Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-09-08
haEIinniInn-

The situation.
Later and more delAsd intelligence confirms the state
nens conaas1 in another article concerning the great
battle Of tie SOh ult Oar surmssa in relation to the
position and the movements snecedeRt to the grand de-
noueuent, prove 70 have been entirely correct We do
not know positively what forces took part In tho battle
on either side, but have every reason to believe that
the Confederate army greatly ounum5ered by the
enemy We pFssuus the corps engaged on our side to
have those Of Generals Jackson and Longstrcet
iacuiiug ths division of Gen. A. P. Hl-smountng in
all 70 i've divisions POpes forces comprised the corps
Of Ssge Bank1 Mcdowell Porter, Reyes, and HelnEel
man. strerg ,hened By Burnslde's Army-atogsther Elk
corps. Thus the enemy must have had In the action
more than two men to one. Yet, in spite OF this
amazrg dspsrity the s.eady yaor and irresistible elan
of the Confederate roops guided by the consummats
skin Of great commander sucoi to achieve brilliant
victory. We learn from the Northern papers that Pope
vas reinforced at CentEeyie, b. Summers corps and
Fran ns division But, even this accession OF force,
which, in the language Of the Washington Star, was to
make mincO meat" OF the Confederates did not enable
the eusmy to hold their ground The strong position OF
0ertsvle could not be maintained in face OF our VIC
orous and advancing columns. Tee beaten and hunil.
ted Federas continued their flight from Oentreye TO
FiriaG Court House, from Fairfax Court House TO
Ai,Iandril, destroying as they went their OOmmiss2ry
and wagons and leaving thousands Of abandoned
behind them. As ye; can form no accurate es
Innate OF the Yankee lOss ia this brief but disastrous
csnpsgD all knoS .hati have been immense,
tar exceeding yhing they have yet suffered within
equal length of time during thu progress Of the war.
They estimate their osees up Friday night a. IL 600
me- A tie movements previous to that time had been
mainly preliminary s;rssgca, it may reasonably be
inferred iha. they lost many during the grand
engagement which followed. We think /; not
bic 70 suppose ha from all Causss, the Yankee army
Pas been diminished in effective strength BY at least 5or
COO since Pope cor msuced bis retreat from Url.
pepper Ard these so 600 Of the BIS troops 10 the
Northern sruy-VelersGs Who had passed through mary
battle and Who ish; bs supposed to have ;srned to
sand agAns. Confederate tsyOn,ts If it s possible for
that hard iessol 10 De learned a. all by Yankees
Thus il viii be sesn, that Gen. Lee did not at all
aggerae tho character Of tho euceess be had gained
Wiea be styled Il "signap victory. Il Ess indeed
signal yieto;y--s victory gained By soivoFn AID
~JEn trOOPs over confident and arrogant enemy, vastly
superior in numbers, and fighting within bearing, and
almost within sight of his Capital Results remArka
bic cAano, fail to strike the world with advertisement
will it be easy decide whether they due TO tho
intrinsic superiority OF tho Southern roops to the sur.
passing aad Incompatible skin Of the CommAnderiI.
chief aad his subordinate officers or 70 the enthusiasm
Inspired by Just o1uso If as ne believe, all three
causes are combined, have right TO anticipate vic
tory whenever cur army comes in conflict with tho IL
yadsrs.
Bgl although the triumph was signsl Il Is doubtful
whether ve can call i! decisive In one sense, in
aspect il was indeed decisive in another aspect it was
II the otlO; Of the cauplga is supposed to have
BEEN tie defeat Of the enemys renewed projects OF +
vAEoG, ard tue expulsion Of the hostile armies from
stern Virginia, then the action Of the SO:h ut
decisive battle. lie resut has been, only TO
throw the great invading army WHICH, by grea. effort
had been accumulated for the purpose of ano
tier advance on Richmond, bu, TO throw Il back
uooa is fOr,i6oatiors at Arlington, and thus
Ece-a,e tbs whole Of Es:era Virginia. e1cep. a very
sral dis,ric: Immediately around Als1indil. IT, on
tie o,kef hand The Of General L,O to crush
u, opFosa- ms, ard TO- clpurs Washington Vithou;
striking another blow in o.hCr words, II the immedAe
Possession Of Washlag ,on was the anticipated corte
qusnse Of bis mlyemepts then TIE bl;tle not de-
y1 Ba: tbs is 70. supP,sis'e case. On the con.
.ry, everything has been gained that the mos. San
gane could have imagined. Washington is thrsAtoH'd
by our army and Es have every reason to believe that
TIC Potomac has already been creased, scd ths.
,roops stand upon the promised land Of Maryland. Dos
the movement appear pcrlousY Nothing wss ever
gl1sd without an tJr;. 1t certainly true !hsI attack
/. often The best dsfe1ce that apparent temeiiy often
the uisss. prudence, and that as grss. Italian roet
expresses it,
pro GBy.sa che maggor psrig'i,
$. no p.u sudaes, oliimi eoNSigii.