Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-12-17
THE RAFTsMAN's JOURNAL.
GENERAL BANKS EXPEDITION.
From the New York Herald of December

From the New York Herald Of December
Yesterday this great expedition, on which
are founded so many hopes and expectations,
took its departure for, at present, parts un-
known. 1t is singular, and we deem it fortu-
nate, that hitherto the destination OF this ex-
pedition has been kept profound secret. 1t
has now set sail, either for Richmond, or
Charleston, or Mobile, or Texas, but to which
of those places no one can tell. 1t can only
be told where it is not going. The remarks of
Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, at the
leave-taking referred to, if not indicative OF
the destination of this expedition, are at least
significant and suggestive. He observed that
s.to crush this rebellion it was necessary to
strike at the heart of their rebellious country,
to purge the viper's nest or, in short, to take
Richmond, the capital of the SO called Con-
tederate States. An expedition to Texas
could do no good at the present time, and un-
til Richmond was taken we could not hope to
put an end to the rebellion or expect the res
toration Of the Union. This is no trifiing af
fair, and heretofore we have failed because
We have not as steadily and earnestly engaged
in the work as We should.'' For our own part
we have all along believed that its destination
is Richmond. At all events, if it is not We
think that it ought to be. When Commodore
Vanderbilt rose to speak, General Banks is
said to have remarked :--ssHe is the only man
who knows where the expedition is going.''
But the mystery will soon be cleared up, and
We have confident hopes that when the clouds
which environ it are dissipated it will be by
the rising of a brilliant sun of successful ex-
plots and great results, bringing s'glorous
summer to the dark horizon and wintry as.
pect OF our political hemisphere.
We entertain great hopes for the results of
this expedition, from the known and proved
character of the General in command. 1t has
been said Of General Banks, by those compe-
tent to judge, that he is the greatest general
officer that has been taken from the ranks of
civil life. He possesses, also, what the Ro-
mans, in their superstition, deemed the high
est and most necessary quality of general
-ssgood luck.'' He has been hitherto emf
nently .feiir' or lucky, in all his undertakings.
At Cedar Mountain during the short and un-
fortunate campaign of General Pope, be src-
cessfully withstood with his division the fu-
rious onslaught of the whole of Stonewall
Jackson's rebel army and his prudent and
successful retreat on previous occasion along
the valley of the Shenandoah, in which he
brought off his army safely, even to its bag
gage, is worthy of being compared with the
famous retreat of Moreau, and is equal to
that of Xenophon and his famous ten thou
sand in ancen history.
We heartily join in the general feeling OF
the public in wishing unalloyed success to
this, the greatest expedition which ever left
our Northern shores. We look for solid re-
suits ftom its action-no less than the taking
of Richmond, while Lee and his army
quietly detained at Frederick sburg-no less
than outfanking the enemy, taking them in
their rear, while Burnside is in their front,
leaviag them chance of retreat or escape,
and obliging them to surrender, and thus ef-
fectually breaking the very backbone of the
rebellion. Who can tell whether General
Banks may not turn out, after all, to be the
Napoleon of the age whom the nation has so
long been looking for