The Nevada Democrat., 1861-07-09
spocuIatiOns about the Campaign.

specuIatIons about the Campaign.
The Washington correspondent of the
Bulletin has the following speculations on
the campaign;
While Gen. Beauregard and JEFF. Davis
tell their men that they intend making
descent on Washington, | do not believe
they seriously entertain such an idea now,
for in such case defeat would surely be
theirs; and although an action or retreat
demOralizes Gen. Beauregard's forces serl-
ously, great and overw whelmiug defeat would
only augment the evil. But he cannot rea-
son with the rabbe army whom he seeks TO
keep to the sticking point by proclamations
full Of notorious falsehOOds, aud addressed
TO the ignorance rather than the intelligence
Of his audience Ii he were TO tell them he
cannot take Washington, mutlny would
probably be The result. His only recourse
ia to make them believe be designs all ad-
vance upon the Capital, and thus bold bis
men together in the hope that 'somethlng
may turn up" to relieve him, or until The
advance Of Sc0tts surrounding columns, or
the scarcity of supplies, shall show his men
that, after all, Richmond is better point
at which to make the stand than either
Phillippi, Harper's Ferry, or Manassas
Junction.
The latter point is only q or 80 miles
distant from Washington. Beauregard has
$4,000 men there, with al abundance OF
artillery, seized at the Norfolk Navy Yard.
He can probably concentrate $4,000 troops
there, by Withdrawing those now delendln-
Richmond but that would leave The new
capital of the Southern COniederacy eX.
posed TO certain capture by the Federal
columns advancing towards it from Fortress
Monroe, and JEFF. Davis will never permit
this, we may be sure for whenever the
Confederate army does abandon Manassas
Junction, the only point in Virginia where
it can hope TO make a stand is at Richmond,
and driven from that, it is expelled forever
from the soil Of the Old Dominion.
But the Junction, as a military position
is one of the most untenatle in the State,
and cannot long be held. 1t has no water
except what is drawn from wells. and that
ia insufficient for 30 large body of men
As consequence, this indispensable article
has to be hauled from stream four miles
distant from the camp. Besides, the juno
ton can be easily surrounded, now that
Harper's Ferry and Leesburg are in our
possession, aud that is precisely what Gen.
men with whom converse, believe that
the retreat from Manassas to Richmond
will begin within week at most. Such,
too, understand to be the expectation Of
Gen. Scott, who is now concentrating all
the additional disciplined troops at bis dis
pOsal, to press rapidly on Richmond, before
the enemy shall have bad time to further
strengthen bis position there.
Thus Gen. PatlersOn's columns of $4,000
men, including about $500 regulars, are
advancing to this point, their presence at
Harper's Ferry being no longer required;
and the Second Rhode Island regiment,
previously ordered to Harrisburg, has been
directed to proceed at once to the Capital.
There may be 40 900 men at Richmond and
its environs and approaches to day, but
they are poorly clothed. worse paid, and
badly disciplined. Scotl's policy is now to
give them no time for improvement, more
than he can help.