The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-05
The Recent Movements in Virginia


What the plans of our military leaders have had,
if indeed they have had any, in the movements
of the last month Is mere matter Of conjecture.
Why Mcclellan was recalled from the Peninsu-
la is Mt vet clear. Was ii because his OWN po-
sition was deemed unsafe there. or that Pope
was threatened, and ii was judged hest to rein
force him, or because it had been determined to
withdraw our whole army once more to Wash
ington The final event seems to justify us in
surposing that il had been determined to make
the war defensive one on oar part until the
new ieves were in the field and that the with
drawal of Mcclellan was only part of this
movement. The advance Of Pope to the Rapi
dan was undoub eddy another part of the same
NOV .n.e..t, being intended only as telnt, and to
prevent the rebels from pursuing Mcclellan.
The troops from the p 'iusula would not have
come North to Alexal .4"a, before disembarking,
if they had been intended merely as REIN
forcement of Pope, and they would not prooa-
blv have been sent to him at ali, had it not been
necessary in order to assist him in getting out
of the dangerous position which the sudden
movements Of the rebels placed hin in. All
the battles that have been fought, since the line
OF the Ra ppahannock was abandoned, have been
made necessary in order to make way tor our
troops to Washington, where they nave at last
arrived
The general movements Of HE armies for the
{ tf,a
direction Of Gen. Halleck. Pope's advances
,yas in accordance with Halleck's orders, and 50
was Mcclellan retreat from the Peninsula, and
Popc's from the Rapldan. The details OF these
movements were under the direction OF the Oen-
erals immediately in charge. But There does
not seem 10 be any way OF reconciilng the whole
movement, and still keep our faith in Gen. Hal
leck with any other theory than that II Was
withdrawal OF all our troops from all parts OF
Eastern Virginia to Washington. And 1t this
was the design at the utset, the movement has
been. on the whole, decided success, although
accompanied with severe fighting, heavy loss OF
lie, and great destruction of stores. The enc
has been reached, and the army that started
from the Potomac last March with the assur
ance OF victory, and with the confident prom
Use and prophecy Of Mcclellan, that it was very
soon To accomplish it's work, strike death
blow to rebellion, and return IN peace to 1T
homes, is again back on its old camping ground
of last winter, getting ready Tor "a new start IL
its march south.
The plans of the rebels seem to DO, for tn
time, at least, frustrated. There no doub tina
they hoped to destroy Pope and then march o.
Washington. But they found the first wor
more than they could do, and wisely forbore al
tempting the second Since the sharp engage
ment at Chantilly there have been no rebel den
constructions in front of Washington, and ii
rebels occupy now No more advanced position
than they did last winter. Their desperate
reckless, bold and partially successful attach
upon us will serve them no good purpose, unle
thew bring another panic ON the nation and pa
alyze it's energies, as they were paralyz
alter the first battle of Bull run. The rebe
will, doubtless, make demonstrations on the U
per Potomac, but it hardly seems possible tn
they can get across into Maryland in any oI
And If the Government doesn't content it's
with vlgobcus defensive operations only,
gathers up it's strength as rapidly as possit
and burls it upon the traitors, this appare
succs IS of treason will only make It's end
more swift and terrible. If che GovernmeI
however, is going to content itself, as it did Ii
fall and winter with knowing that Washingt
!, safe and the line of the Potomac quiet,
have no assurance that we shall ever see the c
Of the rcbelhon except in II shattered Repub
and broken and bankrupt people. The I'll
md the crisis demand the instant, earnest, '
orous. rreatest efforts Of which the people
canable. Let them offer their strength and
sources TO the Government, and then DEM
that they be used immediately and crushing
1t is out few weeks ago that Gov. Tod,
Ohio refused the services OF two Regiments
free calored men OF that state, rendered hun
do guard duty over u camp of reo'l prison
thus relieving for active service two reglm
of white men. IT, by the want OF troops to
lend it, Cincinnati should now be destro!
A. I'd 10 Mat