, 1862-03-19

winter, and inaisted that the organizing power
which had nodded demoEaffzed military mob
into obedient capacity for action should be
allowed to develop its plan N its own good
authority to Judge where the blame Lies. But,
using my eyes and my esEs-employing (mod-
estly speaktng) aVeEage powers Of deduction
Y cannot escape thhe following concluslon:
FiJSt-Tlat the Typographical character Of
The position at Manassas has been wholly mis-
understood. 1nstead of = high plain, with as-
cendiDg -terTaces, fo1nsshfrg concentric lines
Of defense, it is low plain, OF which the only
natural advantage is the stream Of Bull Run,
with low bluff bank.
though naturally formidable to IN advance from
Falrfax, has no flank or rear deicnses, Is lm-
perfectly fortified, and, from all Indications, |
never had any siege guns.
-7htrd-That the three or four small forts
near Manassas Junction, on an open plain, do
Ha1M-rhat the strongest of the rebel
works was inferior, both in construction and
armament; to the weakest Of our forts On the |
Virginia side of Washington. :
FJzh-That the rebels never had, at any |
time, In al the camps between CentreTllle !
and Manassas, more than t5,0 /
Sizth-That an advance Of o1r whole army,
made any time since the tT* e. Noeeua5er !ast,
you'd ee1y Astly hare reached Manassas NTH as
mitch expedition dad little loss as the ddaance
at Mis time 1t is scarcely likely that the reb.
els, who have been al along SO we'll informed
as to onr strength and oar contemplated
movements, would have hazarded an engage
to them.
There are many little Incidents Of this eS-
curslon which must rcl4te, but enough for
todaJ. One rejection, 1eHeEer, must De
added before eiose. The lnteiii:sent contra.
band whom consersed with st Manassas told
1na AfS&inrf4E IN 4huSu Il They nriA
wren aey was hntrrin' on, That sfo1 acoHt4 %
mere Sunday :it9ht-" The batteries On the 70
fouac were vacated in haste, Immediately
after Gen*Hooker was ordered to cross the
1iFer B. T.
STRENGTH or RFRFr prc1>1ENrs
a'Isse4.1 .;ua,+.s ~ ~ - ~ - So,
eon erep'"1 elspaten ~ .us ~ =,
a f1ss1or 10 alanassas examined Lne proEIs-
19n ret1lns oi seven companies M :, Q! lne :1st
Nortn CaioAna hTg11sh., * l.! WHICH, " 1ouao 1a3
leap Oh papers: Inc olsaest nuMoer ol msn s
! IN any one Of these companies was thus oil
eaaAy snoHa ~ " ~, otuefs sho.eo iess tilan
~ NEIL n there were no more IN tue Other
tnHs tn1 and ~ LIZ sns W. ue.Meen
5sg ; ano ~ s.e1ng 5I1st rettfns ~ o.ues cum
lanss ueaonsng 70 olne1e1a leglnlents H., ayer VT.
VIII 11a19ugns, @ aesellels' aso; Soh se'ef'n sesa-
hfntS a+ aa eG%a nas tp " an,t,, f IL,
Nation been belcaeured and the Treasury
banKrnpted.
Mics ha4nnJ W.m.st,s c.mc ;n yast.E;,sI ~
They continued to live through it all until tie
militia cavalry came to enforce old Letchers
n1Psesfnsn. proctan'1a1 11:; nnsn 10y Sa'Su. ~
| State oF Pennsp1vania rcco9nizsa to-day m
the BulI Run haftlefieId = Virginia friend, resi-
/ dert rear Manassas whn assured him that
eucmy,s forces from T.ecs6nrg down thronaI
fhr Potomac Fatter;cs III The 5,st Summer ana
fall. their entire army across the Poton1ac
never nt anv me lime exceeded al. .oOn.
The ron,'tot;on of The ioints Inrsestfoatinr Istf
Committee on Tie Conduct Of the war. re-
| tle b1oodtcss ticid Of Manassas. Thei1 con con
fcnnnt of the military nhstrnc1ions heforr,
which We have heen made fn falter for 1,a!f 4
year is outspoEcn. TIER estimate Of the
forces ys1.icb las held NJ hay fhe noH;er If the
Renuhic "a sn n' sn'a1i ~ as ~ male hr., ~ en
hnpg Their heads.
| ~They countp11 RI c7nbrasures at Cantreyille.
/ in r. of 9v7ich wooden inns were mnnnted'
An African, resident said aWhy. Sar. tf,cu,
nscd f. he iest "a @ood to scare Sifh as any,
So dc1iber:at1 vas fhe refrcat of the rebel:
That ~ Saturday nis-It e0 00l of them, dis1flS
| ino the crnv1ei stafe nf rhe rnofs marrhe;
haTk to Centrrriilc. silent sonndiy. and th1
| rryt far sfsrtrd annw Tar GnrdonsviIlc.
- z~
WHOSE is THE ADVANTAGE.
corresnondent of tbe N. Y. 7tu,7a,
ot-,rsc5s,1. ~ ~. =.
eiops sne1ie'i'.i papel' 'nus s"t.s ~ 1u' -
suits Of the rebel cyacnatlon III Manassas
showing that the balance Of advantage Is no
49,, o-- e;an
; .....,.- -
: -. Ihc rebel army Las made Inc most Sue
eesetul, complete and handsome evacuation
the most secure and perfect retreat, OF VIII;
!. history furnishes an example It has sGfet
: | escaped, with It's entire tight and lett wing
from CentreVlJ1e, from me Upper and Lowe
!, totomac, from every point tnfeaIencd b5 ou
hneS. ....--, ....-..
, ~ mas securely carried on It's every snl
, ~ rs PROVISIONS ana mnhlslohs, ana tnrss
E along 81 its route. Gen. Stewart threatened
: come back to-day and swoop off the retnainiu
4 people and houses, and nothing but his NJ
q suit W our army las pcrnaps prevented Ill
e from doing it
- ut has blown up or otherwise destIoye
r. every bridge and enlve1t On turnpike anu I'll
2 road along its route ;,
l. 1t has swept clean every camp, except I'll
ous,;1 evidently denorted in FASTENED alarm
e the approach Of our army, Never was 1
i evacuation more complete.
n | -, Gen. Jackson has cscapcG ifom Snc
L anaoan taAev. burning M nr1ases ps! "sen h11
h sen ana zen banke. ih1s Is posltlFe1y s5as'
Il by escaped contraoands coming N 1o-nlgAl.
r. LII. Large portion OF this eVacoatif
i. must nave been gra dua1iy accomplished nnfl'
10 LIE PAST l"o nonths. but nearly h1ty tnon 1i
T. ara rebels were ne5c ane "a al Manassas WI WIN
lAe iast ~eeh, " WHO'LL :en t',o.sstu nenI
e. ~ Rs;,rosd to Warranfnn i,,nct;n9 and !
&c - n''iTau ~ Aa ~. 80 - -