The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 16, 1862.

THE STRUGGLE IN VIRGINIA

(From the New York tribune.)

We propose in this article to elucidate the receni
conflicts in Virginia to the extent of our present in

formation.
Strategically, the State of Virginia may be re-
garded in three unequal divisions or districts :-
1. West Virginia, lying westward and south-
westward of the crests of the Allegheny mountains,
which traverse the state from north-east to south-
west in an unbroken chain, rising from 2,000 to
4,000 feet above the ocean level, and of course no-
where perpetually snow-covered or impassable,
though the-roads which cross them are narrow and
bad, two or three great turnpikes excepted. The
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad crosses them at this
end of the state, and is held by the Unionists, nearly
all the other railroads, whereby the state is amply
gridironed, are (save for a few miles around Wash-
ington) in the hands of the traitors, West Virginia
is almost unanimously freo labour and loyal, and is
held by the Unionists. Little fighting has been
done there for months, and it is presumed nearly
bare of troops. The rebels predominate in the ex-
treme south-west of it.
2. The Valley of Virginia, so called, is deep, very
fertile, and from 40 to 80 miles wide, lying between
the crests of the Alleghanies and the Blue Ridge,
which runs parallel to them on the south-east. This
valley is traversed by the Shenandoah rive, „ • ich
rises south and west of the centre of the s and
pursues a generally north-east course to its i c
with the Potomac at Harper's Ferry, 40 miles north-
west of Washington city. Winchester, Strasburg,
Woodstock, Harrisonburg, and Staunton are the
principal places in the Valley. The Blue Ridge is
lower and smaller than the Alleghanies (holding
much the same relation to them as the Jura to the
Alps), and is broken by repeated " Gaps," through
one of which the Manassas Gap Railroad makes its
way into the valley (which it connects with Alex-
andria) at Front Royal, which is near the junction
of the two principal branches of the Shenandoah,
some twenty-five miles above Winchester and
fifty from Harper's Ferry. The white inhabi-
tants of the valley are mainly secessionists,
and the valley above Front Royal was mostly in
their possession prior to the events of last week.
We presume that they now hold everything south
of Winchester, and may have that city.
3. Eastern Virginia consists of the residue of the
State (all south-east of the Blue Ridge), being about
half the area, and probably containing a little more
than half the entire population. Its railroads mainly
centre upon Richmond (the rebel capital), though
ono from Leesburg, a few miles north of Washing-
ton, and another from the south-west, reach the
Potomac at Alexandria. The Manassas Gap Rail-
road diverges from the latter at Manassas Junction,
30 miles south of west of Washington city, runs
westwardly through the Gap into the valley, and so
to Strasburg, whence it follows up the north fork of
the Shenandoah, and comes to a stand at Mount
Jackson, half way between Woodstock and Harri-
sonburg, which are the capitals respectively of the
counties of Shenandoah and Rockingham, mainly
settled by Germans of a very old emigration, and
famous for always voting solid for whatever is called
the democratic ticket.
4. The Rappahannock Rives rises in the Blue
Ridge, but a few miles from the south fork of the
Shenandoah, and pursues an easterly course to
Fredericksburg, some 60 miles south-south-west of
Washington city, where it is within 10 miles of
the Potomac. It has here become a broad navigable
stream, though its extreme sources are hardly 80
miles distant. From Fredericksburg it has a gene-
ral south-east course till it is lost in Chesapeake
Bay, some 25 miles below the mouth of the Poto-
mac. For the present its course below Fredericks-
burg is commanded by the Union gunboats, but
above that city it becomes disputable, and has for
months in good part divided the Union from the
rebel forces. It naturally forks towards its source
into innumerable streams and rivulets, but at first
some 10 miles above Fredericksburg, into two main
branches, whereof that coming from the north-west
retains the name of Rappahannock, while that from
the south-west is known as the Rapidan.
5. When Gen. Halleck, after Gen. M'Clellan's
change of base to the James River, was called to the
command-in-chief of the Union armies, it appears
to have been resolved that General M'Clellan's army
must be withdrawn from the peninsula, and united
with the Union army then covering Washington on
the south and west. General Pope, also from the
west, has just before been called to the command of
this latter force, known as " the army of Virginia,"
in contradistinction from General M'Clellan's, still
awkwardly designated " the army of the Potomac."
General M'Clellan is understood not to have con-
curred in the advisability of evacuating the penin-
sula, wishing to be reinforced where he was, and
to move thence upon Richmond once more. He
was finally overruled ; but his opposition is said to
have delayed the commencement and retarded the
ssofihufnol6haau. 1
llsbydm
When
laeeoht:wee effected
trtuhemi
evacuate
tyt
we somesattsihpointedl e
holdsttoe n
F daysortFortress
esa Some on-
conclusion of his return to the Potomac, which was
YorktownsgoAi andnSr oo t.
pc iednei decided s
ut hl
aa t
GGeenneerraal 1 r
*Mc:peel e
was
pushed forward into the heart
of Eastern Virginia,
to make a diversion in his favour. To this end, his
cavalry made repeated and damaging dashes at the
railroad connecting Richmond with Gordonsville
an important railroad junction, nearly 100 mile;
north-west, while the bulk of Pope's army—then
some 50,000 strong—advanced down the Orange
and Alexandria Railroad, which, running south

