The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-11-27
Furnishes Change Of Front.

The Philadelphia Press speaks as fol-
lows in relation to the recent change of
base of operations of the Army of the
! Potomac -
That Gen Burnside has changed his
front In the face OF the enemy creates no
| little surprise. Some weeks ago we OBJ
| served In this column that the campaign
! iusus arated by Gen. Mcclellan with the
intention Of seizing the Blue Ridge gaps,
and msrching upon the eneny's communi-
c. ton and lines ofretreat between 6ordons-
! vile and charlottesville, WAS ended, for
| the hoped for result was not obtained
| General Lee and his army having reached
| Gordonsville in safety before our advance
( cavalry had reached point within TWEEN
| ty miles of it snd it became optional with
| Lee to fight bsttle with our superior
! forces, at the foot of the mountain, or fall
back slowly and securely to his fortified
! base at Richmond As it was most i'm
| polite in the rebel commander 10 risk q
| heavy engagement with little hope Of sue
cess, he has retreated to his capital, leav-
ing force in the Shenandoah Valley as an
| army Of observation ana occupation for
foraging and obtaining information. The
advantage of III oving to Fredericksburg are
very evident. 1t may be no better or safer
point from which to operate against Rich
mond than Culpeper, because the former
position may be as easily turned or fianked
as the latter. But Fredericksburg is an
excellent point for supply depot, because
we can use the Potomac and Rappahannock
rivers for the transportation OF supplies all
the winter through, assisted by the rail
road from Acquia Creek. Again, the
| difficulty OF wagIDg war in Virginia rem
ders 1t necessary that large army in
active operation should be instantly con-
| rected with its supply depot by railroad,
and this will be found leading from
Fredcri ,kshurg all the way TO Richmond.
Two days march along this road will bring
our army to a point where it can obtain
supplies from points on the Ware, York,
James, and Rappahannock rivers. Three.
or four days march from Fredericksb sbulg
will bring us in front Of Richmond again,
and give the Army Of the Potomac
reinforcement of 50 900 men, besides wood
Ell and iron clad gunboats in abundance.
This route is the short one also, and by
taking it we force the rebels Immediately
from the Shenandoah valley and open the
road to Staunton for General Cox.
The same paper adds:
The advantages likely to result from this
prediction of General Burnside are many
and important. The army is now at least
sixty miles nearer its destination, its line
Of communication is secured beyond the
possibility Of interference from the rebel
General Jackson, it cannot possibly be de-
1aved for u,pt If Sr1rrl;eS apd ~ iS NO
longer crippled in its movements by the
necessity of defending Washington. These
are the more apparent advantages, and
highly significant as they are there are
others of much greater value, which may
be reasonably anticipated. Gen. Burnside
has flanked the rebel position at Gordons-
vile, which may already be abandoned by
General Lee, or must be spec lily. Lee
can reach Richmond sooner than our army,
but Stonewall Jackson cannot. Al! his
movements are now being closely watched
by General Sigel, on whom the defence
of Washington Immediately devolves and
it is not at all improbable that the fate of
''the doomed city, will now be- decided,
without the willy rebel general who is how
penned up in the Shenandoah, miles away
being consulted on the momentous subject
After all the boasts which the rebels have
INDUCED in, that they could always avail
themselves Of the policy of concentration,
by virtue of their interior lines, the pres
ent situation of their armies is as novel as
it is assuring to- ourselves. The ouly two
commands on which they can rt ly for the
defence of their capitol, are one hundred
and fifty miles apart, with tie peaks of the
Blue Ridge in:erposed between them as a
barrier.
The policy of rapid concentration is
doubtless very excellent one, but it is
slightly inconvenient of execution when a
mountain range beauties or embarrasses
the topography.