The news from the Rappahannock — the movements of the Hammy — a fight Hourly anticipated.
The news from the armies now confronting each other on the Rappahannock is highly important and it is more than probable that one of the severest conflicts of the whole war will take place to-day or to-morrow. The enemy, in very heavy force, have crossed, and are now on the south side of the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers. They were not disposed to again attempt to force their way to Richmond by assaulting our position on Marye's Heights and along the line of the Messappuax, and have consequently sought crossings for the main body of their forces some seventeen to twenty miles above Fredericksburg, at Ely's Ford and Germans. These points are on the Rapidan, a few miles above its junction with the north fork of the Rappahannock. The advices received by the train last evening represent that the advance of the enemy had reached a point within two miles of Spotsylvania Court House at noon yesterday--In view of this change in the movements of the enemy, it is probable that our whole front will be changed, and, instead of the general conflict taking place in front of Fredericksburg, or on the same ground of the battle of the 13th of December, it will doubtless be fought in the vicinity of the Court-House, or near the centra of the county.A heavy artillery duel was fought on Thursday afternoon, near the mouth of Deep Run, but without any decisive result on either side.
Another report states that the enemy has also crossed a considerable body of troops at United States Ford, six miles above Fredericksburg, and that a collision was expected to occur in the neighborhood of Chancellorsville.
