Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-06-20
The Virginia Plan of the Campaign,

The New Orleans True Delta has very
interesting letter from it's special correspon-
dent at Richmond. Though reaching US in
such roundabout way, it is nearly as late
as anything from newspaper sources which
we have direct from Virginia 1t is Ger
tainly as important and reads as though it
were reliable:
II am persuaded that within the six
weeks past the strategy Of the Copfederate
Government has undefgone i chsh9e or at
least that it has been caused to take on the
appearance Of change Z
All eyes are turned at present toward
Manassas Junction. The enemy has mass
ed some 10000 or 25, 900 troops at and a.
bout Alexandria, and their numbers at last
accounts were increasing by constant arri-
vals by land and river. 1t is apprehendcd
that they mean to attack us at Manassas
Junction, where we had yesterday about
IL, 900, increased perhaps to Is, 900 men,
under Gen. Bonham, which were being
rapidly reinforced from this city. Civil and
military men here differ, however, as to the
designs of the enemy in that direction
Some regard the demonstration at Alexan-
dria as a fent to make important movements
elsewhere perhaps upon Norfolk, or York
town, or Aqua Creek, or Harper's Ferry,
or some other point.
But Gen. Lee, who is by no means man
to jump hastily to conclusions, appears to
put literal construction on it, He proceed
ed in person to Manassas Junction to-day,
pretty fully convinced that by the act Of
Lincoln's troops-as our Congress word
their war declarations-it was soon to be
the scene of a sharp and bloody contest
But there is no telling. Before this reaches
you the telegraph may tell you that the enc
my continues to pursue policy of gradual
and almost imperceptible invasion, accom-
panied by succession Of small losses and
i.ritations inflicted upon the Confederate
army, until, to save its prestige at home aud
abroad, and to save itself from utter disas-
ter, it will be compelled somehow and
somewhere, to force trial of conclusion in
a.great and decisive pitched battle.
| The massing of Southern troops at vari-
GUS important positions still goes on vigor-
ously Richmond is the general rendezvous
for incoming volunteers, whence. as soon as
inspected and properly outfttcd for active
duty, they are distributed where they seem
most needed. According to rough esti-
mate, I think that there are at this moment
in active service in Virginia about fifty
thousand Confederate troops, namely: about
eight thousand at or near Manassas juno
ton; about FIVE thousand at fredericksburg
and Aqua Creek: about twelve thousand
at Norfolk and its neighborhoed; about FIVE
thousand at Yorktown and williamsburg !:
about fourteen thousand at Harper's Ferry
OF this aggregate, nearly all exclusive of
the force at Harper's Ferry, are SO posted
that they could be concentrated by railroad
at any point between Norfolk and Alexan-
dria within twenty -four hours
About forty thousand, I should think.
might be flung almost at once upon the enc
my, wherever he might plant himself along
that line. But to mass this number at a
given point might leave too scant force
along the board and bays constantly
menaced by the enemy's ships Of war and
transports for landing troops. You see,
then, where is the difficulty With his ships
on one side, and his numbers on the other,
the enemy aims to outAank US and make it
hazardous to attempt a combined movement
upon its centre. | see nothing for it but to
swell our numbers as rapidly as possible,
and hold him in check on the right--tLat
is, towards the sea--whilc we turn his flank
on the left and overthrow him in the centre.