The national Republican., 1861-06-11
Tuesday, June II, 1861.
+, DO NOT uNDERRATE THE ENEMY

DO NOT UNDERRATE THE ENEMY.
Il is unquestionably true that the rebellion
forces in Virginia are much more numerous
than they have been hitherto accounted in quar-
tessNorth. Twenty days since, there were less
than thirty thousand rebel troops in Virginia.
The men now in arms in that State, if reliance
can be placed in the most credible accounts,
more than double that number. With their
headquarters at Richmond, they have an ad.
vanced camp, strongly fortified, at Manassas
Junction, twenty.seven miles from Washington,
while their extreme right rests upon Norfolk
the seawArd approach to which is substantially
impregnable. Between these points, they have,
We judge, not less than forty thousand troops,
threatening Washington. All the bodies of
troops on this line are in connection with each
other by railway. -....
Besides these, they have the forces at Lees
burg, twenty-five miles from Manassas June
ton, and the considerable force at Harper's
Ferry, which oppose our communications with
the Northwest The two points last referred to
are not in connection by railway with the main
body Of their forces, and the enemy there posted
lack the material for rapid transportation. But
they may, nevertheless, after breaking up the
Baltimore and Ohio and the Loudoun and
Hampshire roads, join the main body of the
enemy further south, or, moving independently
in this direction, enable them to throw perhaps
$4,000 troops upon our lines around Washing.
ton. A long days march, twenty-five miles,
brings the Leesburg troops upon the line Of the
Manassas Gap railway; while, taking rail from
Harper's Ferry to Winchester, the troops at the
Ferry may, by a march of eighteen miles, join the
same road at Strasburg, its terminus The
distance by rail to the junction would be, for
the former troops, thirty-f five miles; for the lat
ter, twice that distance. What the capacity
Of the road in rolling stock may be, or
what time would suffice to move over it such
consider able bodies Of troops, we are unable to
say. 1t is certain, however, that with brave
troops and skillful officers they ought to hold
the very strong position at the Junction till these
reinforcements came up. 1t might be supposed
that it would be good fortune to our cause to
have the enemy await our onset at Harpers
Ferry, where, defeat happening to them, they
might be SO thoroughly routed as to be unable
to pursue their retreat. But it is understood
that they have at Harpers Ferry any amount
Of rolling stock, engines and cars of the Balti.
more and Ohio road, sufficient, if it could be
made available on the Winchester railway, to
carry off even the great body of troops they are
said to have there. The blowing up of the
bridge at Hsrpers Ferry, said to be mined,
would effectualy prevent any eff ectual molesta'
of their retreat.
This is no body of men to despise. All Of
them are brave; some have had discipline in
camp. Their arms are in the main good, de.
fective in some instances, but all efficient in
brave mems hands. With this body of men
lying in front of us, we may believe that we
have stern work to do. In the enemy's camp,
the word on every soldiers lip is " Washing
ton | Forward to Washington !" The forward
march in this direction will be somewhat trou
g. blesome. We have, encamped on both sides Of
the Potomac, near forty thousand men, the finest
body Of men that have yet stood TO arms in this
country, men animated with q stern and uncon-
querable purpose to vindicate their Government,
to sustain their flag, and to march over the dead
misssriat fast approaching perfection, they are
led BY officers of ability and conduct, at their
head q chieftain who has never lost battle,
whose sense Of eye and ear has not been
dimmed by the flashing artillery and the rolling
drums of a hundred battle.felds. With the
eagle eye of art" he is watching the moves
and purposes Of the enemies clustering on the
Southern horiznn HIS hnart swells with nride
and Joy as he hears the cheers Of the brave and
devoted soldiers around him, who love him be-
cause they know him, and who will go to death
ct his command because they know his pru
dence will require Of them no needless sacrifice
Let our brave soldiers restrain their impa
tience. The battle before us is not to be fought
with hundred thousand men. As the war ad
vsnces, column ofthree times that number will
move with steady step to certain victory in the
South. They are the missionaries Of peace and
freedom. They go to restore to the people Of
the Southern States the rights which horse
riding, slave driving aristocracy have sought tc
take from them. To-day, in Virginia, the hot
bed Of treason, there is, as there always ha,
been, vast majority of white men favorable
to the Union, loving the country, and hating
the false doctrines of Virginia and South Car
olina. They have been over.ridden by a des
perste aristocracy, who have sought to recover
by warike intimidation that predomuance ii
pie at the late national election solemnly de
MED to them. This aristocracy of government
able, unscrupulous, the wonted rulers Of thei