The national Republican., 1861-09-10
Geo. N. weGton. Editor.
: Tuesday, September 10, 1851.
the MILITARY sITUATIOS.

-yy SSfs~s- IVY .~~'.
THE MILITARY sITUATIoS.
We at length get the par iculsrs Of the rebel
attempt TO obtain possession Of Lexington, Of
which we have had varying accounts by tele-
graph. Itseems that the rebels first surrounded
the town, and having obtained possession o!
ex-Gov. King, Judge Ryland, aud William S.
Field, as prisoners, commenced negotiations |
for the surrender Of o fort held by the Home |
Guards. Their failure in this was followed b.
skirmishes extended over several days, In
which the rebels lost eight killed and many
wounded the Home Guards having none killed
but several wounded. In the course of these
operations, the national troops destroyed a
warehouse and other buildings on the north
side Of the Missouri river, in which the rebels
we're finding shelter. The rebels were numer.
Gus, but do not appear to have displayed cour-
age, or enterprise. in any part Of the affair.
They finally broke up, one part going toward
Independence, and Gen Reid, with the prison
ers, going toward Fort Scott Some consider
able squads, however, continued to hover about
Lexington.
II is still said that Mccullough is moving
back to Arkansas. He gained nothing by his
inroad into Missouri, except an amount Of
hard fighting at Wilson's Greek, which will
probably satisfy his men with that sort Of pas
time for c long time to come.
1t Is becoming constantly more manifest that
the tactics Of the late Gen. Lyon, in attacking
the enemy at Wilson's Creek, were wise, as
we'll as brave. The attack might have been a
complete success, but for certain accidents and,
"a il was. enabled our forces TO retreat unmo.
lested to Rolla. 1t inflicted a terrible loss
upon the enemy, in killed and wounded, and
in the destruction Of his wagon trains. He has
not yet recovered from the decentralization Of
the battle be was obliged to encounter. One
Of the results Of 1t is the retreat Of MeCul
Tough.
From Southeastern Mi.so"-i. Pillow seems to
have crossed over into Kentucky, so as to have
q secure retreat by land into the bosom Of nis
own beloved Tennessee. II be had remained
on the right bank of the Mississippi be nigh
have been cut of, and Pillow, without chance
to run, would feel like a fish out of water
Hardes has retreated to Arkansas, IT, indeed, h,
has ever been 10 Missouri. which is now said by
The St. Louis Republican to be somewhat doubt
ful. Since Pillows retreat, as indeed before
no one seems able to conjecture how many or.
ganizsd rebel troops there are In Southeastern
Missouri. Gen. Preutisss force. which marched
from Ironton to Cape Girardeau without fad
ing any, has now started for Sykeston, where
entertainments are reported to have been thrown
up, in the hope Of finding some, but with whs,
luck, remains to be seen.
An eminent lawyer, upon being asked what
bis rule in charging fees was, replied, that h,
charged all his conscience would possibly
allow, and then doubled 1t. In estimating tie
number Of these rebels anywhere, the reverse
rule, of taking the lowest number Justified b.
the evidence, and then taking half Of that, vii
be found good one.
Upon general survey Of affairs in Missouri
II may be said that the rebellion there will JUS
about consume the time which Cen. Fremon
still has before the proper season for his ad
vance upon New Orleans, and will affort
q desirable opportunity for prscticing ant
training his troops
In Western Virginia, we have as yet, no con
frmation of the defeat of Floyd's force on tn
lst instant, but we have report that, da
before yesterday, General Rosecrans wa
" s,oesping through the mountains in full force.
These are stirring and iuspiriting words, an
dispose us to hope for great events
On the side of North Carolina we have COL
tinued accounts of the panic created by th
Hatteras affair. Thousands are already in
quiring what they shall do to be saved, an
Unionism is breaking out at many point
There is really no n ore Of it there than in tn
other States now under the reign of the terror
lists. II. helpless sort Of Unionism, as almot
everywhere else, incapable OF any independsu
action, but likely to be useful in restorin
order, when the old flag appears with q su1
cent number of steady bayonets to make
respected.