westwardly, connects Alexandria, via Gordonsville
and Charlottesville, with Lynchburg in the far
south-west--of course, crossing both the Rappahan-
nock and the Rapidan. Pope also crossed both these

streams, and was reported at one time to have
occupied Gordonsville, but the subordinate charged

with that movement failed to execute it.

7. Pope's advance, as was calculated, distracted
he rebel attention from M'Clellan's retreat down

the peninsula, and collected their forces in his

front. Being soon out-numbered, he was ordered
to fall back, and did so. The bloody but inde-
cisive battle of " Cedar Mountain" was fought be-
tween the advance of the two armies respectively,
just north of the Rapidan, on August 9. Jackson
soon after retreated across the Rapidan, probably
to tempt Pope further from his resources. After
some days' desultory skirmishing, Pope fell back
across the Rappahannock, and stood at bay, guard-
ing the innumerable fords of that river, along a line
of 20 or 30 miles. The position was, of course, ad-
vantageous to the defensive party, but liable to be
broken through by massing a heavy force at either
of a score of points, and breaking the defensive line
by a resolute effort. Still, though the enemy
(having ordered
u;3rtto
piercemup everything from Richmond)
were
serious io undoubtedlys effort
General
the stronger p ien, snl
line
bwe rass
stood
n
made. While he thus
on guard, a rebel
cavalry force under Stuart, some 1,000 to 1,200 in
o
number, pierced his lines at some unguarded ford
and made a circuit in his roar, surprising his head-
quarter'sCatlett's Station
at on the evening of the
22d, and making a considerable haul of his papers,
with some money and prisoners. Stuart was, of
'
Popes
quarters by traitors Re was him-
self at the front, twelve miles distant, With most
of his staff, of whom but one was captured.
8. For some days an ominous stillness prevailed
Rappahannock, N
on the rebel side of the . o more
invited from th
at
side. or artillery duels were
side. Few men showed themselves toWhat our expectant
forces. " Where are the rebels. . are the
about y
?" were the wondering queries. They
that were
soon to be answered, and current expectation
the traitor chiefs would not await the rapid con..
centration of our new levies at Washington Was not
to be disappointed.
August 24th,
9. Early on Sunday morning,

