The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-10-21
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
JOUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
CKsrnxyrtrz. Oct. Is. lsel.

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is, why it was done. and to this l can only
reply that orr Generals, who have thus fai
conducted the cam paign with entire success.
deemed 1t expedent TO do so. When we re-
member that our army is commanded b.
job nston, the greatest General of the age
and by Beaure2ard, the most skiliful engl-
necr, and by smith, man of great ability
and thorough training we can well afford TO
accept expsdisnov as 81 reason for any move
ment that may seem singular and urcalled
f1r, Ivy those who know nothing OF the Ge-
signs of the enemy In saying this DO not
ush to BE- uuGersio od 10 say that the people
should submit IL be led blindly 10y these men,
however skiiitul and great they IN ~ oa with
out having the privilege of critieising or dis
oussing their acts. IN the ontrary, hold
That all our civil, us well - military officers
oeriye their powers frC Iii the people, and arr.
to certain extent, amsnabie to them for
their deeds. The people caused the move
ment which brought afous this w r. the PEG
pie iEaugurated the war they sent their
sous, brothers, and kirsmen to fight the bat
Tie; they furnish the means ana are 10 derive
the futare te4 e;ite OF the struggle, or share
tue dis etefs, shouid any occur They are,
therefore, entitled tn know aAs much OF the
couuuCG Of tie war rs prn pnee VIII permit
When Il is necessary u carry out some piec+
o. strategy or attain SOME desired etd whrr-
great seer ey Is necessary IL prevent furnish
Tag Information TO the eGenlt then th+ prop
should submit 10 the temporary iucohyell
enCTnt being deprived oj !ucis that wtli or
dIuuTiig be given them. Oar country IS over
ran WIih spies, WAC gather their i'iformatioI
ct our movements and designs from lhrlf
t;G,a>, md then commun ic,tie 1t To tile Lin
cola Gov.Tnment. IL VIII be seen, then, tina
1t h -ctlut5 necessary to tct win the great.
c. utlU.. u Withhold for a time all liz lb1rLtnt
movements, and to keep The secrets OF tia
campaign from all, except the commanding
Ge- erals. II the people h3yr confidence ~
tncir Generals, ,hey wIii be perfectly willing
To submit 10 anything that the good OF tnt
cOuu ~ Ttqutr,S--;LlG who Is there tOat GOES
NOT have confidence in such men as Jot,Estcn,
b. urtsa ara, smith, t4oHg,ireet Van Dorm,
Stuart, ana yhtIr Conirerss?
sorue time ago; WhIte speaking OF the occu-
patton OF unsun's hIli, i remarked that il,
together with tie neikhDortng eniEences,
cOnsd ie made, by the ertCtion OF field iOruil-
cations, gOCa iIne for defensive operations,
ana that counter works could be mace oppo-
site those vi The enemy that would DE- valuable
"a check his advanCe. Thu Whole chain OF
hills from Ie~Insviiie to Springfield would
make an admirable base for defensive opera
JlouS, hut would be OF little value Il 5as- OF
OFT nsiye movements. They were ui1tenabie
unless strongly fortified, alu t:iiS would nave
ecesSi ;,tted Il siege which N iGht have proved
as long ald as serious as HE s;tge OF Seodstu-
POI The good people gruInO ied considerably
at the idea Oi giving up any territory one" oe-
O. pied, bat a tht same time they gruIn hied
al the inactivity or delay al The army. They
did not seem t. consider that TO ho'd a posi-
Dou lninetiItieiy under the enemy S BATTERIES,
ana Withil range OF bis cannon, IL would be-
necessary IL have toruica1IOns, ana that The
construction Of them would cost our meA
1Iaty months OF manual LABOR ana OF tedious
g"IFlSon guy. CIuHteeTs are OF little value
10 garrison It fort, and soon get uenoraiiLcd II
Ae:.l inactive in camps Hence we hnl q
reason Ior ola SeOtt's dislike tor them as ais
system Of tactics IS based upon u 1UruTcaton
III the country over which his army advances.
I at SyStt 1T Ui Ma 0itOu OF q. Marlborough IS
best suited 10 VUlun eer srmS-!Oug ana
rapid marches, frequent BATTLES, and decisive
movements. Although have tniis I II
stood entirely on tiie defensive, the Tune may
GENE " hen IL il be advis bic 10 at on til
OtC,usiYt, and therefore Il Hsid suitable fYr
bOth IS Mh..t = needed for successful oper
tiaV5. Ii Wttl b. rtpit Iubs red, also, That W.
are fighting 4 subJugaung army. DhnSon's
hill WIS eYacuHt,i, ..iiu W. fiji ttck To + II
taA for tilue, where 4 better field for II far
H. Il offered Itself. This was a direct chat
i@nge 10 Mcclellan, which he refused to ac.
