Mayor Slaughter, of Fredericksburg, in reply, requested longer time, as it would have been impossible to remove the non-combatants within the sixteen hours named. lle also asserted that the citizens were not responsible for the firing on General Sumner's forces, but understood it would not occur again.

-General Sumner replied that, under those circumstances, his batteries would not open on the town at the hour named.

Nov. 22.-An interview between the committee of representatives of the town of Fredericksburg and General Patrick, &c., of the Union army, took place at the Lacey House, opposite Fredericksburg. After it had been concluded, and after some consultation between the Union o licers, General Sumner set a note to the Ma, or of Fredericksburg, asserting "that so long as no hostile demonstration was made from the town it would not be shelled." General McCll in signified his positive determination not to acc pt an of the public honors tendered by the citizens of New York.

All political State prisoners arrested under the military authority of the United States, discharged by order of the Secretary of War. Military prisoners taken in arms were, however, still retained in custoty.

Nov. 23-A reconnoitring party sent out from Fortress Monroe reached the old battle-ground on the Chickahominy and captured several prisoners. The gunboat Ellis, commanded by Lieut. William Parker Cushing, started on an expedition up New River Inlet, N.C., on the 18th. On the 23d they reached the town of Onslow, where a prize schooner was discovered and captured, with a cargo valued at $30,000. Lieutenant Cushing landed an I raised th, flag over the town, and at a quirter-pist tw Ive started to return. When three miles from the month of the river, the Ellis ran aground, and the enemy soon opened fire on her. Lieutenant Cushing, seeing there was no chance of saving the Ellis, transferred his crew, with the exception of five picked men, to the captured schooner, and prepared to blow up his vessel, which he did on the morning of the 24th. The expedition captured three schooners (one laden), and ten whale-boats, and destroyed the extensive salt-works at Onslow.

No. 24.-The Wheeling (W. Va.) "Press" sup. pressed by order of General Milroy, commanding district, for giving aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States.

Nov. 25.-The 2d Virginia (Union) Cavalry, Colonel J. D. Paxton, by a forced march from Charleston, W. Va., surprised and captured a camp of Conf-derates at Sinking Creek, six miles from Frankfort, Fayette county, W. Va. One hundred and eighteen prisoners were taken without striking a blow, with the exception of two Confederate pickets who were killed. Three hundred stand of aims, four loaded store-wagons, 100 horses, and a lot of cavalry sabres, were captured, and the camp destroyed.

The Confederates commenced fortifying Port Hudson, on the Mississippi.

Nov. 25-A body of Confederate cavalry, sixty strong, crossed the Potomac and entered Poolesville, and captured two Government telegraph operators. They were paroled and permitted to telegraph an account of their mishap to Washington.

Nov. 26.-Twenty rebel guerrillas visited the town of Urbana, Md., aud broke into the store of Thomas A. Smith. Smith and the assistant postmaster, Harris, were secured, but Smith managed to escape, when one of the gang shot Ilarris to prevent him from getting away.

Nov. 27-General Henry A. Wise, of the Confede rate Army, sent a letter from Chaffin's Farm, Va., to General Keyes, commanding the United States forces at Williamsburg. Va., inquiring into the condition and treatment of patients in the State Lunatic Asylum in that city, &c. General Keyes replied that they were as comfortable as circumstances would permit.

President Lincoln visited General Burnside at Acquin Creek.

The railroad to Acquia Creek repaired, and the first train passed over it to Falmouth.

Nov. 28.-General Blunt, of Kansas, by a forced march, met and attacked General Marmaduke's Confederate forces en route for Missouri, at Cano Hill, Ark. The lattle raged over twelve miles of ground. The Confederates retreated, with heavy less, to Van Buren.

Two squadrons of the 3d Penna. Cavalry, while on picket-duty twelve miles from Falmouth, were attacked by a heavy force of Confederates, and, after a brief resistance, were captured.

