Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-10-24
ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
Military ovements--CeuditioR Of ~
Rebel krmy.


iCoTrPsrondrnce OF the Baltimore Amrrican.)
HAEPEs's FERRY, Oct. y, p. m.-The troops
, Of this division Of the Army Of the Potomac
are in great clee to- day over the success OF the
'Nrs diticn, which returned yesterday from IL
Writ 20 Ioudcun county, having driven out all
nt su'rillas between HarIer's Ferry and Lees.
burg, bringing back with them upwards or nny
lis >l.t - and thirty EorSrs. Thrse cApcditlo
avs :n ndmirahlc sfcct ON the men, and Is
| rot ali as hard work a. lorngins in carnn-
hrlri. orr re are All housed in one OF he
! hUi Glnfs cH thr main street, ncar the eate ..
;h' hr''rS', and have been laying out on the
p.lfisc ai.G roof all day, viewing thr stirring
| SIRE W which they arc surround d. Federal
pas, y. - ~ Richmond were in yarinbly shos a.
/ h 'fe CbiValry il they ever looked out of their
IrS6r window 9, and z number Of them killed
f"i ~ = ~ Gous cfirnSr. 10 Is matter OF .rat-
4 cat,,s ilat re such brutal acts are pernlIted
within ne fct'cral iiRes, and stiil more graft
fy:ns t}at n, r., j. die To,ito the PARK OF
! cur mopso rorrrnn suchhlnmahiy offensrS.
/ lLCrc Is cenc raj dcsirc an UysT thc country
! to kEc0 Hhat j. going on At harper's Ferry
| and ih" CpP,r Potomac region N neither oUr
| army J. 70 =" iE'o wnit uartars hera-w beth
F! fr Il "a to advance GA Winchester-or whether
III base oi operations il 10 D. changed The
! tacis Eo@SN'I- arc, tiI;st NO one here, beyond
IN, cLaImCd circle OF ten. Mo- .lelian-s Sasul,
has rfte<t idea 81 what's 10 10 take pIae.
next. II oD ak an officer here. OF any rank
uEGtr Major General, what the news is, br
MIii al Uu nal he h;,s not Set read ule papers,
and Sll r. afilN ackOow ledge that The ncNs-
rap'rs are tl.' ir only source OF information a.
20 v i'at is cciDE on within tksir own lines
iron all thar can soc and learn here, IL g.
vfry yldCnl that The how " asr an the Potomac
clfrai"r "n ib" movements Of both armies.
Z b. Rfhfi> 81 safe b..twe-n Nariinsburg ana
inohfsteT 50 hong as the Potomac is as easily
jcf"aile any where a. Il running brook, and
have Ho Ole position 10 leave the rich Valley OF
{ fEc Shi n:nGcah while they can riInain there
Win safety. While Goa. Mcclellan In COM
ptlled to Keep his army scattered along the
riItr !CT :: distance OF thirty miles. IL is eyi-
i1fr sal. for f,ya m tla
h b' IL Ln tvIcs Ii he should attenlptt 90 mass
hlS hilny Tor this purpose the Rebels would
cross again into Mary Iana above, and be back
again TO Nir.inia by the time he reached Lhem.
40 sOCn- however. as we have a heavy rain
s:ol m sufi.vit nj 10 add tNo three feet TO the
a, pth Cf The current, there II no doubt that the
commanders Of both srlnies will show their
haBaS. IL - game OF chess, at present, with
both play crs checkmatcd,-the advance Of one
column Of our troops towards Chsrlestovn
rr.'yrGiing The Rebels from moving In force on
ouF Lines on the Upper Potomac.
