Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-11-29
Froun ma Army Of ahe Poromac.


CGETREvnLE, Nov lit is now the middle Of
November and yet Mcclellan still declines to come
out from behind his works and give us battle For
weeks we occupied the range Of hills just in front
Of his Notifications and in full view OF his Capital
and there Haunted our flag in the face of himself
and his rulers, and defed him to battle He refused
to pick up the glove we had thrown down and In
stead of heading an offensive movement, the object
Of which was to crush out the rebellion he adop~
ted q defensive policy, and devoted all his time
day and night to the safety and protection of his
CAPITAL Ii he refused to fight US at Munson's Hill
where he had his works to fall back upon, viii he
come out twenty miles to CentreTille and measure
swords with as upon the open field Tou know
my opinion upon this point, and it need not be
peated here.
But Johnston and Beauregard are in position to
be better informed than | possibly can be. They
have believed for some weeks that Mcclellan would
fight them before the winter set III aRd hence they
fell back to this place. As he would select the time
for the attack, it entirely proper for them to
select the ground upen which they would receive
him. l understand they still entertain some hope
that they viii have the pleasure of seeing him at
Centreville and if not here, then at some other
point along our lines. It is not probable that an
other attempt viii be made on our left, as the one
already made at Leesburg resulted so dis astrousy
to the Federal arms; but there is some reason to
think it not altogether improbable that an attack is
contemplated the right in the direction of the Dc
eoquaD or Acquia Greek.
The roads other than the turnpikes are already
nearly impossible to artillery and heavy wagons
It is seldom that we have more than two or three
dry days together, and the soil when il does rain
very unfayorable for heavy transportation. A re-
cent excursion across the country satisfied me that
the period has almost arrived when it will be i'm
possible TO conduct offensive operations in the field
refer, Of course, to q general movement looking
to the invasion of the country and the permanent
occupation of our territory. 1t would be utterly
impossible during the winter season for Mcclellan
to keep his army supplied by wagon trains at
distance of fifty miles from Washington his base of
operations, unless he had dozen parallel turnpkes
all leading to the same point. No man without ex-
perience in such matters can form any adequate
conception of the immense am7unt Of Transports
ton required for the movement of an army Not
only the tents, camp-chests and ordinary baggage
have to be transported, but there are the medical
and hospital stores, the ammunition, provisions for
the men and forage for the trains, all of which
have to be carried along.
It is seven miles from this place to Manassas from
which we draw cur supplies, and yet fifteen wa
CONS barely sufficient 70 do the transportation
Of single regiment in camps. The hauling of wood
is very heavy item itself. Il would not be wide
of the mark to say. that the Army of the Potomac
consumes daily in cold weather, the wood or ak or
seven acres of land. The consumption inf cabins
with fire places would not be so great, and it
would be still less in stoves which, understand,
will be used as far as they can be had know of
no part OF DeiOW the llOu0L1llS, WleFe the
soil is not more favorable for transportation and
active field operations even if the climate were the
same than it is in this part of Virginia. NeVerthe>
less, look for more or less activity along the lines
on the Potomac this winter. Small detachments of
from one to five thousand moving PROMPTLY and ra.
pidly, will doubtless be put in motor. Tor the pur
pose of surprising the outposts either side and
of seizing and holding important points.
There is another view which is not without in
terest in this connection. The great question be-
tween the North and the South is fast being mar
rOwed down, In my judgmentto one of boundaries.
The Federal administration and the thinking men
at the North viii soon be satisfied, if they are not
SO already, that they are unable to conquer us or
to reconstruct the Union. The question then is,
what shall be the dividing line? 1t is believed
that the North would be willing to stop the war to-
morrow, if we would consent for them to take
Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and so much of
North Western Virginia as they now occupy. 1t
is for this line the Federal Government is now
fighting. They hold every part of Maryland, and
therefore do not lool, for any general offensive
movement along the line of the Potomac, In Ken@
lucky and Missouri, however, the question of occu-
patton is still in doubt and for this reason the cam
paign will be prosecuted with the greater VigOr IN
the West than in the Esst. The enemy will be sat
isfed if he can hold Washington and Maryland. The
naval expedition to the South which is sure to
come to nought, was undertaken principally with
a view to the division of reinforcements from the
West and the Indictment of our slaves to deeds of
characterization and incendarism. This and all
other similar movements are intended to operate
upon the Southern mind, to bring it to point
where it will consent to the boundary already in
dictated.
But viii the South give up Maryland, Missouri
and Kentucky? Never! We can never lay down
our until the shacBles shall have been struck
from the limbs of Maryland, and Missouri and Ken
lucky have been redeemed from the rule of the op-
pressor. Slavery has marked its own boundary,
and with nothing less than that will the South be
content
There is nothing new to report in the position of
sffairs here. Our men succeed every few days in
capturing some of the enemy's piekets who are i'm
mediatsy sent forwBrd 10 Richmond and points fur
Their South. The weather is becoming disagreeably
wet and cold, especially to in their tents and
on the cold ground. The health of the army, how
ever, continues to improve though it is not yet such
as could desire it TO be- There has been consid-
cradle abatement in the humber of of typhoid
fever, measles and humps, though the army is not
yet free of them. Jaundice is prevailing to great
er extent just now than any other disease.
Indian DepredatiOns.
From Mr.. J. B. Dunn, direct from Western