John Grant, Jr., Agent Associated Press:

In company with many refugees and others from Fredericksburg, we got aboard the midnight train for the doomed city on Friday night last, and proceeded to Fredericksburg, where we arrived last at dawn. Here a sight met our case such as we never before witnessed, and hope and believe that its like shall never again be seen during this war.

Women and children were leaving in every direction, old and infirm men were bearing on their backs such of their household goods as they possessed. Every avenue leading from the town was lined with those who were thus giving the highest proofs of their devotion to the cause and fidelity to principle in turning their backs upon their homes without any reasonable expectation that they would ever again look upon them, save in ruins. Yet no one murmured; all seemed grateful that our Government had elected in favor of the destruction of the city, rather than giving it over into Yankee hands.

A short history of the whole affair I will give you. On Friday, at noon, Gen. Patrick crossed over under flag of truce, bearing the following communication:

Gentlemen--Under cover of the houses of your city, shots have been fired upon the troops of my command. Your mills and manufactories are furnishing provisions and the material for clothing for armed bodies in rebellion against the Government of the United States. Your railroads and other means of transportation are moving supplies to the depots of such troops. This condition of things must terminate, and by direction of Major- General Burnside, commanding this army, I accordingly demand the surrender of the city into my hands, as the representative of the Government of the U. States, at or before 5 o'clock this afternoon, (5 o'clock P. M. to-day) Falling an affirmative reply to this demand by the time indicated, sixteen (16) hours will be permitted to elapse for the removal from the city of the women and children, the sick, wounded and aged, which period having elapsed, I shall proceed to shell the town.

Upon obtaining possession of the town, every necessary means will be taken to preserve order and secure the protective operation of the laws and policy of the United States Government.

This communication, so soon as received by the Mayor, elicited this response, which it is proper to say, was prepared in consultation with the military authorities:

I received at twenty minutes before five o'clock this afternoon your communication of this date.

In reply, I have to say that this communication did not reach me in time to convene the Council for the consideration and to furnish a reply by the hour indicated, 5 P. M. It was sent to me through the hands of the commanding officer of the army of the Confederate States near this town, to whom it was first delivered by consent of General Patrick, who bore it from you, as I am informed, and I am authorized by the Commander of the Confederate army to say that there was no delay in passing it through his hands to me.

In regard to the matters complained of by you, viz; the firing of shots upon your troops, this occurred on the northern suburbs of the town, and was the act of the military officers commanding the forces near here, for which neither the citizens or civil authorities of the town are responsible.--In regard to the other matters of complaint, I am authorized by the latter officer to say that the condition of things therein complained of, shall no longer exist; that your troops shall not be fired on from the town, that the mills and manufactories here will not furnish any further supplies of provisions or clothing for the Confederate troops, nor will the railroads, or other means of transportation here, convey supplies from the town to the depots of such troops; outside of the town the civil authorities of the town have no control; but I am assured by the military authorities of the Confederate army near here that nothing will be done by them to infringe the conditions herein named as to matters within the town; but the latter authorities inform us that while their troops will not occupy the town, they will not permit yours to do so.

You must be aware that there will not be more than three or four hours of daylight within the 16 hours given by you for the removal of the sick and wounded, women and children, the aged and infirm from this place. And I have to inform you that while there is no railroad transportation accessible to the town, because of the interruption thereof by your batteries, all other means of transportation within the town are so limited as to render the removal of the classes spoken of within the time indicated an utter impossibility.

I have convened the Council, which will remain in session, awaiting any further communication you may have to make.

This communication was sent across the river at 12 o'clock at night. About 3 A. M. the following communication was received:

Your letter of this afternoon is at hand, and in consideration of your pledges that the acts complained of shall cease, and that your town shall not be occupied by any of the enemy's forces, and your assertion that a lack of transportation renders it impossible to remove the women and children, sick, wounded, and aged, I am authorized to say to you that our batteries will not open upon the town at the hour designated.

General Patrick will meet a committee or representatives from your town tomorrow morning at o'clock, at the Lacey House.

An interview having thus been invited, at 9 A. M. Mayor Slaughter, Dr. J. G. Wallace, J. L. Harye, Jr., W. A. Littele, and W. S. Scott, on the part of the citizens, and Gen. Kershaw, on behalf of the military, proceeded, at the hour named, to the opposite shore, but were not received, as the following note will explain. It will also be seen that an apology was made for firing on the train which left carrying out the departing citizens:

The invitation given to you in my letter of last night was in these words:

General Patrick will meet a committee or representatives from your town to morrow morning at 8 o'clock, at the Lacey House. The invitation was only for the civil authorities of Fredericksburg, but I have no objection to the committee being accompanied by one or two military persons. If you wish to meet General Patrick, he will be at the Lacey House at 2 o'clock to day. The firing upon the train this morning was through mistake, and contrary to orders. I should much regret to learn that any departing families had been injured.

At 2 o'clock, pursuant to invitation, the aforementioned committee, accompanied by Gen. Kershaw, proceeded across the river. After an interview of half an hour's length, the committee returned with word that a final answer might be expected from Gen. Sumner during the evening. --About 6 P. M., the following note was received from Gen. Sumner, which up to this writing closes all conferences, and the town still stands:

I am authorized to say that so long as no hostile is made from the town, it will not be I have also to say that there will be no firing upon the cars before 11 o'clock A. M. to-morrow.

