Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-08-30


line OF defense--PartIcuIRr abnut
Capt. GOuIIInS---Great rejoicInSS
among the Secesh women or War
rentOn. st JtFE
Especial to the N. Y. Tribune.l
From an officer of Gen. Pope's etaG,
who left headquarters of the Army of Vir-
ginia this morning, have one or two facts
| not without interest.
The Rappahanneck line Is abandoned,
| and our forces have fallen back TO another
position ten miles TO the rear. Gen. Pope
was not long in discovering, what it may
| be presumed the Rebels knew all the tiule,
that the Rappahannock, above its junctio q
With the RapIGau, is fordable in many
places where there are no established aud
recognized fords. With the river at its
ordinary hight, therefore the Rebels might
have chosen an uuguarded point - for
! along line of such extent it is obviously
impossible to defend every point-and
crossing by night, might have established
II heavy force ou the northern bank, cut.
| ting in two the liue of defense and the CO.
| operating forccs, and seriously compromis-
| ing both wings of the Union army. Tue
attack on our center at the railway bridge,
moreover, showed that the strength of that
/ position had been overrAted, aud all cir
cumstances seemed to unite in suggesting
| that the RappahaunOck, which Tor tho
moment bad served us SO we'll, both as a
barrier and a stragetic line, had DO ferma-
nent value as defensive front.
When the river rose and threatened the
safety Of the railway bridge, il was at first
reckoned misfortune, but the delay which
| it interposed To the rebel movements was
more than a compensatiug advantage
! Profting by the condition of the stream,
which forbade any effort to cross it with
| heavy columns, much less With artillery or
wagons, Gen. Pope again withdrew his for
ces in the face of the enemy. and occupied.
| without serious loss or hindrance, the line
on which his army now reposes. At the
\ time of the hrst retreat the movement would
probably have been impossible, for only the
| river could have checked the swilt approach
of the rebel columns, enrnged by theuuex-
I pected escape of their outuumbered eae-
my. Deliberately adopted now and sue
4 cesfIllly occupied in force, it may probably
| be accepted as tho true line of defence as
long as defence is our policy, and the true
base of offence when forward movement
commences.
Bull Run mountains, extending south
westerly from Leesburg, terminate near
| Warrenton. Disconnected ridges guard
their western flank ut the southern extSem-
ity, aud the whole chain forms apparently
/
roughfare Gap. It may be presumed that
Gen. Pope's right flank rests near the foot
OF these mountains. The railway from
WarrentOn to the Junction follows near
Iy the general course of the north fork
of the RaPpahannoek, and, is necessarily
within our lines, the center of which might
| find the Junction itself a convenient pivoi
for strategic operations. Between the rail,
way aud Fredericksburg is a stretch o.
lcouutry rather moro than twenty miles
lbroad, bounded on the east by the Poto
mac. Fredericksburg, of course, is retain
ed In our possession, and Acquia Greek, as
Iwell as the rest of the Potomac bank, Is &c
be defended.
Il seems TO be considered that the mair
force of the Rebels passed to the west aut
north of the original center of our lines OF
the sRappahaunock. The cavalry dash or
Catlett's Station by way of Warrenton war
only a meteoric detachment from the mair
force, and probably indicated, as l have
before suggested, the near presence of {
\ heavier force. When once the course o
the main columns was ascertained, Gen
Pope drew in his long-extended lines Il
meet them, sending Sigel again to tht
right. from which he had been withdraw
Hast Thursday, and collecting fer the SAINT
purpose the other widely separated corps
with the progress, therefore, of the Rebe
columns moving on the outer aud large
arc of conceutric circles, the whole line o
Gen. Pope swung round to the. righr, ant
4 changing the direction of its front with ra
Ipidi,y and precision, again awaited thl
4 Rebel approach. This is the movemen
which at the outset described by saying
Jthat the army had fallen back. Relative Il
the RRppahannock it is a forward march
but In fact 1t is r maueuver rather than
movement, aud consists simply in keeping
the face of the army turned steadily TOWARD
the Rebels. sf5,.l5l
tbattle would have been fought between tht
1.-Two armies Jackson, leading the advance
as before, crossed the river with his corps
land the rest of the army was to have Tol
lowed. Once over, it wenld have no chance
but to fight, and If beaten could have esca
ped annihilation ohls-by surrender, for tn
Iswolien river in its rear barred all retreat
IL may be presumed that the rebels wer'
we'll aware of the ere-entorcements rapidly
! sent forward TO Pope. 1t would be dimoui
TO say what fact important to the campaigL
4 Ithey may not hs presnMcd TO DC aware oil
4 They had therefore the alternatives Of lm
mediate batClellot retrest. Compelled q
defer their ATTACK, they are already re
treating, but whether only from taels mrs
position or in search OF defensive tlne
+ llmay be still question.
The junction of the armies OF AcSieiias
and Burnside with that OF Pope was an
nonnced by the conservative press Gays ago
2 apparently without obiepu9a OF EsEnon
lstranse on the part OF tie military autnSs
, lilies. Possibly, therefore, 1t may not .
e.. -, -oy-y that Nba adnOTfnla