of admission to our Secretary,
adopted by Mr. R. G. H. Kean, Chief of the Bureau, and asked for a copy
of them, that he might denounce them in his paper. It appears that Mr.
Jacques is to say _who_ can see the Secretary; and to do this, he must
catechize each applicant as to the nature of his business. This is
deemed insulting by some of the hot bloods, and will make friend Mr.
J.'s position rather a disagreeable and derogatory one.

DECEMBER 13TH.--After all, Fredericksburg was severely shelled--whether
designedly or incidentally in the fight, does not yet appear.

Our army has fallen back a little--for a purpose. Lee knows every inch
of the ground.

Again we have rumors of a hostile fleet being in the river; and
Major-Gen. G. W. Smith has gone to Petersburg to see after the means of
defense, if an attack should be made in that quarter. Some little gloom
and despondency are manifested, for the first time, in this community.

Major-Gen. S. Jones writes that although the Federal Gen. Cox has left
the valley of the Kanawha, 5000 of his men remain; and he deems it
inexpedient, in response to Gen. Lee's suggestion, to detach any portion
of his troops for operations elsewhere. He says Jenkins's cavalry is in
a bad condition.

Here is an instance of South Carolina honor. During the battle of
Williamsburg, last spring, W. R. Erwin, a private in Col. Jenkins's
Palmetto sharpshooters, was detailed to take care of the wounded, and
was himself taken prisoner. The enemy supposing him to be a surgeon, he
was paroled. He now returns to the service; and although the mistake
could never be detected, he insists on our government exchanging a
private of the enemy's for himself. With the assurance that this will be
done, he goes again to battle.

Yesterday flour and tobacco had a fall at auction. Some suppose the
bidders had in view the contingency of the capture of the city by the
enemy.

In the market-house this morning, I heard a man speaking loudly,
denounce a farmer for asking about $6 a bushel for his potatoes, and
hoping that the Yankees would take them from him for nothing!

DECEMBER 14TH, SUNDAY.--Yesterday was a bloody day. Gen. Lee telegraphs
that the enemy attacked him at 9 A.M., and as the fog lifted, the fire
ran along the whole line, and the conflict raged until darkness (6 P.M.)
put an end to the battle. The enemy was repulsed at all points, he
continued, thanks be to God! But we have to mourn, as usual, a heavy