the rebel cavalry, and drove them back upon their infantry, and then fell back upon the Fifth corps, who, in turn, drove the rebel infantry back.
A refugee from Richmond, recently arrived within our lines, furnishes the following estimate of the present force of Lee army: – Ewell’s corps, now commanded by Early, twenty to twenty-one thousand infantry and six batteries of artillery; A.P. Hill’s corps, twenty thousand infantry and five batteries of artillery; Stuart’s cavalry, eight thousand cavalrymen and two batteries of flying artillery – making in all forty-one thousand infantry, eight thousand cavalry and seventy-eight cannon.
It is again announced in the Washington despatches that General Posey, of the rebel army, is dead. Rumors of his demise have reached us several times, but we have the positive intelligence of his death today from the Richmond Whig, which states that died at Charlottesville on Sunday, the 15th instant, from a wound received during the late fight at Bristoe Station. He was interred at Charlottesville with military honors. General Posey was formerly Colonel of the Forty-eighth Mississippi regiment, Featherson’s brigade, and when that officer was transferred from the Army of Virginia to the West, General Posey was commissioned to succeed him. The rumors about General Ewell’s death will probably also prove true. He too was in Charlotteville at last accounts, in a very bad state of health.
General Meredith, the Union Commissioner for exchange of prisoners, states that he has every reason to believe that the goods sent by the Sanitary Commission of Philadelphia and by other parties have been received by our prisoners at Richmond, and suggests that as much more as possible should be sent on.
The latest news from Grant’s army is to the 28th (Saturday). No fighting took place on the front that day. Bragg was reported to be concentrating his army near Dalton, with the intention apparently of making a stand. He has recalled General Longstreet from his position in front of Knoxville, and the latter was endeavoring to join Bragg by a circuitous route. A despatch from Cincinnati yesterday states that the last accounts from Knoxville up to Wednesday report that a portion of the north part of the town has been burned, including the depot, but no particulars are given. General Burnside is said to be cheerful, and confident of the security of his position.
