12 DECEMBER 1863, Page 1

On the 23rd of November a reconnaissance in force was

made by General Thomas's army in Tennessee, under Grant's orders, which discovered General Bragg to be falling back from a position which was no longer tenable after the detachment of Longstreet to the attack on General Burnside. On the 24th (Tuesday) General Grant, therefore, advanced his whole line, General Hooker, with the two divisions of Geary and Osterhaus, carrying the northern slope of Look-out Mountain; and General Sherman, on the left, assault- ing the Confederates on Missionary Ridge, where, after being twice repulsed, he was at last successful. Bragg's army fell back in confusion towards Dalton, the point where the Northern and Western railways unite, and by this retreat 'practically abandoned Longstreet's force in Tennessee, which could only rejoin the main army by the Northern line. Gene- ral Grant, besides pursuing Bragg, ordered the recaps-. tion of Red Clay, a place on the Northern fork of the rail- way, by which he cuts off Longstreet from rejoining Bragg. The army of Bragg appears to have retreated in great, though perhaps exaggerated, disorder towards Dalton, raperal Grant reporting that he thinks the artillery captured 111Lbe, at least, sixty pieces in number. The prisoners are said to be about 7,000. From Burnside, besieged by Longstreet at Knoxville, there is no late news, and it may be some fear for him or for Meade, who had erosaed the Rapidan, which sent up gold 4 per cent at the last aivices on the New York Exchange.