The Evansville daily journal., 1861-05-31
FRIDAY MORNTNG. .........MAY 81
IIarpel's Ferry.

Harpel's Ferry.
A few days ago, the Louisville Journal
favored us with some croakings as to the
inability of the government to capture this
important point, and hold and possess ,
the public property which the rebels have
been appropriating to their own use. A
fortifcation by nature, with plenty of
ordnance in their possession and the addi-
tions Gen'l Johnston might make to its
strength by the erection of heavy batteries
the Journal concluded that 10000 men
of course such as hail from the South
could hold the place against 200. Our
dispatches this morning indicate that the
rebels not so favorably impressed with their
strength, are becoming uneasy as to their
communication with the South. They are
looking over their shoulders for chance to
run. They are fearful Scott is " stopping
all the rat holes" and that soon his iron
paw will come down upon them with grip
from which there will be no escape. Gen.
Johnston thinks the road for retreat is
still open, and it is readily understood that
General who is bestowing so much atten-
tion as to how and where he shall retreat. js
not very apt to make decisive and firm
stand. 1t is not marching across the bridge
to meet the enemy and then burning it,
to cut off your retreat. General Johnston is
evidently not Cortez, landing his troops
and burning the feet.
Ruf EpparoI T0bpgFo,, :,
JEFF. Davis, who is so ambitious of being
regarded as a great military chieftain, is
the blunderer. He has marched large
bodies of men into Virginia without max
ing any proper arrangement for their subsis-
tance. He must have anticipated that his
soldiers, being 4" fire eaters" could sub
sist on that alone. The reports from all
sections of Virginia are to the effect that
the Confederate soldiers are full of fight and
patriotism, but that these qualities set badly
on empty stomachs. When a messenger,
frightened out of his wits, brought the re-
port to General Scott that about 100, 600
men were assembled near Richmond, the
old chieftain quietly enquired after the bag
6dSO hdBOuS" - pun bSluS luIOTueU IUaJ
nothing of the kind had been seen, he re-
marked to him, Give yourself no uneasi-
ness, one hundred thousand men without
baggage wagons are not at all formidable
The soldiers of Gen'l Johnston at Harper's
Ferry are not so likely to overlook the i'm
portant item of something to eat" as
the Louisville Journal; and so we will
venture a small amount that their invinci-
biity is not so apparent to them as to that
paper warrior. They see Gen'l Mcclellan
moving down on them with a large force
from Wheeling. They turn their eyes in a
northern direction and the dusty squadrons
under General Keim Immediately greet
their sight On the other side, the forces at
the Relay House are quietly closing in
while south, the movement of the federal
troops clearly indicate that the only hole |
left through which to escape will soon be |
closed. What's to be done; retreat while |
we may, or be cooped up and starve. Why,
of course. retreat save our bacon. This,
we doubt not, will be the conclusion of the
Harper's Ferry defenders. We are anxious
to read "Se De Kay's" comments on this
military necessity, as they will appear in
the Louisville Courier.
Virginia, after the storm has blown over
SO as to permit an observation, will present !
the appearance of a field visited by the army
worm. Everything eatabe will have been
devoured, and her citizens will retain moth
ing but worthless Virginia bonds-truly .
rich legacy. Credit destroyed an over
whelmingsspublic. debt, and still in the Union
still one of the United States of America |
still under the Stars and Stripes. How
degrading