, 1862-11-07

In The course OF THU week, it will probably
be decided whether there is to be Fl ght on
or near the Potomac, or not. I believe that
all Gen. MeCle'laa's troops aIe on the march,
ard know that orders came to Gen. Sigel
yesterday directing him to move toward Thor
opghfare Gap, and form the left wing Of the
army. Accordingly General Sigers corp,
marched at eight o'clock this morning, if his
orders OF yesterday were carried out; bat be
was unable to lead, being forbidden to leave
his bed By inexorab'e physicians. Gen. Won
stefnwehr, who haa the reputation Of being
m excellent theoretical soldier but Of doubt
ful faculty in the field, commands the corps
md Capt. Asmnssen, sigel's chtet Of staff,
Genersls Car. Eehurx aud stahl, sud Colonel
Msggi Of the SD Massachusetts, will b. Ia
position to give him valuable counsel in case
Of ha&tlf.
Gen. slgers corps now numbers on the
muster rolls q, 90 men. His effective force
Il from II, 600 to Il, 600, and Of these large
proportion sre new troops, who have never
emelt gpnpoWaer.
The column moves tc Thoroughtare Gap,
which is At least two days march from Fair
fax Court Hosse. fThere are no troops to th>
left Of this place, and BQrnslde's coIaun, the
nearest to the right, mast make it, junction
With sigel. if at all, through A1dia Gap, which
is beld by the enemy, in what force is not
known-laEge enough to repu1se Gen. Bay
ards g. 500 cavalry dtJ before yesterday, and,
rs tome believe, consisting Of not far from
LEGO men with artillery under Gen. Walker.
The position Is stropg one, and II held By
considerably less than that number with q
purpose to hold it, might prove q serious o5-
stacle to Burneide's advance,
Beyond, in the neighborhood Of Winchester,
quarters still remain. and, as il believed, will
continue there as long ~ The necessity for oc-
cupyIng the attention OF Gaa. Mcclellan and
the right wing exists.
Meantime, Jackson is reported to be march
| ing without baggage, toward Warrentoa, aud
| menfs, is within easy reach Of him. McClsi-
| 1an's scouts saw Jackson at BeEryvflle, three
| or four days ago, heading for the Sheu ando ah.
| According to a later report, he crossed the
Shenandoah at three places and marched to
the southeast Lon2street, being at that time
| stonewa]l crossed. It is supposed that the
two corps have made Junction and that the
whole force, not far from &, 600 strong Is ad-
vauciug toward Washington, intending to
sxoop down upon s!g~1, before help can come
to him from the force more immediately ua.
der Mcclellan. 1udecd, jackson may already
be at Tboroughtsre Gap, or may arn e there
before Sigcl Nothing ts more probable o.
he may post himself at Warreuton, from
| which point, with bis superior numbers, b,
can easily turn the flank Of the small corps
opposed to him. sgel has to coyer wita ht
g u.uch larger army, failed to hold ptroap
be cculd have done this successfully, had h
moved 4 week or ten days ago, as he desire
to do- But the order came yesterday, and
unless greatly bcfsiended by fortune. ta
Washington column will be anticipatsl an
pefha| s overwhelmed by JacEson's.
True, it may not be Stone wallis iutAntto'
to attack, but it looks very much as il it were
and if he have the advantage. as he 1o1t
seem to hare, he IS not the ma
to throw it away. II he should attack, ther
is but one thing for tts sigel corps 10 do, viz
rs much time as possible for the sluggish arr,
OF the Upper Potomac to come up and rt
! litye the again endangered capital. That It j
The expectation Of the officers nearest to Sig
t that this will have to be deae, happen
know.
, / Be rot eu1}ed hy any reports Of . grca: ha
tie on the Potomac at any other pcfut Iha
II ose thinly covered By Sige;'; sm1l1 forct
Ali other reports are made Tor 4 purpose: +
/ influence an election or to gilda setting sui
j. J"CkeOn s Is I1e corps Ilat WILL 10 Lut 1l5h
. | Ing. TIE others held out more or less dec.
J tive prcfnite5 of intending to fight
: lam glad to hear one more fact. wa'c
| makes Il favor Of Gen q necg- lie was d.
sircus Of sending Sigel with sufficient for;
up thu south bark Of the Potomac to ta4 r
= litf Of Uarpar's Ferry; but xas ovcrru!e
d Nor va it bis {Anl: that Ra.per's Ferry y
not relieved from the alaryland side. A Ii
+ report cf the military commission which
u soon to be- published viii shoS, Gen. II
IS lexis opinion is that Miles mi ut aad zA,u
o have been reinforced bT Mcclellan, again
whom, as we'll as against Gen. Wo3', s'ro,
T Gaze is made Won1's errors we're: first,
IS Kidding Harper's Ferry, alter he WAS adsis
i trG1n Washington to abandon T.; secsud,
: taking the command from Gu White
7. scDcirg lin with i small part of his force
q Mh1tilsburg. Some curious tac's, aside FRI
F. the matter In hand, we're deva opld ia t
8. course ot the irvcs igation. A., FIR exanp
- tia, Gen. Mcclellan telegraphrd that Fas
'e ingtun ought ta be evacuated altogether, t.
I'll the troops defending H. might be dist
d. tascd to s. ell hii grand army; promising
m Ieiake it it he vAn4uisaed Lee.