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Lyttelton Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1092, 29 April 1863, Page 3

The' Quebec Mercury'publishes a letter from a Canadian surgeon attached to the Federal army, and present at the battle, who questions the valour of the Federal troops. The writer says:—" Whatever the newspapers say, the highest officers here do not pretend to conceal that the Union troops never fought so badly. After they had once got within point blank range of the enemy's five, nothing could induce them to advance. Fredericksburg was filled with stragglers in thousands before the engagement had commenced, and tin's went on all day, until before night nearly half the army had disbanded, and was skulking and plundering about the town. Including the reserves, which went into action late in the afternoon, the Union force engaged was not less than 200,000. Ido not think, from all that I can learn, the killed and wounded will reach GOOO, and should not be surprised to learn they are not more than 4000. The position of the enemy, although good, was not exceedingly strong, and so wide spread that it was liable to be cut in half. It was not to be compared to that held by the Kussians at Alma,which the Allied Army forced with so little difficulty, and

I am satisfied that a European army of one-fourth the Federal forcc would have carried it with a single rush. But our men would not light; when the columns were got within range, they halted, began firing, every one on his own lioolc, became confused, and fell back in a perfect mob to be reformed. Seen from a distance, the attacking columns looked like so many street mobs, on which the police had made a sudden attack; si convulsion seemed to shake eacli in its turn, it opened out apparently with a desperate resolve to form line and advance, and then came a regular suave qui pent, and every man ran for cover to the rear, as though the devil were after him. Then the jeering yells of the Confederates would ring out above the dull booming of the cannon and pattering of musketry, and springing up from behind fences and rille pits, the dark, grey line would advance at a run, and pour crushing volleys into the flying rout. 1 don't believe on the Confederate left and centre that our troops got within 150 yards of the advanced defences; and it is certain very few of our wounded were too near to the enemies' lines to be carried off. On the right the fighting is said to have been better. The greater part of the loss on our side was among the skulkers in the streets of Fredericksburg." A young lady of high accomplishments, the family being without a servant at the time, stepped to the door on the ringing of the bell, which announced a visit from one of her admirers. On entering, the beau, glancing at the harp and piano which stood in the appartment, exclaimed," I thought I heard music; on which instrument were you performing ?" "On the gridiron, sir, with the of the fryingpan," replied she. "My mother is without a servant, and she says that I must learn to finger those instruments sooner or later, so I have this day , commenced a course of lessons." —American Puper.