The scene in this town is but little changed
since nav visit two weeks since. There are
| wagons 10 The right and a. agens 70 the left
troops la hing along If chasing gueriilas-
squads of soldiers moving TO and fro-crowd-
OF civilians pouring i'm by the numerous trslns
and ealpesily SerkiHg boarding and lodging
and tetIwcen the yelling Of drivers and The
smoke "a the locomotives, and the Immense
clouds of dust sweeping through the thorough
fares. present a. fair a specimen Of Bedlam as
need be locked for. There are indications OF
aTny land 81 preparations Tor the future that
may either mean winter quarters or an ad-
vance, rs circumstances may warrant The
ruins of the armory buildings, the walls OF
which are all standing, are being temporarily
rooted in. and stored with commits sary and
subsistence stores: depotsfor ammunition are
ieing established, and all the indications are
that whaicNtr else may be- done, Harper's
Ferry is 10 be permanently held for the balance
of the NgaT-if possible. From the suRlmits OF
the surrounding heights the muzzles Of heavy
f.,so ~ kucsw
SONS are visible, and the old nag noats out
clear shove their pinnacles, and shakes out its
folds with the blue sky a. back ground.
As to the military movements, thy srs
equally difficult to understand. Pontoon trains
arr going in oDe direction-hexyy batteries OF
guns moving in another-the headquarters
have been changed from Pleasant Nalley-Gen.
Burnside has been appointed 10 the command
oi AL the deiences OF Harpcrs Ferry, and has
both tie I'd and 18th army corps underhis COM
mand This may be regarded "a another indi-
cation that Harrer's Ferry is 10 be held,
j. aSt SO long as General Burnside has com
maEd. L have, however. observed movements
to- Gay that indicate active operations in a di-
rt1iicn that Is not generally looked for, and
which u would nor he proper 10 speculate upon.
i he rumors sent forward from w washins ston
',eI! day or TWO that the rebels' are leaving
NiHchF stsr are known here "a be unfounded
tn the contrary, the conNalescents aud strag-
glers from Richmond arc being daily sent for
ward 10 Winchester, together with reinforce
nFnIs OF fresh troops. Indeed, there 10 no doubt
einia are being massed in the Shenandoah VAL
ley. and that they have occupied the whole line
cf the Baltimore and Ohio railroad from Har-
prr's Ferry 10 PaNtonis t'nt. The accounts
10 their condition il very contradictory, some
rcpr6ss Hting them rs in a deplorable state.
" hHst others say they Were never in better
fsiting Trim. From the appearance OF the
prisoners brought in, should Judge the latter
statement 10 be nearer correct than the former.
They look strong and hearty, and though their
dresses are not military, they are warm and
1f.f heir IlrVi
good condiuon as those OF our army. A great
many cf them wear our army shoes, and SOM.
have long boots of English manufacture.
The recommendation OF Gov. I<etcher 10 de-
stroy the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad has, as
far as car. learn, been carried out TO the full
extent from Harpers Ferry 10 a distance of ten
or twelve miles beyond Martinsburg. One en-
tire track has been taken up between Harper's
Ferry and martinsburg, and the rails carried
oil towards Winchester. Beyond Martinseurg,
hres have been seen at night along the track OF
the road, indicating that the ties have been
iaken up and burned. as well as the water sta
uUnsand other property. This is especially the
aSe al ME foot of the North Mountain, from
risd of. II l. also said that they are filling up
PaAion's Cut, by blowing up the rocks and
burying the rails with many feet Of earth and
stone. The numerous bridges along this Dor
tion OF the road have also been destroyed, and
utter devastation now ovcrspreads this section
OF the country, 10 a greater extent than during
any pivyious visit OF tho yandals.
. Never, within the remembrance Of the oldest
inhabitant, has the Potomac river presented
such shallow bed for so long period as 81
The present time. It's rocks and bars are visible
Tor threc-teurths Of its width, and the waeoners
ford II in preference 10 using the pontoon
bridge. The railroad company are gathering
ZIP the iron fragments Of their bridges from the
bed of the river, and il Is stacked in heaps Of
broken castings and bent bars, 10 the extent OF
many thousands Of tons, - as
r# Yours, &c, ....,y..t I'D. e. &. +.
= The DEFICIENCY IN BosroN.-The Boston