Stonewall Jackson, with some 30 or 40 thousand
trusted veterans in the lightest matching order,
without tents or waggons save for ammunition, left
the rebel lines south of the Rappahannock and
• moved westward, unknown to and unsuspected
by Pope. Winding his way among the
• sources of the Rappahannock in the Blue
Ridge, by roads unknown to our side, he
• turned the right flank of our army, and, emerging
unperceived at Thoroughfare Gap, about half way
between Manassas Junction and Front Royal, his
advance, consisting of Stuart's cavalry, swooped
down upon our depot of provisions, clothing, stores,
&c., at Nanassas, like a hawk among a brood of
chickens. The small force guarding that point was
soon dispersed or captured, and our heavy stores
were appropriated so far as possible and the rest
destroyed. Railroad trains conveying provisions
and munitions to Pope and bringing
back wounded,
sick, empty cars, &c., were captured and destroyed ;
those in charge of them running into tho jaws of
the wolf while unsuspecting any
danger.
10. The capture of the junction was soon known
in Washington, and the Ist New jersey brigade,
under General Taylor, sent down to rectify matters,
no one suspecting that there was anything more
serious than another cavalry dash at our lines of
communication. But by this time, a considerable
, force of rebel infantry and artillery had come up,
and General Taylor's brigade and trimmings were
sent to the right about with little ceremony, and
with e loss of several hundred prisoners, who were
'paroled as soon as possible. And still the junc-
tion, hardly 30 miles from Washington, and nearly
so far in the rear of General Pope, was firmly held
by the rebels, who challenged all comers.
11. Thus far, General Pope would seem to have
been completely circumvented. It was nearly
Wednesday morning before he knew a word of the
nice business going on in his rear. When he did
learn it, he appears to have acted with a judgment
and decision of which our army movements
hitherto have evinced a plentiful lack. Instead of
sending back a brigade to re-open his communica-
tion, he at once divined that this was no mere
cavalry raid on his stores, but a daring if not
desperate attempt to isolate him and fall with
crushing weight on some part of our forces, pre.
liminary to a bold push upon Washington or Bal-
timore. So he promptly faced about and started

from Warrenton and its vicinity with his whole
force—now swelled by reinforcements to some
60,000 or 70,000—determined to know what all
this meant. He marched in three columns by
parallel roads. His central column under
Hooker (Pope himself with it) first en-
countered a rebel force that afternoon at Kettle
Run, a few miles below Manassas, and pushed it
back, killing and wounding 300 of them. Pushing
on to Manassas next morning (Thursday), Pope
found that place had been evacuated three hours
before Mr. Stonewall Jackson, who had moved to
Centreville (north) and thence westward up Bull
Run—doubtless to avoid a conflict with superior
forces and form a speedier junction with the re-

mainder of the rebel army, which was more slowly
following on his devious way from the south side
of the Rappahannock. M'Dowell and Sigel's corps
followed and overtook him, and a fight ensued with
a general advantage to our side, which was only
terminated by darkness. Jackson held his ground
with desperate tenacity, knowing that a disorderly
retreat was destruction, while the bulk of General
Lee's army must be coming rapidly to his rescue.
We took 1,000 prisoners.
12. Friday morning, General Pope concentrated
his forees and pushed on after Jackson, who by this
time had been heavily reinforced by the rebel
main army_ A desperate battle ensued, partly on
the Bull Run battle-ground of last year, our

troops this time approaching it from the south.
The Unionists had the best of it, holding the battle-
ground at dark, though with a loss of eight thou-

sand killed and wounded. General Pope estimates
the rebel loss at twice that number. We were the
assailants throughout.

13. The next morning (Saturday) the positions
were reversed. The rebel grand army—estimated
at two hundred thousand in all—had now nearly
or quite all come up, and they, being much the
stronger party, assumed the offensive. They
gained ground upon us during the day. At
night General Pope's headquarters were at Cen-
treville, to which strong position his whole army
had fallen back in good order, and where he had
just been joined by Franklin's corps, while
Sumner's was well on the way to him. (These are
among the best portions of the late army of the
Peninsula.) The two parties had gradually swung
round during these terrible conflicts, so that our
army is once more in communication with Wash-

ington, while_the rebels probably hold the posi,

tions west and south of Bull Run. Pope unques-
tionably is in a position of such strength that he can
defy the enemy till he is so reinforced that he can
again assume the offensive, while, in the meantime,
he is already so strong that they will not venture
to leave him in their rear for any advance toward
the Northern Potomac.

