November 12, 1863, The New York Herald
There is no change in the position of the Army of the Potomac. A reconnoissance of General Buford through Culpepper and towards the Rapidan resulted in the discovery that no large force of the enemy are now north of that river, although guerillas constantly harass our troops. It has been ascertained that on Saturday the largest portions of Hill’s and Ewell’s forces were posted en echelon on the Rappahannock, the right resting on Kelly’s Ford and the left on the Aesthanis river, from which they were forced to retreat precipitately. General Meade’s official report of the affairs at Kelly’s Ford and Rappahannock Station is published today. The eight battle flags captured by Colonel Upton at the latter point, while in command of the Fifth and Sixth Maine, the Fifth Wisconsin and his own regiment, the One Hundred and Twenty-first New York, were presented by that gallant officer to General Meade on Tuesday evening. The General made a happy speech on receiving the flags, and handsomely congratulated the soldiers on their bravery. He has issued a congratulatory order upon the recent successes in driving the enemy from the Rappahannock to his intrenchments behind the Rapidan. Generals French, Sedgwick, Russell and Colonel de Trobriand are of course specially mentioned.
It appears that the recent attack on General Burnside’s outposts, in which six hundred of his men and four cannon were captured by the rebels, occurred at Rodgersville, Hawkins county, Tenn., fifteen miles from Knoxville, and situated at the termination of the branch of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad. This fact is communicated in a despatch from General Burnside himself, in which he says that his main army is in an impregnable position and in good spirits, awaiting the orders of General Grant.
A curious story was afloat yesterday that two […..] looking” vessels were seen on Lake Erie on Tuesday, hovering about Sandusky Bay, and were supposed to be privateers from the Canada side of the lake, intent on aiding and abetting the great Ohio conspiracy, by releasing the rebel prisoners on Johnston’s Island, and committing sundry depredations upon the waters. The rumor, however, is not traceable to any reliable source.
Despatches from Memphis of the 8th report that the rebel General Richardson is committing serious depredations in the Southwest. He cut up the Memphis Railroad, a mile east of Salisbury, and the previous day cut the telegraph wires and burned three bridges. We learn from Cairo that the town of I-u-k-a was burned by the rebels after General Sherman’s troops had left that place.