It is proper to add that a unanimous vote of the Council sanctioned the reply made by the Mayor, and that a large and deeply interested attendance of spectators testified, by their applause, their full measure of responsibility for, and endorsation of, the course pursued by their legal representatives. It is but due to Mayor Slaughter to say that during Yankee occupation, until arrested, and since the

The New York. Times, speaking of the "new base" provided by the Yankees for their approach to Richmond, says:

The Tribunes says Burnside has not disappointed the "loyal public" at the North, and is about to accomplish all the loyal public wants. It says:

The following is from the Washington Star. The writer thought the Yankee army would certainly get to Hanover Junction before any resistance would be offered by the Confederates:

A glance at any good map of Virginia will show the reader that the fine march made by Burnside on Sunday and yesterday has brought his army from ten to twenty miles nearer Richmond than the main portion of the rebel army was probably this morning.

Else the latter moved to counteract Burnside's movement sooner, much sooner, than could reasonably have been expected, as it was doubtless twenty-four hours after Burnside moved before the rebel Generals comprehended what his movement meant, and then it probably took them twenty-four hours more — or until last night — before they could get fairly in motion to head Burnside off from Richmond.

We now believe that he will get to Hanover Junction at least before they can throw a sufficient force before it to dispute its possession by the Army of the Potomac.

Much, however, depends, we opine, upon the energy with which our Construction Corps prosecutes the work before it, as supplies of all kinds must speedily follow Burnside to secure the triumph of his plans.

The rebel General Jackson has been fairly manæuvred out into the cold. It is hardly possible that his corps can participate in the great battle for the possession of Richmond. If he has, as is asserted, 70,000 men, then he has quite half the whole rebel Army of the Potomac, clear up at the head of the Valley, at least twelve days fair marching from Richmond, with Burnside's army not six day's march from it.

But it is plain to us that this 70,000 story is without foundation, and that he has not 20,000 troops; if more than 15,000--a large number to venture to isolate so far away from where Lee knew well he must sooner or later fight the decisive battle of the war.

Five days should see that great battle over, and Burnside should have Richmond in less than ten, days, as the campaign seems now to progress.--However, we repeat, much indeed seems to depend on the energy and efficiency of the Construction Corps.

Manassas Junction, Nov. 18.--By this evening Gen. Burnside will doubtless have established his headquarters in Fredericksburg, for the time being. His advance probably took possession of that town yesterday evening.

The transfer of his base of supplies, incident to this splendidly executed flank movement of his army, has certainly been admirably executed, so far

We have the best reason for believing that the apprehension of a raid by Stonewall Jackson on Cumberland and New Creek is without real foundation. A highly intelligent gentleman, with every facility for obtaining correct information, and who made it a part of his business to do so, has just come through from Baltimore to Hancock. He has satisfied himself, from evidences obtained along the route, that Jackson's main army is stationed at Stephenson's Depot, four miles Northeast of Winchester; on the Winchester and Potomac Railroad. His men are destitute of tents, and it is believed he cannot possibly, in their present situation, even entertain such an enterprise as the movement apprehended. He certainly could not perform it unless the weather should remain remarkably mild, and would hardly risk such a contingency.-- Wheeling Intelligencer.

Shortly after the army got in motion, yesterday morning, cannonading was heard some four miles in our advance. No one seemed to understand it as we had no forces in the direction of the sound.--Parties were sent ahead to ascertain what it meant, when it was ascertained that a body of the enemy had crossed the Rappahannock as a reconnoitering party, and while marching down towards Falmouth, the rebels opened on them, causing some considerable consternation in their ranks. About a dozen rounds were fired before it was ascertained that they were firing "on our own troops"

The fact of the rebels firing on their own troops proved to us that they had one or more batteries planted on the opposite shore, for the purpose of sweeping the road as we advanced. Gens. Sumner and Couch soon came to a conclusion that these batteries must be at once silenced, so that we might have free access along the river road.

The 57th New York, Lieut. Col. Chapman, and the 53d Pennsylvania, Col. Brooks, advanced as skirmishers along the Falmouth road until within a mile of the town. The two regiments were followed by the remainder of the brigade to which they belong, consisting of the 2d Delaware, Col. Bailey; 66th New York, Col. Pinckney, and the 52d New York, Col. Frank--the whole brigade commanded by Col. Zook, of the 57th New York.--Capt Pettit's battery, the 1st New York Artillery, and Owens's and Tompkins's two Rhode Island batteries followed.

Capt. Pettit's battery was at once placed upon a high hill, with Zook's brigade directly in the rear, completely covered by the natural position of the hill. At about half past 3 the first gun was sighted and brought to bear upon the enemy, which at once brought on a rejoinder. The first shot from the rebels bursted directly over our battery.

In its leading editorial the Inquirer says:

Under this head, the Philadelphia Inquirer, of the 20th, has the following:

In its news from the South the Inquirer has the following dispatch:

Cairo, Nov. 20.--A letter from Corinth says that John Porter, of the 21st Ohio, and Williams, of the 23d Ohio, arrived there from Atlanta, Ga. They belonged to a party of twenty-five men sent out by Gen. Mitchell last summer, and were captured by the rebels. They make the following statement: Captain Andrews, George D. Wilson, Marion Ross, P. G. Shaddock, and Wm. Campbell, of the 2d Ohio, and Wouldgin Scott, of the 1st Ohio, and Samuel Slaver, of the 23d Ohio, were tried at Knoxville and hung at Atlanta, June 18th. The others remained in prison until twenty-two days since, when they broke jail, but as they scattered as soon as they got out, it was impossible to tell what became of them.

--Gen. McClellan visited Gen. Scott to day, and will be serenaded this evening if the rain does not prevent. He has declined the public reception offered him by his friends in this city.