NEW TAXES IN THE UNITED STA7ES

(Fiona the New Fork Herald, Sept. 1.)
To-day begins a new era of this country. To-day
the national tax law goes into operation. Beyond
a few vocal and State taxes, which were felt by none
but owners of real estate, this country has never
been taxed before. lire have jogged along quietly
and comfortably, and have amused ourselves greatly
by laughing at the over-taxed people of England,
where a man is taxed from the cradle to the grave ;
where light, heat, and water are taxed, and where
not only every rich man, but even the poorest pea-
sant, is obliged to pay largely for the privilege
of existence and the blessings of bad govern-
ment. Now, however, the laugh is to be on the
other side. We, too, are to pay taxes, and it be-
hoves us to remember the great object for which they
arc imposed, and to bear them with a good grace.
Taxes are a very bitter medicine ; but if well taken,
the benefits they will confer upon the nation are
incalculable.

A heavy tax is one of the necessities of this war.
Hitherto we have paid our war debts with paper
money, or promises to pay, and now these promises
to pay must be redeemed. There are very few sorts
of business that will escape taxation, and the in-
come tax roaches all classes of our citizens, except
those who do not earn over 600 cols. a year. Even
these poorer classes will be indirectly taxed by the
rise in the prices of all kinds of articles, from clothes
to patent medicines. In general terms, then, the
tax may be said to include every person, and no
one can avoid being affected and influenced by it.
Already our gas companies have notified their
customers that 15 per cent. will be added to their
bills to meet the tax. This measure has excited
much grumbling and dissatisfaction, but it is
perfectly fair and legal. The principle that
the consumer pays the tax is equitable, be-
cause the shoemaker makes UP the tax that
he pays for gas by raising the price of his
boots and shoes; the tailor who buys boots and
shoes rai~sca the price of clothing ;the merchant who
buys clothing raises the price of his goods;
and so,
all being at once consumers and tuanufcturers, the
tax comes equally upon all. Persons with fixed
salaries will feel the tax- most, and Pay the most
taxes.

The effect of ele tax will be to deepen
public sen-
timent. The people will be less ready to excuse the
mistakes of our Government and Our generals, and
the administration will either be immensely popular
or unpopular iu exact proportion to is merits. The
war will be better conducted, fur every man, having
the war, will
to pay his money towards carrying on
insist and assist that it shall be properly prosecuted
and speedily and gloriously concluded. Greater
economy will become necessary both in national and
Personal affairs. The people will now sea that a

Government contract job is a swindle upon each one
of them personally, and that robbing the national
treasury is precisely equivalent to picking every
citizen's pocket. This knowledge will make the
public less careless in the selection of officials, and
less inclined to overlook or forget any official cor-
ruption. Thus the taxes will reform' the Govetvh-
ment by reforming the ,people. The necessities ,OT
personal economy will make the people terribly in,
earnest in regard to national economy, and ex-
tremely sensitive in regard to the utterances of the
press, which professes to be the organ of the people.
When people who now wear several coats a-year
can 'afford only one or two; when ladies who now
wear half a dozen silk dresses a-year get along
nicely with one, and ladies who have one get along
nicely with muslins; when people who now have a
dozen dishes for dinner can afford but simple fare;
whenihotels are compelled to give more comfort and
less luxury ; when restaurants are obliged' to cut
down their bills of fare; when those who now ride
in cars and stages prefer to walk; and when those
who roll in their own carriages patronise the cars
and stages; when fine ladies reduce both the size
and the number of their bonnets, and adorn them-
selves more with nature's roses and less with
jewels and laces; when persons who now reside in
large houses move into smaller ones ; when persons
who now live in palatial mansions exchange brown
stone and marble for plain brick—then every man,
woman, and child will have a personal interest in
the government and in the yak and we may be
assured that the government will be more respected
and better administered, and the war more ener-
getically and vigorously conducted. None value a
thing so much as they who pay dearly for it.

We have no doubt, then, that the effect of taxa-
tion will be most beneficial to the national character
and the national welfare. The Americans are a
very adaptive people, and very seldom quarrel with
circumstances, greatly preferring to make the best
of what cannot be avoided. To the astonishment of
all Europe we have begged to be taxed, and now we
shall astonish Europe still more by paying our
taxes as readily and supporting them as easily and
turning them to our own advantage as speedily
as if we had never known what immunity from
taxation was, or as if we accepted the tax as a
special blessing, even though it be a blessing in
disguise.