Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-06-27
Letter from Washington.
WASHINGTON CRY, ID. c.,
June II, 1861.

aware ere this Of the complete evacuation Of
llarpers Ferry by the vaunting Confeder.
ated Rebcls--taking with them all the valu-
able machinery appertaining to the exten-
sivc Government works at that place, and
utterly demolishing the bridges and Govern
ment buildings. This, to the extent of the
escape of the rebels and destruction and ap.
preparation of public property, is dead loss
to the Government, while the advantage to
to our troops in the way of an important and
commanding position as rendezvous for ad
vancing columns is very considerable.
Forty-eight hours more would have shown
a different state of affairs at the Ferry than
that now presented. Some five or six thous-
and troops had already lett this city to rem
devious at Winchester, Va, at which point
they were to have been met by the advanc-
ing column from Cumberland, thus effectu-
ally cutting off the retreat of the rebels from
the Ferry, while they would have been at
tackled by General Cadwalader with the
troops moving upon the Ferry from the
direction of Chambersburg Pa. The whole
scheme for the capture of the Ferry was, in
amilitary point pfview, mastery concocted,
and would have proved entirely successful
had it not have been for the reprehensblc
imprudence Of the Press, especially of the
New York press; which, through its numer-
Gus and prying agents and correspondents,
obtained, published with diagrams of To-
calitles, and circulated the intended opera
tions of the War Department, long ere it
was in the nature of things practicable for
it to bring them to u successful issue.
For reasons palpable to the most SUPER
fetal observer, this espionage of the great
daily papers should be curtailed if not entire
ly suppressed.
The effect of this anticipating and uniusti-
fiably publishing the intended operations of
the War Department cannot but be in the
highest degree injurious and embarrassing
to the Goyernmcnt-witnesst the escape of
the rebels from the Ferry.
From the most reliable sources of infor-
nation it is believed that there is upwards
of 10000 rebels entrenched behind several
hundred cannon, mortars and Columbiads,
at Manassas Junction, but twenty miles dis
tant from Washington. There is little doubt
but that they have a number of excellent
Field Officers and highly accomplished en-
gineers. Their .entrcnchmonts are said to
be very formidable, and from all that can be
ascertained. tremendous and decisive
struggle may be anticipated at that point
God grant that it may prove death blow to
treason. -
| have passed several evenings with the
Ohio boys, and can safely assert, since the
reception of their new uniforms, that they
compare fivorably with any regiments |
have seen from any of the States. | was at
the camp ofthe lst Regiment when the order
was received to prepare for marching, and
when it was acertaincd that Virginia was to
be their destination, never did witness such
unbounded enthusiasm. Indeed the men
appeared to be almost frantic with excite
ment and joy. They will give good account
of themselves, and will shed no discredit on
the dear old Buckley State. Ofthat you may
rest assured.
We are on the eve of momentous events.
So stupendous indeed, that the whole civil
lied world stands, as it were, with suspended
respiration, awaiting in dread suspense the
overture to the terrible drama about to be
enacted upon the American political stage.
The question whethera Republican Govern
mcnt can be sustained and perpetuated, a
question that has been agitated in the di-
plomatic circles of Europe for years, and
which has received no small attention and
solicitude at the hands of our own states
men, is about to determined. One of the
great essential requisites of Government,
that of the possession of the power to
crush rebellion, is about to be tested in this
the, 'Model Republic" The determination
of the question is fraught with results of in
calculable magnitude for veal or woe, not
only to ourselves but to unborn millions of
our own posterity, and Of the posterity of
every nation on earth.
In view of the overwhelming Importance
of the issue involved, it behooves every true
patriot, every liberty loving, tyranny hating
citizen, whether in the first blush of youth,
or far advanced in the "sear and yellow leaf
to buckle OF his armor, and rush to the
rescue of our beloved Constitution, the
palladium of our liberties and the sheet
anchor of our hopes. The hour for hesita-
tion is past and gone. The enemies of our
time honored and dearly purchased fran
chises are in the field in formidable numbers,
and have boldly faunted their piratical flag
to the breeze. They have already spoken
their reasonable designs with the cannon S
mouth at Sumter and elsewhere. and are
daily and hourly augmentingi in numbers and
assurance. Is it then time to hesitate and
vainly attempt conciliatory measures? No
The only alternative offered, is the bastard ac-
TEN is a shameful failure, or its vindication,
terrible as it must be necessarily be, at the
point of the bayonet ~ .a
| Than laf fha spirit fbot animated onJ