Nov. 29.-The Confederate General Marmaduke retreated rapidly south during this day, and reached Van Buren before dark.

- General Stahel, with 300 cavalry, attacked the enemy at Snicker's Ferry. Va., dispersing them in all directions. Fifty of them were killed, and forty captured, with eighty head of cattle and horses.

The frigate United States, sunk when the Gosport Navy-Yard was destroyed, was raised and taken to the navy-yard.

A cavalry expedition to the fork of the Mingo and St. Francis Rivers captured Colonel Phelan, and ten privates, of the Confederate army.

DECEMBER.

Dec. 1.-The annual session of the United States Congress commenced to-day, and the Presid ut sent in his message, recommending, among other things, the compensated emancipation of all the slaves of the loyal States before the year 1900.

-An expedition sent from Suffolk, Va., under General Peck, met the enemy at the town of Franklin, and succeeded in recapturing the cele brated Pittsburg battery, captured from the Union forces on the Peninsula.

Dec. 2.-General Geary's command, while on the route to Winchester, met the enemy near Charlestown. and defeated them, killing and wounding 70, and capturing 145 prisoners.

Grenada. Miss., occupied by General Hovy's expedition, 20,000 strong. The Confederates abandoned and burned fifteen locomotives and one hundred cars.

Dec. 3.-The Confederates abandoned their fortifiestions at Abberville, Miss.. and retreated before the advance of General Grant.

General Geary demanded the surrender of Winchester. Major Myers, in command, replied that he would evacuate the town in one hour,

asking that time be allowed non-combatants to retire. This was refused, and soon after the mayor of the town surrendered unconditionally.

Dec. 4. Skirmishing on the Rappahannock near Port Royal, between the gunboats and the batteries of the enemy on shore. After a short engagement the Confederates retired.

Dec. 6.-Jeneral Banks's expedition sailed from New York, destined for New Orleans.

Dec. 7.-Generals Blunt and Herron, after a sharp battle, defeated and scattered a superior force of the Confederates, about 28,000 strong, under General Hindman, &c., at Prairie Grove, Northwestern Arkansas. The Confederates retreated during the night, abandoning many of their dead and wounded. The Union loss was 495 killed, and 500 wounded. Confederate loss, about 1500 in killed and wounded.

The Confederate pirate Alabama captured the California steamer Ariel off the eastern end of Cuba. She was detained until the 9th, and then released on Captain Jones's giving bonds for $223,000, payable at the close of the war.

Sixty men of the 8th Peuna. Cavalry, stationed at King George Court-House, were attacked by 300 Confederates. Forty of the Federals escaped: the remainder were killed or captured.

Five Union pickets were frozen to death while on duty on the Rappahannock.

The Confederate General Morgan's guer rillas captured the 104th Illinois, the 100th and the 108th Ohio, and a number of the 24 Indiana Cavalry, at Hartsville, Tenn. Union loss, 55 killed. Dec. 9.-Concordia, Ark., burned in retaliation for the burning by guerrillas of the steamer Lake City the day before. Her passengers aud crew were held as captives by the guerrillas.

-The Confederates attacked the Union gunboats at Port Royal, 22 miles below Fredericksburg, but were driven off.

Dec. 10.-The House of Representatives passed the bill admitting the State of West Virginia into the Union.

-Plymouth, N.C., destroyed by the Confederates during an engagement with the Union troops.

Dec. 11.-General Geary advanced upon. and occupied Leesburg, Va., without resistance.

The city of Fredericksburg, Va., bombarded by the Union troops, under the cover of which they crossed the Rappahannock, by means of pontoon-bridges. One hundred and forty-three guns were brought to bear on the city, and destroyed it. The Confederate sharpshooters for some time prevented the engineers from laying the pontoon-bridge, but a small force sent over in boats routed them, and the bridge was completed and the troops crossed rapidly.

Dec. 12.-The Union troops on the southern side of the Rappahannock prepared to advance on the Confederate works beyond Fredericksburg. Va.

