The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-03-22

Wnere are the Rebels In vlrxsnsas II
Aeoel Generals.
The grand army Of the Potomac has At las
set out in pursuit of the rebels, who have aban
doned their Notifications at Centreville and NJ
nassas. and fallen back on the line of the Ran
pahannock river.
| The new position where it is believed the reb
els intend TO make stand, is along the bank o.
the Rsppahannock river, from Port Royal up t.
Fredericksburg, thence along the south bank Of
the river up as far as the junction Of the Rapi,
dan with the North Fork Of the Rappahsnnock,
thence along the Rapidan As far as the base Of
the Blue Ledge Mountain This line of defense
is thus described
The country is very billy, and is cut into wild
ana deep ravines, particularly is this the case
Tor some eight miles below Fredericksburg. all
the way up to the base of the mountain ridge,
There is wooden bridge at Fredericksburg
leading over the Rappahannock and county Of
stafford, and one at the village of Falmouth.
which Is In the county of Stafford, leading over
the river in the county Of Spottsylvania. Fall
mouth Is mile above Fredericksburg, and there
are but three fords in the river between Freder
icksburg and the mountain; one at the Wilder
ness, which is about mile from the Rapidan;
another where the railroad crosses; and a third
about three miles northwest of Orange Court
House. At the breaking out of the rebellion il
was amatter of serious discussion BY Beaure.
gard, Lee and johnson whether this should not
be the line of fertilization instead of Bull Run
ana Manassas The Manassas railroad, bringing
provisions from the valley, caused them to select
buii Run, the Rapidan and Rappahannock being
made strong by extensive military engineering
in the meantime.
The river is deep and narrow below Freder- |
lcksourg-l60 yards wide and fifteen feet Deep
ABOVE fredericksburg and at Falmouth the |
great tails of the Rappahannock begin, and ex-
send all the way to the source. The banks are |
jagged, broken, and PERCEPTIONS, and covered |
WIN WIN the original growth of the timber The
FlVer mere is deep and rapid. Upwards of
twenty thousand slaves have been at Fredericks. !
burg since the 10th of May, 1861, and the negro
men nave been at work on various Notifications
~ along the river bank for months past. This
me OF defense was began anterior to the FORTH.
'atlons along Bull Run, and was destined an
oit r, OF cover in case of defeat at Bull Run.
Inc swampy country of the Matapony, east
u the junction Of the Mat, the Ia, the Pc and
q ne ny, and indicated by liue reaching from
orr Royal and Louisville, thence down the Mat
Pohy 10 the famunky and the York rivers,
rom the extended line of fight from the noun.
am to the bay The abandonment of the whole
over Potomac and the Rappahannock, below
ort Royal, is because they are untennable on
ccount OF the ready approach of boats and be-
q easily outfianked by force reaching them
iere. The country is the best possible one for
efense along the. whole Atlantic slope, and the
st and only stand the rebels can make ia here
ong the Rappahannock river. They have
ever made the extensive fortilicatisns at Rich.
ond that have been erected at Frederick sburg