DJi,t, auu tOr Il mon IN every opportunity was
offered. with the advantage OF IA <loll ana
point oi attack decidedly Ia Ais favor. tor
t"o weeks oar iurce kept the grand army
within good ruli.iins distance OF their fOruti-
cations, never iousing an occasion To give
:ncm II showing Ter "a Ttgut.
ii Oue looks 1T the nap OF virginia, he Will
that the Potion &C, from Eurptr's Ferry
a. t'Ol' [ t;lf btlOW liS- iHdn' II curve tAtt-
Waru, sweeping il its course by tue cIti-S OF
GVCr4 ti0wr, Wastin gtoD, and AieXandrjt,.
tur forces are scattered from Duutries 10 the
Shenandoah. Draw a line through between
yhe two points nd II Ulli i:,i. not FAR troln
where We row are. Washington ana the
ri1 lat and II funk Of our lice will be about
equidi-tant from each other. 1t c;tn really
be stem thar, were tn re- no other advantages,
The ObcU patton % This line brings Cur fore in
a position be easily concentrated 1t
either OF the three places mentioned, should
il become necessary 10 do SO. There arr
also s me ADMIR- bic natural positions here
whareOn 10 m.GCpuvre troops, and posi-
lions where both armies could have an op-
rorturity of crossing iancFs in n open Held.
The ukers h1Eiu once occupied the
country, have made most elaborate Surveys
of the ground, and undoubtedly have the
bcs. possible Typographical maj rs and DIR w
inrs OF very hill, wood, and valley, us wtH
as the course ard condition of every TO 81 .,fid
hve way. If, then. they rifer b TIL" her, it
viii he with as good knowledge of th@ cCun-
try rs we have ourselves. neither NJ CitI-
I'm will accept this rs the battle ground, or
viii choos some other, III kps 40 diff renee
tn ~ is none, pCob3 bly,, that would OFF, his
army Of oenup4tiOn better OppOr tunitias.
These Of course ar. m ars sFecTl l. tons i'll re-
gard 70 4 movement, the success OF which can
oulv fe determined III the ia ture For the
l,irs ~ we nlust pUJ what construction on 1t
we p'e.se and await patieutIy the result,
content L. know that our men arn ready 70
n eet The enemy anyhow, anywhere and on
auV terms. tbuf tffftCfiS nave COZ Ut"ilfP III
thtSi The MEN Il we confidence in their
Genera as Whenever or wherever it comes,
the 4 xt b TIL viii b. a decisive one and will
tell powerfully upon this country and this
nation.
Tu sdav night IN order WIS issued tn the
troops 10 prepare 10 march Ill moments no.
tiee. Some supposed thot the great battl
was beginning, and made III prep ra tons for
fight nd *or serious time OF it. BV o clock
everything WiS ready, the tents Were strHcf
the h gg ge RAINS started aud the whole army
gotten in movable condition. Up TO this
time the reai object of the change had not
been k9own, but il became generally under
500 that it was not to be an Immediate adj
vance, and that, fer the present, Fairfax was
t. he abandoned t. the enemy. This, of
course, caused great CONSERVATION among the
ciliZans of the town, whc flew hither ana
thither through the village half frantic will
DISNEY. Carpet bags and trunks were hastily
and closely packed; rooms and houses We're
stripped OF their TainibtSS; HORSES ana cattle
were driven from the farm va rds. and every
vehicle that rolled on wheels was pressed
Into Rervica. About ten O'Clock the cxeIte-
mint was ntei Sc. For once the qnet old
town, in whose streets the grass has grown
since the time Lord Fairfax trod over thesn,
was turned upside down. The trees seemed
to d. nee about in the widest manner, and TO
chatter up TO the venerable brick piles, which
kept time to tn music OF some imaginary
Piper of Niece" Regiment after regi.
ment filed through the streets; long trains of
transport wagons, droves of toiliDg ana low
in b.eves en-, tlc;ides OF horses batteries Of
artillery, companies and squads, of men and
lines of stragglers, singing snatches OF
familiar songs, PASSED by ia orderly march.
Between The Court House and the hotel and
far down the road beyond the town, beyond
our lines, up and down "a wild scent present
ed Itself. On every side huge lon Iires were
blazing, sending up masses OF smoke which
blaekened the atm0s pbers, and spreading ont
like Il funeral pail, half cbseured the stars,
which shore with unusual briillancy. Heavy
black CLOUDS gathered themselves ovrrhe III
as if to prepare for orderly retreat; and
the gibDous moon, like the goddess Juno in
her silver chariot, came. out - chass the da rk
I-Iff fr., fI,a uty.s