The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-08-29
The Nirginia Campaign-The Rebel
Raid Upon Manassas.


Raid Upon Manassas.
The latest event of any moment reported
from the Army of Virginia is successful dash
OF a squad of rebel cavalry upon Manassas
Junction, resulting in the capture of field
battery and the forces in charge of it and sup
porting it, and in the destruction of several
trains of cars, lot Of military stores, the rail-
road track, &c.-a very disgraceful affair to
our army, and particularly to every officer who
is directly responsible for it in any way.
With our first report of this affair yesterday,
or close upon its heels, came mysterious rumors
that it was but the prelude to a great disaster
that this rebel squad of cavalry at Manassas
was but the advanced corps of heavy column
Of the rebel army, which had thus, by great
circuit through the woods, turned the right
flank of Gen. Pope, and placed him between
two fires, while On his extreme left Stonewall
Jackson had cut in between him and the forces
of Gen. Mcclellan. OF course, with this dispo-
stion by Dame Ramor Of the contending ar
mics, Pope was bagged, Washington was under
an eclipse, and the gallant ,Corcoran's Irish
brigade would come in day after tho fair.
Such however, are the doubts, uncertainties
and confusion resulting to the public mind
from the exclusion of the representatives Of the
public press from the army, that, in the alb
sence of definite and authentic news. the most
incongruous, inconsistent and improbable r,l-
mors and.conjectures find ready listeners Nor
is it surprising that this should be so, consider
ing the events Of the last one hundred days,
and the tremendous interests depending upon
our Army Of Virginia, and in which every indi-
vidual Of the community is vitality concerned.
Nor could it be readily believed by men Of
intelligence and common sense that within a
few days from the warning of the late rebel
raid at Catlett's station another Of the same
sort had taken place within less than a dozen
miles from Catletts, and by the same rebel ca
valry. The general conclusion, therefore, at
first, was that this affair at Manassas was some
thing on grander scale than a mere foray of
squad Of rebel cavalry; and hence the unneces-
sary excitement which followed. With the facts
before us, however, it is clear that we had only
a repetition of the raid at Catlett's station; and
we therefore agree with the Washington Star,
that lit is high time that examples, by shooting,
on the sentence of a drumhead court mar
tial, should be made of some Of those
responsible for these occurrences, so we'll cal
culated to make our armies justly the derision
Of the world; and that, if these things are to go
on, " they will insure our ultimate defeat in this
war, no matter how many men we may put
into the field, or how much money we spend
for war purposes"
After these successful rebel cavalry dashes
behind our lines upon Catlett's station aud Ma
nassas, involving for all that we know to the
contrary, the loss of millions Of dollars in the
destruction of army stores, who can undertake
to say that President Lincoln is safe in the
White House at Washington What is there to
prevent squad of rebel cavalry from stealing
across the Potomac river near Leesburg, and
down into Washington under cover of the
night, and OF again with the President az their
prisoner, before they can be resisted or over
taken, II such disgracefal negligence as that
which seems to prevail in the rear Of our army
in Virginia Is to go without rebuke or correc-
ton? In behalf OF the people, who furnish the
soldiers aud sinews Of war, we call upon Gene
raj IIalleck either to enforce the exclusion Of
rebel horsemen from our army lines and conf
Dental papers or to give TO the public press
I've same privileges Of information.
! We presume that the army Of General Pope
| is perfectly safe, that il has come 70 a stand,
and that il viii be soon ready, in conjunction
with the army Of General Mcclellan, for an
advance, comprehensive, irresistible, over
whelming and decisive, in the humiliation Of
The rebel army oi Virginia and in the cKtin-
guishmsnt Of this rebellion. But let us have
no more Of these Catlstfs station and Manassas
disgraces.