Dec. 13.-General Foster's expedition left Newbern. N.C., for the purpose of destroying the Weldon & Wilmington Railroad at Goldsborough. On the 13th he came up with the enemy, posted on SouthWest Creek. After a short engagement. they retired to Kinston, where they were again attacked, and after five hours' hard fighting were driven from their position, with the loss of eleven pieces of artillery and 400 prisoners.

The gun-boat Cairo, while ascending the Yazoo River, was blown up by a torpedo. She sunk in fifteen minutes after the explosion. None of the crew were killed or even seriously hurt.

The Cairo was one of the first seven iron-clad gunboats built for service on the Western waters, and participated in the attack upon Fort Donelson.

The Battle of Fredericksburg, Va.

Dec. 13.-The Confederate works were attacked by the Union troups, consisting of three grand divisions, under Sumner, Hooker, and Franklin, who were repulsed with serious loss. The works had been constructed with such skill and strength as to preclude a chance of success in their capture, since they could open front above an enfilading fire on the assailants. Several charges were made by the Union troops, who were commanded by Gene ral Burnside as chief, but all proved of little avail, as the close of day found the two armies in the same position as at the opening of the fight. On the Union side Generals Bayard and Jackson were killed, and Generals Vinton, Gibbons, Kiniball, Caldwell, and Meagher were wounded. The Union loss was stated by General Burnside to be 1512 killed, 6000 wounded, and 100 prisoners. The Confederate loss General Lee reported to be 1800. The Confederate Generals T. R. K. Cobb and Maxey Gregg were killed.

Dec. 14.-Three hundred and ninety-five Confederate cavalry crossed the Potomac, and made a raid upon Poolesville, Md., capturing seventeen of the thirty-nine Federal soldiers stationed there. Two Confederates and one Union soldier were killed, and thirteen wounded.

General Banks's expedition arrived at

New Orleans.

Dec. 15-16.-During the night and early morning the whole of the Union Army of the Potomac, under General Burnside, withdrew across the Rappahannock from Fredericksburg, Va., and oecupied the north shore of the river. The movement was completed and the pontoon-bridges removed before the enemy were aware of Burnside's intentions. Every man and all the property was brought away. General Sigel was now within striking-distance of the main body of United States troops.

Dec. 16.-General Butler, superseded by General Banks, issued his farewell address to the soldiers of the department, and resigned his command. General Foster advanced from Kinston to Whitehall, where he found the enemy intrenched. After a three hours' contest, the Confederates fell back to Goldsborough.

Dec. 17.-General Grover took possession of Baton Rouge, La., which had been evacuated by the Confederate troops. The Unionists had previously held possession of the city, but had given it up after the death of General Williams, in August, 1862

General Foster's expedition reached Golds borough, and after a short fight repulsed the enemy. Orders were then given to burn the railroad-bridge and destroy the track at that place. This being effectually done, the expedition returned to Newbern.

Dec. 18.-A cavalry fight near Corinth, Miss between General Dodge and the guerrilla Forrest. In consequence of the action of the Republican Senators concerning the disaster on the Rappahannock, Secretaries Seward and Cha e tendered their resignations, and it was believed that the entire reconstruction of the Cabinet was inevitable: but General Burnside promptly assumed all responsibility of his movement, thus rendering the proposed changes unnecessary.

Dec. 19.-Holly Springs, Miss., surrendered to the Confederates. 1800 men and 150 officers were

captured and paroled, and $2,000,000 worth of commissary stores, clothing, and cotton was destroyed.

Dec. 19.-General Naglee returned from a reconnoissance through Gloucester county, Va., bringing in 1800 head of cattle.

At daylight 150 Confederate cavalry entered Occoquan and captured a lieutenant and thirty privates of the 10th New York Cavalry, and six sutlers' wagons.

Dec. 20.-A body of Confederate cavalry made a raid on the railroad near Jackson, Tenn. They fired into a passing train, burned a long trestlework, and tore up the track for a considerable distance.

