The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-03-14
The Evacuation of Manassas.

In what new position the rebels have made a
stand in Virginia seems just now to be mainly
matter of speculation. 1t is evident that Ma
nassas has been evacuated, or been ir the pro-
cess Of execution, for several weeks and that
the rebel force at Centrevile and in front of our
lines opposite Washington, has been for that
time more to deceive us than for any purpose
of Offering any resistance to our advance. The
1naIn aTa,y, which has kept for SO many tedious
months the hundreds of thousands of Union
troops close on the line of the Potomac, has
most certainly escaped this time with all its ar
rnament, leaving for our forces, as the first tro-
plies OF their advance, smouldering ru ms, de
serted log huts, ana a few rickety and useles q
wagons. 1t is quite certain that Manassas has
served the rebels a very good purpose. 1t has
been just as good a position hitherto for them as
though it had been impregnable. Ever since
last July, it has apparently been regarded by
the officers of the Army Of the Potomac as a
position that could not be carried. For the
last four months it has kept two hundred and
fifty thousand men at bay and out of reach of
it, but just as soon as an advance in earnest is
made, il is found to be tcnantless
There is no doubt that this evacuation is the
result Of strategy, but that strategy isn't con-
fined wholly to our Generals. The main body
of the rebels didn't leave Manassas in disorder,
whatever may have been true of the rear guard.
They took their heavy guns with them. Gen.
Burnside had news of the evacuation as early as
the Sd inst. There have been hints of it, com.
ang from various sources, for weeks. And now,
on looking at the map, military men tell us that
there is another line of defence nearer Richmond.
that can be better protected from any fanking
movements than Manassas could be, with Gen.
Banks at Winchester, and Gen. Hooker at AQUA
Creek. Gordonsylle, where the rebels are re-
ported to be, is one end of this ine and guards
the approaches from Western Virginia, or Eas-
tern Tennessee. Fredericksburgh, on the Rap
pahannock, where the railroad from AQUA
Creek to Richmond crosses that river, is the other
end of this rumcfed line of defence The Vir-
Gna Central Railroad connects Gordonsyille
with the Richmond, Fredericksburgh and Poto-
mac Railroad at Eaton's junction, about one
third Of the way from Richmond to Fredericks-
hurgh. Both Gordonsvie and Fredercksburgh
can thus be reinforced by rail from Richmond,
ana the former also from any troops that could
DC spared from the rebel army of the West -
These points also guard the immediate ap-
proaches TO Richmond except from the South,
and prevent either Banks or Hooker from get.
ting between the main army of the rebels and
Richmond. There seems to be II great proba-
blliy, at least, in this theory of the evacuation
OF what has been regarded as the rebel strong
hold in Virginia, ana the Richmond Examiner
gives It's readers assurance that such is the fact,
and that Gen. Johnston has determined on a
new line OF defence, reaching from Stanton. in
the mountain region to Gordonsyille and Fred.
erlcksbursh, or some other point on The Rich
mond and Aqua Creek Railroad, is undoubtedly
included in this new base of operations.
But We are now gratited with the assurance
that Gen. Mcclellan, having been released from
the necessity OF sitting in his Office at Washing
ton and directing by telegraph every movement
OF the Western armies, and thus getting 10 him.
self all the glory of the achievements which
have captured. defeated, and scattered go many
thousands of rebels west of the Alleghanies,
can now give his undivided attention to captur-
ing, defeating, and routing rebel army nearer
Washington lie has already compelled them
to fall back from position they had held for
nine months, and that is something gained.