The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1861-07-20

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W.: are now .. liberty, on the hes. at
thority 10 make public the true motives
actuating Gen. johnson. In what the
Northern, and soma Of the Southern pa.
pers, have called the Evacuation Of
Axrper's Ferry" The General, like 9th.
or military mon Of education. had long
known that Harper's Ferry, in ifsaf, is
faulty and untenablc, from the facility
with which it can be- turned II lies IA
it we're in the small end Of funnel,
tho broader end Of which could, with
great ease, be occupied by the enemy.
The heads directing the operations Of the
Yankee forces were well aware of this
fact, but forgot that there were fully AS
astute heads on our side. The minute
and able Investigations Of Major Whit.
ing, Chief Engineer to General johnson,
had satisfied GA, lcadc . Of the justncss
Of these views. 1t was well known that
General Scotia plan WAS TO turn Har-
pcr's Ferry by column from Pennsyl.
vania, under General Patterson, effect =
junction near Winchester or Strasburg
with another column Of McClcllau's army
passing through Romney, and cut of
Bcaurcgaid 's and Johnsons armies from
each other. This plan was completely
foilcd, and the enemy checkmated 1t
their own game. ~ we shall explain.
On or about Thursday. the 18th inst,
Gen. johnson having waited Ut Harpcr's
Ferry long enough to make the enemy
believe that he int. led 10 contest that
position to the last. and learning that
they were advancing IN Wil'iamsport
and Romney. sent portion Of his force
to Winchester by rail. On Friday he
continued this movement, sent back his
tent eqnipage and other heavy baggage,
his sick, &c. set fire to, and burned the
railroad bridge, aud such Of the public
buildings AS could be burned without
cndangering private property, spiked
such Of the heavy guns at Harpcf's Ferry
~ could not be removed. and on Satnr-
day moved, with his whole army, march
ing ON foot, in the direction Of Winches'
ter. oncamping abou, $ miles South west
of Charlcstown. Tie enemy. taking this
movement, as it was intended they
should take it, ns retreat, crossed a
Brigade of their advance division, cen
handed 10y General Cadwallader, who
Joined their forces on Saturday or Sun.
day morning. which WAS moved forward
towards Aartinsburg.
On Sunday morning, however. Gen
johnson changed his line Of march, At
right angles, aud moved square towards
Martiosburg. encamping =. Bunker Hill,
on the Winchester and Msrtinsburg
turnpike, twelve miles from Nartinsburg
to oder battle there, or advance and At
tsck il necessary This movement placed
the enemy in "prcdicament.' He had
not crossed bis whole force, and II tho
opposing forces had closed he must have
been beaten in detail He therefore
"Ackno W lodged the corn turned tail md
rctrcs,ed. recrossed the river and cvacn.
a,ed the Valley. retiring beyond llagcrs.
town. 4 Lieutenant Colonel and other
members Of the 9Th Pennsylvania Volnn'
tccrs, we're taken prisoners during the
retreat.
A day or two after this. Col. Hill. 18Th
Virginia Regiment, in command OF .
par, OF the forces who had rctrcatcd
from Harpcr's Ferry, and who had been
pushed forward towards Romncy, ~
our readers have learned from our Sat
urday's edition. sent toward New
Greek, on the Potomac river, eighteen
miles west of Cumberland, four compa'
MES of Tennessee and Virginia troops.
under Colonel Vaughan. Of Tennessee,
who found the Yankees posted ON the
MARYLAND side Of the Potomac. Our
brave fellows, in the face of the enemy.
forded the stream, waist deep, drove them
on in the utmost confusion, captured two
pieces Of loaded artillery and stand OF
colors. DESTROYED the railroad bridge at
that point, aad returned to Romncy, ma
king a march Of thirty-six miles and
gaining a brilliant victory, within twSn-
ty hours
Our readers will thus see what Gen
Johnson's retreat from Harpcr's Ferry
has done. 1t has thoroughly broken up
Gen. SCOTS paper programme, destroyed
his whole western combination, and com
pellcd him to remodel his whole plan.
If our retreats" do thus much, we wait
with confidence to see what our advan'
ccs will do. In the meantime. we beg
leave to recall to our readers rccollec'
ton the old motto Of this paper, Nous
yerrons r-RisAmond Enquirer.
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