The Portland daily press., 1862-09-08

The War i'm Virginia.

We find but little that is fresh in the details
that reach us by mail concerning military af-
fairs in the vicinity of Washington. A rebel
version of matters, derived from high officer
of one of the cotton State regiments, taken
prisoner, we find in the Philadelphia Press:
He states that the rebels have only half the
force now before Washington they had mass
ed for the defense of Richmond when McClel-
len threatened that place, and that it is COM
manded by General Lee, with johnson as sec
ond in command. jackson or Ewell did not ar
rive until Saturday afternoon, and only small
portion of his command was engaged. None of
the rebel generals, so far as we could learn,
were killed. The colonel, lieutenant colonel
and major of the 18th South Carolina regi-
ment were killed.
Longstreet forced his way through Tho
roughiare Gap on Thursday, and it was stated
that he captured eight hundred of the 23d
Massachusetts. This Is not true, as no such
large body of Federal troops has been captur-
ed Mt any one time or place.
The rebels claim to have buried five thou
sand of our dead, and that 1t took them all
nights Thursday Friday and Saturday 10 per-
form the operation! They also claim that
seven thousand wounded and six thousand
prisoners fell into their hands. This is also
piece of exaggeration.
The officers and men all express the deter
mination to capture Washington or perish in
the attempt. They think that, by doing this,
twill be the only way to conquer peace"
The Adjutant of a Georgia regiment says
that neither jackson nor Ewell were in the
recent battles, but Johnson, Lee and Long
street commanded in the different engage
ments, and this, he says, we might have known
from the fact that communications have sever
al l,oo x< o., 7
Only about one half of the entire army was
around Washington, he says, as far as his
means of knowing goes, but reinforcements
were continually arriving from the South
The rebels are heartily sick of the war, but say
they are determined to achieve their 'inde-
pendence."
The Washington Star of Wednesday says
the rebels harassed the rear of our army by an
occasional round of shell, as it fell back on
Washington, but without inficting damage.
Large bodies of troops have been sent up the
river to prevent the rebels from crossing the
Potomac into Maryland. The Star learns
from an officer who is best situated to know
the facts, that our total loss of killed, wounded
and missing in the recent battles, did not ex-
ceed fifteen thousand; the stragglers, who will
very soon be in their proper places again, max
ing large proportion of the missing at pres
ent.
The Washington correspondent Of the Phil
adelphia Inquirer says the rebel army must
crossinto Maryland for supplies, starve or fall
back to the Rappahannock. They appear to
be massing their troops on the upper Potomac
for dash into Maryland.
Alexandria and Washington are nothing
more nor less than vast hospitals; every va
cant church, public hall, or private residence
has been seized and filled with sick and wound
ed soldiers, and the streets of the former place
are sand to be filed with struggling soldiers
and skulkers from our armies.
The correspondent of the New York Express
writes:
United as all the different commands now
are there cannot be less than 100000 men with
in a radius of two miles from the Capital.
do not see how it Is possible for the rebels to
follow them, or to attempt to maintain them
selves in face of them; as, independent of 9TH
er reasons, the country is so exhausted, and
the railroads for fifty miles around are all de-
stroyed. / cannot possibly believe that this
fine army-and the largest portion probably
three-fourths of them, finely drilled and disci-
plined troops, equal TO any regulars in the
world-will be allowed to remain in idleness
very long; but so soon as the necessary ar
rangements can be made, that they will be put
on the offensive.
A letter in the New York Commercial. re-
marks:
"The army is doubtless quiet to-day. within
the old intrenchments, where it laid SO secure
ly one year ago, and where it will probably re-
main for a while, at least. 1t does not appear
that the enemy have followed us up in any
force. They are too much exhausted, and too
far away from the base of supplies, to contin-
ne on the offensive. 1t is the suppositon that
the enemy will attempt to cross the Potomac
above the city, at Edwards or Conrads ferries.
though the rise in the Potomac may prevent
them. AT the least day will determine this
An officer who was captured by Stuart, on
Mondayy has reached here ON parole. He
says thac the rebels declare that they do not
intend to attack Washington, for they have no
hope OF capturing it, put will endeavor to cross
INTO Maryland, and push on towards Pennsyl-
Nania give you this for what it is worth.
ten. Mcclellan has been placed in the most
important command in the gift of the Govern
ment The President declares that the almost
unanimous wish of the army demanded This
step. hear to-day that the announcement of
; his appointment causes great cheering among
the troops, and there is certainly a manifest
air of renewed confidence.
Large numbers of people are leavinp acain
Tor home, as quiet is restored