Dec. 21.-General Carter, with 1000 cavalry, left London, Ky., for the purpose of destroying two important railroad-bridges in East Tennessee. The expedition succeeded in its object, and, besides, destroyed a locomotive and two cars, and captured 550 prisoners and 700 stand of arms.

Dec. 23.-4000 Confederates attacked a portion of General Sigel's command stationed at Dumfries. After skirmishing all day, they were repulsed. Jefferson Davis issued a retaliatory proclamation, denouncing the course of General Butler in hanging Wm. B. Munford, threatening to hang General Butler and any of his officers who might be taken prisoners, and prohibiting the future exchange of commissioned officers.

Dec. 26.-General Rosecrans moved his army from Nashville in the direction of Murfreesboro, and on the 30th came in sight of the Confederate works.

Dec. 27-A company of Colonel R. Butler Price's Penna. cavalry was surprised and captured at Occoquan, Va.; Captain Johnson, in command, was killed.

Major Foley, commanding 175 men of the 10th Kentucky Cavalry, surprised a body of 350 Confederates at Elkfork, Campbell county, Ky., killing and wounding seventeen, capturing fiftyseven, and burning all their camp-equipage, also capturing eighty horses and a large number of

aruus.

An expedition under General Sherman ascended the Yazoo River about eighteen miles on the 26th. Here the troops were landed, and on the following day they attacked the advanced works of the enemy, extending six miles back of Vicksburg. Meanwhile the gunboats attacked the batteries on Haines' Bluff. A portion of the expedition was also sent out to destroy the Vicksburg & Shreveport Railroad, in order to prevent the arrival of reinforcements. On the 27th and 28th, after a stubborn contest, the Confederates were driven from their first and second lines of defence, and the Federals advanced to within two and a half miles of the city; but on the 29th the Confederates, having been heavily reinforced from Grenada and along the railroad, attacked General Sherman with their whole force, and succeeded in

driving him back to his first line of defence. General Sherman had counted upon the co-operation of General Grant in the attack, but that general had been compelled to fall back from Holly Springs, which not only made it impossible for him to co-operate with Sherman, but had given the Confederates the opportunity of throwing in the reinforcements from Grenada. On the 1st of January General Sherman was superseded by General McClernand, and on the 2d the expedition withdrew from the vicinity of Vicksburg.

Dec. 27-28.-Van Buren, Ark., captured by Generals Herron and Blunt. During the march two regiments of Confederate cavalry were met and routed at Dripping Spring, losing seven killed. The Federals immediately pushed on to Van Buren, where the enemy was found to be escaping across the river. Four steamboats, heavily laden with Rebel provisions, and 120 prisoners, were captured.

The Battle of Murfreesboro.

Dec. 31.-The Union troops first encountered tho Confederates near Stewart's Creek. Skirmishirg commenced on the 29th, and continued until the 30th. The Confederates lost on this day 100 prisoners. The Union loss in the first day's fight was 70 killed and wounded. At daybreak on the 31st the fight was renewed with great fury, General McCook's corps being opposed to that of Hardee, McCook retreated two miles. rallied, but was again After desperate fighting, with heavy losses, General driven back, and at night was four miles from the position occupied in the morning, having also lost during the engagement 26 guns. The battle continued until the 4th of January, when the Confederates retreated. General Rosecrans says, "Our entire success on the 31st was prevented by the surprise of the right flank, but after three days' hard fighting we have beaten the enemy." Union loss, estimated at not less than 1500 killed, 6000 wounded, and 4000 prisoners.

-The iron-clad steamer Monitor, while on her way from Fortress Monroe to Beaufort, S. C., foundered south of Cape Henry, at a little before midnight. Four of the officers and twelve of the crew were lost, also one officer and seven men belonging to the Rhode Island, in attempting to

rescue the men on the Monitor.

as a State.

West Virginia admitted into the Union