Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-02
TIE UPPER AND LOWER POTOMAC.
Ia iIIIy Of Military Operations and Dis
position Of Ihs People

CsrrsspoL dsncs Of the New Orleans PicAyune.
FAnFA1, Sept 19.-From the region of the Chair
! Bridge, in the direction of the Upper Potomac,
! find the country much less broken and rugged than
| before Arlington Heights 1t is also, under better
cultivation the soil Is better, especially for fruit
the ceaeal grains and the horses and cattle larger
! finer and fAtter The people, moreover, are of :
better Glass; have longer been in possession q their
estatee and consequently families, have deeper
interest in them. The late occupants Of the soil il
! lower Fairfax county and the Virginia side Of the
old district of Columbia, were for the most part
new Corners from New Jersey who bought up the
old worn out lands, in the vicinity Of the Federal
Capita, at a low price few years since, and were
| busy making most out OF them when the war open
| ed upon them. The most of them originally sym
! pathized with the Northern army, or became com
mited to it in its advance and afterwards ID with
| it.
Not so with the people of Louloa and other coun-
ties above. Most of the present occupants of the
soil inherit it from their fathers. they did from
their fathers before them AMI with the inheritance
all the pride and reul farming which attaches to
family possession found their houses and barns
tie rfOre in cd coalition their feds well feltOw
ed, and their richards OF apples pears and peaches
well filed with ripe, gushing fruit The vines. alse
hung full Cf luscious grapee, and everything iniI
Gated prosperous and cOntented people. Only a
few corners, like those in the n-ighbOrhOOd #
Washington, have forsaken the country. and pre-
blbly but few who msia in 1t have been disposed
=.
Nor have they been tempted. except by occasional
invading parties from the other side. 1t is not be
lieved that the msjsrlty Of the people of Mary
land on the opposite shore dIsafaCted towards
u.s. though it is probable they have to appear IN
favor of the Black Republican cause SO long az
they have Northern army in their midst. This
army has never at any time, been very large, but
sufficiently to silent unarmed country people The
condition Of poor farmer surrounded by famiy de
pendent upon him. in the midst of an Invading army
is miserable and helpless in the extreme. Whatever
may be his political sympathes personal dslikeE
he Is compelled to the most abjeet silence, even TO
give food and lodging to those upon whom he may
look as his own and country's Oppressors. This
was the case with thousands on the Virginia side of
the Potomac during the advance OF the Northern
army and 1t would be strInge if 1t was not so to
great extent in Maryland. 1t is folly to say that he
could resist, however much we nay admire the
spirit that would dictate it. Il is clearly impossible
He would thereby render himself liable to arrest
and imprisonment and his family to insult and ban
ishment, while his and their home would be made
desoate.
The usual course in such cases has been for the
head of the family or one of the non combatant
members Of the same to remain quietly at home,
while those capable Of bearing arms entered the
army. 1t was thus the invaders found only old men
and women in their advance on Manassas here il
Virginia. and l presume the same is the case in
Maryland. Indeed, we know very well, from the
numerous custments from the other side into our
army, that this is the csse Already there are at
least three thousand fighting haryanders doing ser
vice in our midst and very many of them are from
the counties the opposite shore Of the upper PO>
tomac.
The Upper Potomac for the distance Of many
miles, between Leesburg and the falls below, Is
fordable at many places the whole year round ex-
cept during very high water. At present howsv-
er, the water is very low, and, l Learn from the
country people, will continue to grow lower till
about the 10th or 18th of November. For the space
of six weeks, therefore, military operations can be
carried with perfect safety both sides of the
river. We have passed the rainy and already
entered upon the dry. Many Of the mountain runs
still full from the effect of passing showers but
their contributions have but little Influence upon
the river. For nearly two weeks row 1t has been
easy for large bodies OF men to pass over ct the
principal fOTds, and within the space of two weeks
more, am assured. it vii become forbade at al
most every point. The current in many places IS