The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-08-30
EXPLANATION Of Popese Advance to the
hammock. FNh HsPF' 7't''H
&c Of the Chicago Tribune.
WARRINGTON, Aug. %. 1852.

IL CAnn0s oe TOO soon fOr me 10 Wrlte o00 y0u
to print what know of the situation in Virginia,
now that General Pope holds his new position
strongly in the face Of the enemy, and now that
. large portion of the late army Of the Potomac
has debarked at Aqua Greek and Alexandra.
A part Of What shall write you Win have
known before this arrives; . part is, I trust,
dewe-at least In it, detaila ss Nva
The advance Of General Pope toward the
Rapidan Was, obviously, made for the purpose
not Of attacking, but Of threatening, Richmond,
and Of taking attention from Harrison's Land
ing long enough to allow General Mcclellan to
withdraw in safety the remains Of the army Of
the Chickahominy. Pope Was not strong enough
to venture much more. There was possibility,
to be sure, that be might achieve decided VIC
tory over Stonewall Jackson, before his rein
forcements could reach him from the rebel capi-
tai; but that hope was frustrated by the prema-
ture attack by General Banks with bis small
corps, which, however, must also have bad the
effect Of disappointing the plans Of JacksoD, BY
checking his forward movement long enough for
Pope's purposes. Whether jackson could have
been again attacked successfully, after the bat.
tie OF Cedar Mountain, by our fresh forces, is q
question. sigsl proposed TO move Immediately
upon his works that same night but Pope, per.
haps not over. prudently condidsring how much
Was At stake, vetoed the proposition.
I The main design, the credit of which mus, we
presume, be given to Gen. Halleck, succeeded
The enemy marched ont Of Richmond and
Monday last (the 1sth) that Generals scouts
brought him word that eight army corps, com
mauded BY Gen. 10 Johnston in person. and
numbering not less than 10000 men, was
marching by his left flank with the desisn of
preventing bis junction with with forces from
the Peninsula, and Of cutting him Of from
Washington, and Of either destroying him or
capturing the National Capital. Gen. Pope At
once made up his mind what 70 do and cot about
doing it His army received marching orders:
the trains were Immediately put in motion and
at midnight he was himself in the saddle. A
gsllop of few minutes towards Culpepper, and
be was in tho midst of the wagons and artillery,
which seemed hopeiessly stopped for the night.
Pope Immediately constituted himself chief va
gon master, that member Of his staff having
been sent OF BY another road with Sigel's train.
He woke up drivers, swore at them, threatened
TO cut their heads open, whipped up their hor-
ses, turned whatever hopelessly blockaded the
way into the fields and started the train. CAL
Looping forward he found fresh distractions and
renewed stoppages, and re enacted the some
At length he overlook the head of the train at
Culpepper, and now there was movement Gen.
Pope-all this learn from an eye witness
took bis stand on the side walk and goaded ev-
cry man into energetic progress, exercising his
gift of profanity and employing divers tongues
to enforce the same lesson. His staff we're
sent off in all directions, one to see that the
teamsters didn't stop to water their horses, and
another that they did not mistake the road, until
he was left on the Cu)pepper curbstoEe almost
entirely alone. Staff shoulder straps grumbled
but If he were content to be wagon-master,
they were still his subordinates, As they didn't
need to learn, after living with him fortnight.
Thus for four hours that Monday night, the Ma
jor General Commanding waited for the wagons
and forbade the wagons to wait Seventeen
miles Of them there were and when al the
wagons had passed, the troops followed. -.
In about forty-eight hours the movement was
accomplished, the Rappshannock crossed and
headquarters established ct Rappshannock Sta.
ton, near it's left bank, on the Orange and AL
exandria Railroad, and within easy reach OF
Fredericksburg and Burnside. A few hours
more and Sigers corps, which had marched q
round by Wsrrenton Springs, breaking the
bridges over the Hazel and Rappshsnnock riv-
ers behind it, joined the rest Of the army of Viz.
GINA go a sasas 90
That army now stretches for ten miles and
more along the Rappahannock, guarding with
heavy force of artillery all practicable fords, and
awaiting the arrival Of the peninsula army. The
corps of Fitz John Porter and HeintzelnlAn have
already got within marching distance: other
corps are on their way and will be in the field
days before this reaches you. p2 .s-
Gen. Pope arrived at the Rappahannock from
before the enemy, and had the satisfaction oil
watching from his headquarters the swartby
clouds Of dust rising from rebel columns % they
marched toward that river. Yesterday there
was artillery firing across the stream, the net re-
suit of which on our side wss forty killed and
wounded, and two or three guns disabled. I,
Vas reported that . division Of rebels succeed
ed in crossing and capturing two guns, but be-
coming SOON the focus of fifty pieces Of artillery
were obliged to skedaddle. This, however, lacks
confirmation, although generally believed il
camp, it was positively denied by Gen. Pope
The estimate Of the enenny's strength reported
| to Gen. Pope BY his scouts vss probably not e
much above the truth % usual, though il 10 quite
doubtful whether 100000 be not nearer the rea
! number Of men than 10000 OF 100000. Ell
changed officers, whose opportunities Of infor-
| nation we're Of course not first rate, Get Il q
even more than the latter figure. But VIM
Henry Huribut, fermer editor Of the N. 7. Times
who has just escaped from Richmond, whore b.
was as large ana has good meano OF knowing, q
he has good powers Of judging, says that the
rebel army, cannotbe more than 180, 900, and II
his judgment 10 not above III, 900 strong. He
says that it d under the command Of Genera
Lee, but other authorities put Gen. 10. Johnston
at It's head. Estimating It at the highest figure
We need feel no approximations The week be,
nearly gone, ct the end Of which. Gen. Hallecl
d reported to have said, he should dismiss oil
apprehension, not to have been forced to hght
until the national armies Of Virginia have made
junction, is 70 have won : victory. go
A word Of what Mr.. Harlbut, who VIII soon
publish narrative Of his personal experience
and observation, says, touching one or two
much mooted questions. he believes the rebel.
lion stronger to day than ever before, but weak
er in fighting strength than 10 generally thought.
He does not think the total number Of men un
der arms in the South more than SOC, 900. On
the Esd of last February they had, according to
his positive knowledge, IS he says, only 400
regiments in al, averaging 500 men each. They
have undoubtedly added more than 100, 900
since that time; but II must not be forgotten
how rspidly An army wastes away, theirs more
rapidly than ours, because in transportation,