The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-10 00:00:00

THE SUN.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10, 1862.

A more leisurely examination of the telegrams
which we published yesterday does not alter the
general conclusion. We have General PoPE's
word for it that the Confederates were repulsed at
all points, that before he finished his despatch,
they were retreating towards the mountains, that
he was, however, too much cut up to follow the
enemy, but intended to do so when FITz JOHN
PORTER'S corps arrived ; also that he had made
"great captures," which we may be permitted to
doubt, till we have some better evidence that they
are not of about the same magnitude as the capture
of the ten thousand at Corinth which dwindled
down to a hundred hospital invalids left behind
unavoidably.
But let us try to estimate the value of PopE's
"victory." Onr materials are but slender for
doing so, but if we appreciate them rightly, he
has done little more than save Washington from an
immediate visit. One thing is quite certain. But
lately the Federals were beleaguering Richmond;
now the Confederates are threatening Washington.
While APCLELLAN was retreating with one part of
his army down the peninsula, the Confederates,
instead of pursuing him, which would probably
have given them an easy victory, took the
bolder course of marching northwards to meet the
army under POPE, which they knew to be threat-
ening them from that quarter. They must have
hoped to annihilate POPE before IVI`CLELLAN'S army
could unite with him. It was with this view that
they made the attack on him at Cedar Mountain
—the result of which was that POPE had to fall
back and endeavour to join BURNSIDE'S corps on
the Rappahannock, where the two armies were left
by the preceding mails—the Confederates feeling
their way to attack the Federals on the north of
the river. The river is crossed by the railway which
connects Washington and Richmond, and both sides
were obliged to keep to the line, in order to retain
their communications ; the one with Richmond, the
other with Washington.
It is quite clear that for some time the Confede-
rates had the best of it. On the 23d they com-
pelled the Federals to abandon the line of the Rap-
pahannock, and to fall back to Warrenton junction,
a station 10 miles further north. Beyond this,
about 12 miles further north, is the famous Manas-
sas Junction
and Bull's Run. Now, it is confessed
that, while I
POPE was at Warrenton, the Con-
federates so far outgeneralled him that they actu-
ally went round his left, and took possession of
Manassas, cutting the telegraphic wires, burning,
and destroying everything—which, of course, shows
that they did not intend to retain it—and thus
cutting off POPE'S communications with Washing-
ton. It might have been supposed that the loss of
his despatches and staff equipage by a previous raid
twelve miles in his rear, would have made him
more cautious; but we find him again committing
that greatest of strategic blunders—allowing the
enemy to visit his rear.
When POPE finds himself circumvented,
course, trembles for Washingt:n, and breaks uprent
from War he, of
Warrenton, to which station he had
been
ere
driven back,
Mean-
time the Confederates making hard for Mansssas. Mean-
-13 seem to have gone a little
farther north, to
Bull's Run, driving the Federals
from thence. So audacious
were they that their
cavalry actually visited Fairfax,
from Washington.
According
about .12 miles
to the e.ccounts,
however, three Federal armies were now converg-
ing on the corps, apparently commanded by JACK-
sox, which had made the dash on the Federal rear;
POPE'S main body turning back trona the North,
another under M•DowELL and SIGEL, and a third I
under HEINZELMAN, all of them trained generals. •
It was " old Stonewah's° turn now, having done
what mischief he could, to retreat. Hence POPE
found Manassas evacuated on the 28th, though it
was but a few hours before. Stonewall JACKSON,
however, in retreating, fell in with M‘DowELL's
corps, with whom he fought till night compelled