Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-09-11

SSu Oopitois VI WhCtuoh ~ Quail
not the rather have swept after the routed
and flying rebel army through the passes
OF Thoroughfare Gap. In either event
there is hope;-let us not despair of the
Republicl
THE LAST WEEKS EVENTS,
/ have always found it hard enough
matter to describe battle after having
been on the ground. and having seen as
much of il as one man could see. have
not the rcmotest. intention, therefore, of
attempting to describe the new battles Of
Bull Run. 1t were easy enough to seize
upon the returned officers from the field.
get miscellaneous collection Of insulated
particulars. fill up the gaps from the imag-
ination. and weave the whole into q
graphic thrilling account Of the great
battles. I'm not in that line, but what
you want OF that sort of literature, the cas-
tern papers will soon be supplying in pro-
fusion.
Meantime there are certain facts, gath
cred from the single visit have been able
to make to the field. and from other sour
ces that seem to be generally accepted, and
serve to give a connected ilea of the m owe
ments thus far in the dreadful drama that
has been playing at our very doors.
THE SITUATION on THE RAPPAHANNoCK.
At the outset it must be understood that
the whole rebel army was never Tin all
probability massed in front of Pope. on
the south side of the Rappahannock. or
even before he began his retreat, on the
south side of the Rapidan jackson had
unquestionably been very heavily re-en-
forced from Gordonsville (by rail from
Richmond after the battle of Cedar Noun
tain But their mafcst intention to over.
whelm Pope before Mcclellan could reach
him, having been detected in time, Pope
fell back from the Rapidan. through Cul-
pepper. and beyond the Rappahannock.
before the rebels had time to concen-
trste their forces on his front. Nc
sooner had he taken his position on
the Rappahannock, with Burnside below
him toward Fredericksburg. and portion
Of McClellan's troops already landing at
the same place, then Lee must have formed
the plan of slipping past Pope and getting
in his rear; with the choice, then open. oil
bouncing on Pope from an unexpected
quarter, dashing at Washington. or hurry.
ing over the border into Mary land. and
encouraging the long-expccted uprising
there.
The advance corps must have been di
verted at once. to begin its circuitous march
behind the Bull Run mountains, around
Pepe's right flank. and thence down
through Thoroughfare Gap. Meantime a
heavy force was kept opposite Pope. and
by skillfnl handling and great activity
they kept up the delusion that they were
attempting to cross the river and attack
us in front till the other division had go,
well 10 our rear, and the ruse was no longer
needed. II is no: true therefore, land il
is as unjust as il is false) to say tina,
Pope was watching an imaginary foe
while the real one was hurrying around
him. He cas keeping back large rebel
force; it was not his fault, if with his
comparatively small army he could not as
sumo the offensive. and thus ascertain
whether the whole rebel army was there,
or whether part Of it was not off on Other
work.
So much for the situation on the Rap
palannock. 1t lasted till Wednesday
morning.
HOW JACKSON GOT IN THE REAR.
Meantime jackson had begun his detoul
to Thoroughfare Gap. and thence down or
Manassas junction on probably Sunday
morning. By Tuesday evening he had
reached Manassas Junction, had scattered
the insignificant guards and taken posses
sion Of large amounts of army stores. had
pushed on to Bull Run bridge and burn,
it. and had taken several railroad trains
Let it be remembered that Pope had or.
dered division from McClellan's forces
at Alexandria to move out to Manassas
two days before. to guard against any such
contingency. and that had not come.
- TUESDAY EVENING. ll1h
| On Tuesday evening. then, of last wceE
the situation was this: Stonewall Jack
son held Manassas Junction with thirty
or forty thousand men. and had complete
ly cut of communication between Wash.
ington and Pope. Pope's army still lay
at the Rsppahannock. Burnside was still
on the same line. not far from Fredericks
burg. Some of McClellan's troops were
at Fredericksburg. the rest at Alexandria
And in Washington it was supposed fha,
some struggling band of Stuart's cavalry
had made reckless cash at Manassas
Junction. and that it would be necessary
to send ont few hundred troops to keeT
them from committing further depreda
tons, and scare them away. 3'ita
WEDNESDAYS WORK.
Wednesday was big with momcntous
matter. Before daybreak Pope had dis.
covered the true import of the rebel de-
monstration, and was sweeping back with
speed that promised to set all the calcu-
lations of the rebels at defiance. jackson
was accommodating, and providing his
commissariat from our stores. Lee was
hurrying up the rest of the rebel army by
the same circuitous route, through Thor
oughfare Gap in Bull Run Mountains
And Washington was sending out two
brigades to drive away those marauding
rebel cavalry from Manassas Junction.
The two brigades Jared badly. Gener-
al Taylor, in command. was severely
wounded--he has since died. Our Elev-