Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-07-23

others were reported Killed, who were taken
unhurt. One account told that Gen Mccall
was shot at by half a regiment of rebels and
seen to fall from his horse with dozen bull
lets in his body; but this was not so; those
who reported it were mistaken. Accurate
observation of such things in the midst of a
battle is frequently dificnlt.
Military Operations in Virginia.
The headquarters of Gen. Pope are still at
Washington, where he is awaiting the arrival
of Gen. Halleck, and the perfecting of the
plan of the new campaign in Virginia. 1t is
reported that still further important changes
will be necessary, both in this department and
at the west, which are not yet fully matured.
The cabinet held an extraordinary meeting,
Monday, at which several generals were pres
ent, but no result was attained, the president
preferring to await the arrival of Gen. Hal
leck.
MOVEMENTS IN THE VALLEY.
The brilliant and successful dash upon the
Virginia central railroad, at Beaver Dam, of
which Gen. Pope gave Il brief official despatch,
was under Col. Davies, of the Harris Light
Cavalry, with $40 men. Beaver Dam is only
40 miles north westerly from Richmond. Be
sides destroying large quantities of rebel
stores and war materials, they captured Capt.
j. l.. Moseley of Virginia, an aid of Gen.
Stewards, who was waiting for the cars He
had upon his person letter from Gen. John
ston recommending him to that officer, and
recommending that officer to study Napoleon's
maXims. From its contents it appeared that
Gen. Stewart was at Atlee's Station, nine
miles from Richmond, and that Gen. Stone
wall jackson was between Charlottesville and
Staunton. Capt. Moseiey was bearer of dis
patches from Gen. Stewart to Gen. jackson.
Col Davies destroyed the railroad and tele-
graph lines for four or five miles, and the
station containing ammunition, flour and 9TH
er valuable property, the water tanks and a
| large quantity of cordwood in the course of
| the hour which remained before the train from
Richmond, which Captain Moseley had ex-
| pected to take, and which had on board
brigade Of troops going to re-enforce
Gen. Jackson, was due. The information with
reference to the movements of the enemy de-
rived from papers which fell into the hands of
our forces, and from residents in the vicinity,
was extremely important. The white resi-
dents on the road were thrown into a state
of great CONSERVATION, not having been ac-
customed to offensive operations by the ma
tional troops. The blacks manifested no ap-
prehension, however, and in number of
cases the Virginia women waved their hand
kerchiefs, supposing the cavalry to be rebel
| troop. There were 10000 armed rebels at
Louisa Court House to the left, and con-
| siderable force at Bowling Green to the right
After riding so miles in 30 hours, the COM
mand returned in excellent condition, with
not horse or man permanently the worse
for the journey.
THE ARMY ON JAMES RIVER.
There is little prospect of active movements
on the peninsula till the army is re-enforced.
OF the disposition of the soldiers, letter
from the camp at Harrisons Landing, dated
the goth, says The temper of the rank and
file of this army is fight. Mingling with pri-
Yates in quiet camps, l find the Coward to
Richmond desire big in every man. Talk
with him a minute, and he thrusts it in your
| face. 'Now. without endorsements 7" ask.
''Give us the number we had before these last
battles, and well walk into Richmond" is the
| gist of the replies. Such being the case in
| these rearward camps, where the preparation
| Of three meals, and the first half of twilight
in dress parade, are the sole un-lazy duties of
the day, judge of the Impotence of those in
| front! There, intrenching goes on. There
with every slide OF dirt from the shovel slips
away little of muscle and much of patience
| There, every rod Of the crescent that circum-
vallates large army must be picketed. Not
| heavy picketing, where whole divisions rest
on their arms, as when the climber of tall
tree saw Richmond. Not that bloody work
where, in single wooded swamp, Hooker
lost fifty men week in separate murders.
But still, arduous, sleepless picket duty-and
this, too, % miles from those steeples we each
one climbed to see. l tell you those men in
the bitches, and those men in the woods be-
yond, long for the unmitigated musket do
not assume to say they should have it now,
tomorrow, or next month; but do say the
feeling OF the soldiery should enter into this
question CT time" and generalship. At any
rate these men do not wish to fly the evils
they have for those they know not of. fo~ the
attacks Of the enemy have brought them the
| knowledge OF what battle-felds are. They
know, also, that the road to their homes and
families leads through these battle-felds, and
that Richmond is on the route. 1t is certain
that the main force of the enemy lies close to
Richmond. His transportation is too made
| quate for him to maintain himself from his
base; besides, he knows better than to bury
himself (this expression to be taken literally
in the swamps-worse than Indian iungles.
which environ our position.
Another letter written last Saturday, saws
The soldiers who, on their arrival here, were
promised rest, and at least, expected relaxa-
ton after the extraordinary dangers they had
passed through, have nearly the whole time
since had their energies taxed with labor in
the trenches, as well as the performance of
much picket duty. Trench labor in our i'm
mediate campis now completed and the pros
pect is brighter. l have heard the soldiers
say repeatedly, -and it is an evidence of their
temper-that they would rather risk their
chances in a forward movement than thus to
die by inches. One man exclaimed with irony,
not very reverential, but characteristic of the
army % Jerusalem, my happy home He was
from Massachusetts. Another cried out 'Nev-
er mind, we won't be soldiers always This
spirit was engendered and fostered, not by the
dangers Of the service nor the fear of battle
But there is universal desire for the termin-
alton of the war, through speedy action and
heavy blows, which, the soldiers believe, will
only subdue the rebels-blows which shall tell
upon the causes of the rebellion and remove
them forever. The army as well as the coun-
try rapidly embraces the doctrines which, un-
til very recent period, it has denounced and
secuted. Let the change go on. Let it ex-
| tend throughout the nation Napoleon saws :
''March ahead of the great ideas of your age,
and they will follow and support you" That
the so-caled radicals of this country will soon
! a 4 al l. IL 1