, 1862-09-03

THE Struggle In Vfrsinta-The Rebel
x9snrM and MoFcmeBts-<1en~F F0pes6
-moyemenrs-SnaFp PrRc.
tfce on Both Sic e&.
From the N. T. Tribune, Sept IL

From the n. l. Ir1onne, oept- Il
When it wss deciced that Mcclellan Was to
forward into the heart Of Eastern Virginia to
make diversion in his tavor. To this end,
his cavalry made repeated aud damaging
dasbes at the railroad connecting Richmond l.
and Gordonsvll1e, an Important railroad juno
ton, nearly leo miles northwest, while the
bulk OF Pope's army-then some 50, 900 strong |
advanced down the Orange and Alexandria |
railroad, which, running southweatwardly, |
connects Alexandria, via Gordonsville and |
Charlottesville, with Lynchbug in the far |
southwest- of course crossing both the ZIP.
crossed both these streams, and YVES reported
at one time to bave occupied Gordonsgille, I
but the subordinate charged with that move" |
ment failed to execute It,
Pope's advance, as was calculated, distracted
the rebel attention from McClellan's retreat
down the Peninsula, and collected their forces
in his front. Being soon 0utnumbered, he
was ordered to fall back, anu did 30, The
bloody but indecisive battle Of Cedar Noun
tain'' was fought between the advance Of tue
two armies respectively, Just north Of the
Rapidan, on August 9. jackson soon afterre-
| treated across the Rapidan- probably to
| + mpt Pope further from his resources. After
! some days desultory sklrmishing,, Pope fel
back across the Reppahaonock, and stood at
| bsr, guarding the innumerable fOrdB OF tult
river along line Of twenty or thirty miles
| The position Was, Of course, advantageous to
| the defensive party, but liable to be broken
| through by n1ass1ng heavy force at either OF
ecore Of points, and breaking the defensive
line By resolute effort. Still, though the
enemy (baving ordered up everything from
Richmond) we're undoubtedly much the
stronger in numbers, no serious effort
to pierce General Pope's line was made:
| While he thus stood on guard, rebel
to LOO in rumbcr, pierced his lines 2t some
| uDgugrdtd ford and made circuit iu his rear,
surprising his headquarters at Gatlett's Sta:ion
on the evening Of the ed, and making con
, siderable haul Of his papers, with some money
sid prisoners. Stuart WIS, OF course, guided
traitors within our lines. He was himself 3
e the front, twelve miles distant, with most o
: his staff, of whom but one was captured. :,
For some days, an omlnous stiffness prevail
S ed on the rrbel side Of the Rappah 1nnock. n
more skirnishes or artillery duels were II
d | yited from that side. Few men she wed then
- selves to our eypectant forces. HWhcre al
II the rebelss What are they about!" were th
+ wondering queries. They were soon to be Al
swefcd, and current expectation that the tra
It ter chiefs would not await the rapid copcei
tration of our new legies at Washington vi
not to be disappointed,
Early on Sunday morning, August 24tl
stoneWall JacIson, with some thirty Or forl
thousand trusted veterans in the Igghte:
J. marching order, without tents or wagons sax
"a Tor Ammunition, left the rebel lines south
the Rappahannock and moved west ward: u
ls known to and unsupported by Pope. VIM
10 Ing his w3y among the sources Of the Rspp
: hammock in the Blue Ridge, by roads U unkno y
= to our side. he turned the right flank Of Of
Of army, and emerging naperceiVed at Tao
"a oughfare Gap, about half way between Mana
- sas Junction and Front Royal, his adVanc
at consisting Of Stuart's cavalry, swooped do
ID | upon our depot Of provisions clothing, ,st3te
~ DC, at Manassas, like hawk among q bro,
C. Of chickens The small force guarding tn
to point was soon dispefsed or captured, al
e1F our heavy stores were appropriated 50 far
possible, and the rest destroyed Kalr1
y trains conveying provisions and munitions
empty care, &c, were captured and dsstroyf
Ao those in charge of them running into the ia
ag of the rolf while unsuspecting any danger.
20 The capture Of the Junction was SO
'oe known in Washington, and the lst New j
Of sey brigade, under Gen. Taylor, sent down
r., rectity Mattets-no one suspectiog that the
IL Rss any thing more serious than smother G
Ill airy dash at our lines Of communicate
nm But, by this time considerable force Of rel
- Infantry and artillery had come up, and Y
Mt the right about with little ceremony, {
=. with lo=s Of several hundred prisoners Y
se, | were paroled so eooE possible. And 8
'ho the Junction, hardly thirty miles from Wa
o iBgton, and nearly so far in the rear of G
W. Pope. was firmly held By the rebels, Y
m- challenged all Corners
a. Thus lar, Gen Pope would seem to h
p0- been completely circumvented. It vas nj
i've " Wednesday morning before he knew y
on Of the nice business gong on in his rear "
oA' he did learn it, he appears to have acted =
the Judgment and dtcislon Of which our a1
ors movements hitherto have evinsed pIeut
.,,+ lack. Instead Of sending back brlgads
eae reopen his communications,h he at once diyi
: Of that this was 20 mere cavalry raid on
a. stores, but daring if not desperate atte
! M to isulate Llm and fall with crushing We
the en- sonse part Of our forces, preliminary
~ 1T--t''optnn or Baltimore