Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-10-10

Wash;n 3ton Correspondence Philadelphia Press
Where will the Confederates Attempt the
Potomac?
The reports we have received concerning
the points at which the Confcderates intend
to cross the Potomac are various and contra
dictory. All know and feel that military
strategy is but the appliance of military sci
ence to existing facts. These facts embrace
localities, the position of the enemy, his
means of transportation, his facility for re-
treat IN case of defeat, aud the rapidity of
advancing large bodies of men upon weakly
defended points.
1t is evident to the plainest common sense
that the Potomac cannot be crossed at any
point between Fort Washington and the
Great Falls, embracing all the positions i'm
mediately in front of Washington, and above
and below it for number of miles. The
object of the enemy, then, must be to cross.
if they attempt it at all, either below or a.
bove this imprcgnablc line of defence.
Should they succeed in crossing, DESPITE
the Potomac flotilla under Commodore Gil
lis, at Freetonc Point, the mouth of Deco
guam, at Aqua Creek, or at any other point
below Washington, with large number Of
men, how could they convey horses, cannon.
heavy munitions of war, wagons, and tent
equlpage across in sufficient quantity or
numbers SO as to constitute force sutlici-
emily formidable or powerful to take the
field, and advance upon Bladensburg, An
napolis or Baltimore? Their means of cross
ing the river consist simply of old fashioned,
Hat bottomed scows, few light river craft.
and some very SMALL Indifferent steamers,
incapable of transporting force of any
numbers, cannon, munitions of war. etc
except in the most limited and timc-consum-
ing manner.
But suppose that process should succeed
in planting forty or fifty thousand Confcde-
rates in the narrow peninsula lying between
the Potomac and Chesapeake bay, these
would have to march over most difficult and
rough roads for more than two DAYS, ere
they could reach any assailable point upon
our rear, with their own rear perfectly un-
protected. and a wide deep river to cross in
case of disaster. Under such circumstances.
an advance upon Bladensburg, Annapolis.
or Baltimore, BY the Confederates, would
pc holocaust hccetomb for they would
mado snt g. series e sia;
upon the positions in front Of Washington
The Potomac, from Point of Rocks, twelve
miles below Harpcrs Ferry, to Cumberland,
following the line of the river, more than a
hundred miles above, is guarded only by a
line of scntries, embracing force of not
more than five thousand men all told
Throughout this whole line, there arc abun-
dant fords, over which we have passed wa
gons, cannon and soldiers These fords are.
in but exceptional cases, not even guarded
by cannon on our side The enemy, there
fore. according to all the doctrine of chances,
all the law Of probabilities, will seek to force
our lines where most weakly defended BY
forcing them at Harper's Ferry, Shepherds
town, Seven Springs Ford, or Williams
port-all practicable fords, especially the
three latter, for all the appliances Of war
they can capture Hagerstown, and advance
directly upon McCIellan's rear in single
days march to Frederick; and thence men
ace Baltimore; or they can rapidly push up
the Cumberland valley into Pennsylvania
valley less susceptible Of defence than any
other in the State, because of its width and
level surface. The latter mode of advance
would raid the richest valley in the State,
exhaust its wealth, threaten Harrisburg,
and monaco Philadelphia.
That Mcclellan fears an attcmpt of the
kind alluded to, and that he has penetrated
the design Of the enemy to advance either
in the Frederick Baltimore direction or
the Hagcrstown- -Chambersburg direction, is
clear from the fact that he is gradually ex-
tending his right wing on the Virginia side
of the Potomac towards Lccsburg by such
a westward movement he scriouly mcnaces
any flank movement the Confcderates can
make in the direction named, whilst he is in
readiness to advance from Alexandria, Ar
lington Heights, the Chain Bridge, and
Great Falls upon their Manassas base of
operations. General Banks must check
mate any such movement by rapid move
westward, and offer those who cross it, it
cross they do, battle upon any terms The
gage of battle once thrown down by them to
him must be accepted on any terms, and
fough q lo entrance.