t our women and children are going to church as usual, to pray for the
success of the cause, and not doubting but that our army will triumph as
usual on the field of combat. It is a bright and lovely Sabbath morning,
and as warm as May.

DECEMBER 15TH.--Yesterday evening several trains laden with wounded
arrived in the city. The remains of Brig.-Gen. T. R. R. Cobb, of
Georgia, were brought down. Brig.-Gen. Gregg, of South Carolina, is said
to be mortally wounded. It is now believed that Major-Gen. Hood, of
Texas, did not fall. The number of our killed and wounded is estimated,
by a surgeon who came with the wounded, to be not over a thousand.

To-day, stragglers from the battle-field say that our loss in killed and
wounded is 3000. It is all conjecture.

There was heavy skirmishing all day yesterday, and until to-day at noon,
when the telegraph operator reports that the firing had ceased. We know
not (yet) what this means. We are still sending artillery ammunition to
Gen. Lee.

Gen. Evans dispatches from Kinston, N. C., that on the 14th, yesterday,
he repulsed the enemy, 15,000 strong, and drove them back to their boats
in Neuse River. A portion of Gen. R. A. Pryor's command, in Isle of
Wight County, was engaged with the enemy's advance the same day. They
have also landed at Gloucester Point. This is pronounced a simultaneous
attack on our harbors and cities in Virginia and North Carolina. Perhaps
we shall have more before night. Our people seem prepared for any event.

Another long train of negroes have just passed through the city,
singing, to work on the fortifications.

DECEMBER 16TH.--To-day the city is exalted to the skies! Gen. Lee
telegraphed that the enemy had disappeared from his front, _probably
meditating a design to cross at some other place_. Such were his words,
which approach nearer to a practical joke, and an inkling of exultation,
than anything I have seen from his pen. He has saved the capital. Before
the enemy could approach Richmond from "some other place;" Lee would be
between him and the city, and if he could beat him on the Rappahannock
he can beat him anywhere.

Doubtless Burnside has abandoned his heavy stores, siege guns, etc., and
at this moment our army must occupy the town. Lee _allowed_ the invaders
to cross the river, and, in exact accordance with his promise, made a
month ago, before they could advance from Fredericksburg, his "whole
army _was_ in position." They could not debouch