M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1862-08-07
Qnr.Armron iI,a Inmea.


a. TO the precise location Of the vari.
Gus rebel forces opposing It is not very
clear or minute; but VIC understand, al
least, that the enemy still maintain
their lines south Of the Chicahom:ny
IN McClellan's rear; that they are
massing heavy bodies of troops with
what object does not arpear) on the
oposite side Of the James; that they
held the line ofthe same river between
him aud Richmond, and that either
bauk is studded with forts and batter
lee next to impregnable; while below
him both sides Of the river again are
in their hands for some distance, how
far we have not been told. Our ma.
val contingent has rot yet been tronb.
eled to any extent by rebel batteries
between Hampton Roads and Harri.
cons Point, we have had intimatlons
not few that the rebels arc building
eArthworks and planting batteries un-
der cover of the woods and other nat
urRl safeguards, which may suddenly
open upon our feet with most dan
gerl'us results.
We have now to keep a. strong and
active naval patrol, night and day,
shelling the banks at every suspicious
point; but tho insecurity Of this, under
the circumstances, is apparent to all .
Nc Clellan's lines Of communication
his only line, that by the James Riv.
er--is thus rendered precarious; and
his position, though originally strong
aud valuable one-and still strong for
defense against land Attacks one
whose present availability for the pu-.
pose for which our army are on the
Peneneula. is more than dubious. 1t
would be quite impossible for him,
even with largely augmented frrce,
g. advance from it against Richmond.
for he has but one praciahle rout,
along the bank OF the James, and that
could not well be improbable
than il now is-.-as there are Q laborate
earrhworks and forts, covering ali the
defencible positions upon the thirty
miles Of ground between uarrison's
Point and 2ichmond.
The rebels have been enabled to a.
chieve theee various advantages, to
aieze upou these important positions.
tomass their troops along the differ.
eut lines, and to menace our army in
it's present position, since the retro.
grade movement was effected one
month ago. They have succeeded in
them, owing to their iinmonce adyan.
tage in bumbers and to the superiori-
~ oftheir base OF operations Had
WcClellan had d sufficient iurce at the
opening OF last month, when he first
took pPhi new position on the James
River, to advance at once against
Richmond, all these things wculd
have been changed, and the situation
Of affairs might now have been mate
rially different. As it was, he had but
to do the best he could with the army
which had been allotted 10 him.
The rebels, too, seem to be incrcas.
ing in activity in late DAYS. We have
accouptsfrom various sources that they
are throwing troops with all possible
rapidity from Richmond down the
James to the positions held, by them
on both sides OF the river, anG above
and below our army; while the Merri.
mac No, 2, and tho now ram, are re.
ported to be ready to cone down the
river.
1t il dfficnlt to tell whether all t'ls
is or is not as real as it appears. 1t is
hard to say whether it may or may
not be all a ieint to cover up
some other movement in some differ
ent direction. But one thing is GER
tain, it will not do to let General Nc
Clellan remain with his now inferior
force in his present position, while the
enemy is permitted to gather his tolls
around him.
ID addition to the amy the rebels
now have at Richmond, they are send
ing forward also all their troops from
the Sontern States who have been re
lisved Of their duty there by the with
drawal Of parts Of our army. We uset
to boast that General Hunter, for in
stance, BY menccing Charleston aac
Savannah, managed to keep twenty O
thirty thousand rebel troops at thes
cities to guard against his approach
But now that nearly ali Hunter
forces have been withdrawn. until h
menaces Deither Charleston, Savannah
nor any other place, those twent
thousand rebel troops can essily an,
safely be sent forward at ouce to til
defence Of the rebel capitsl--as, indee'
we know they have been so elsewhere
We have accounts that rebel troop
who have been kept by our menace
10 Georgia, North Carolina and ,othe
States, have within the last few week
been sent to Virginia to take activ
mart in the impending strupgle. r