Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-06-20
The Evacuation of Harper's Ferry.

This event is no longer in doubt as will be seen by
our telegram in todays paper. Our troops have fallen
back if it 1c have the word so as doubt secure
their connections with the valley of Virginia and with
the main body of the army, by of the Winchester
Road and the Manassas Gap Road. This communica-
ton threatened by column advancing from the
West to take the Railroad in apk and thus the force
at Harpers Ferry would have been pretty eff4ctualy
cut of from its resources for subsistence or reinforce
ment.
All the property that could be removed, has long
since been removed and we learn that large amount
of the machinery is its way to Fayetteville, to be
placed at the Arsenal there which we trust to see
tually dimensions and importance in the con-
structon of not inferior to Harpers Ferry itself
in its best day.
1t would be folly to disguise the fact that this move
ment at Harpers Ferry, although not accompanied by
any oss and voluntarily made the part of the Con-
derate troops indicates that in that section they are
not yet in sufficient strength to maintain the advanced
ground they had assumed and at the same time secure
all their communications. Therefore they fall back
wards their base of operations and supplies Merely
holding Harpers Ferry without the power of advancing
and with the possibility of being isolated and possibly
sacrificed would have been simply to have shut up
many men hoO many it is hard to say. Not SO many
as had been supposed.
1t is proper remark that the weinformed CORES
pendent of the Charleston Courier writing from the
scene of operation, long ten days ago warned his
readers not to be surprised dshearened if they should
shortly hear of the evacuation of Harpers Ferry. 1t
appears, therefore, that the probable necessity of the
step which has just been taken had been foreseen and
allowed for in the plans of the able chief conducting the
movements of the Confederate army.
The truth is that the people of Virginia were not
prepared at all when they seeded Their Legislature
their Convention, their Governor had all been peculiarly
opposed to any preparation at ALL and when the unver
sal demand of the people forced their servants to take
the decisive STEP they had to improVse nearly every
thing necessary for the which they felt to be i'm
pending. They had not ready the means even to crush
treason in of their counties They have sprung
forward and are springing forward like They are
arming drilling and equippng, while meantime, the
morale of the Virginia troops as of the other Conder-
aes is gaining day by day. they steel with the
enemy, in skrmishes. The odds against Virginia
will become less day by day. When Arkansas and
Texas move up to the assistance of the true men
OF Missouri, when Kentucky and Tennessee come
shoulder to shoulder, the Buckeyes, Hoosiers,
Suckers and Pukes of the North West may
find other amusement than in trying to exhibit their
gratitude for the very soil they cultivate by rendng the
bosom of that great State to whose generous donation
they owe it. The New England States and Western
New York won't count much in this fight