Newbern weekly progress., 1862-05-31
The Situation in Virginia.
rHE OPPOSING ARMIES.
NEAR RoPER's CnuRcH, Va, <sl
MendaE Nav y 1859

Monday, May II 1856.
Thep Is great signficanc. in the assertion,
with which Mcclellan accompanies his dispatch
from Williamsburg, that there wore other bat
ties betkeen hin and Richmond While the
ruultituso arc apparently jumping TO The con-
clusiopt that Yorktown and Williamsburg have
opened the road TO the rebel sapital cur Gem
erals ~ pausing after their victory TO consid-
er what Is before them, that moving cautious
y, they may move surely to the success whieh
the arnty and country alike believe issto at,
tend tleir advance. It's well that We should
initiate heir prudence, and taking counsel from
past experience, avoid the error Of undertaking
our enAnyI and despising the difficulties which
tax q. 4tforts.eq y
AtiskAs.dcraie estimate, the Cnnfederates
had ass1 osktown eighty yoe ninety thousand
men. These haye ictreatsu beyond the Chick
ahominy and, so4ar as can. be aScertained,
are,nnw occupying the region. lying bgtwoen.
that river and the James, readyto concentrate.
upon Richmond, whcre"iS reserve of some
10000 men to increase their force to about
100000. 70 these are now to be added the
ZOO falling back from Norfolk jackson il
credited with ten OF fifteen thousand ;-tSenty
Thousand have been in the neighberhood Of
Holmes Is reported onthe Rappahannock with
f20, 600 more. But it is probable that tae reb-
have upwards Of l75, 600 men now IN Virginia;
so located, that with their control Of the rail
roads, they can concentrate them in less than
a daynpoa, Richmond.
To oppose this force, We have NcCelap's
army, now moving towards Richmond, on a
line parallel with the Chickahemiuy, on the
north of that slreanl, the rebels being opposite
him, on the sauth. This force is, at the time
| write, with its main body, forty miles from
Richmond-the advance being reported to-day
at Bottoms Ridge, fifteen miles from the, city.
Then We have Mcdowell at, or near Frsdercks.
burgh, sixty s,iles to the narthward > Banks
at Staunton, one hundred and ten nslss to the
northwest - Before each t-thssc detached
commands the rebels hay. forces hnlaiug.them
in check, and ready 10 withdraw at the proper
Aomcnt upon Richmond to meet hsGltllsB-
destroying as they go the railroads and bridg,
es behind then, and leaving the three other
Generals to make such progress as they can.
toward junction with the main army hsre.
As Mr. Stanton assumes the direction of mil,
itary movements, he can doubtless tell what
arrangements have been mad, ior bringing
these forces on. in time. TO assist Mcclellan,
should tho emergency require it. Each body
- an Independent corps, responsible directly
to the War Department, and acting under"the
orders Of tbs Secretary. With what has been
done upon this peninsula, and what is yet TO
come, Gen. Mcclellan is 10 be accredited, but
beyond that, LAT. He nesds to be ca1tious
.or kwsnrins r.itterrrrns TO nWsrv,,
giving expression to no unthinking cialnors Of
I ppatisnce Results may follow speedily;
they may be delayed. Lctns be prepared 'IoT
! either Ths cEmpaign in Virginia draws near
It's close. Fer Insnths it was for tie defence
/ Of our own Capitol now il is for the posses
sion af that of the rebels. Here is progress !;
let prophecy for the future. ,
The CohfgdSrates are reported to have been
actively engaged in Strengthening their defen'
ces in front oil Richmond Tor some weeks past,
commencing the work ten days or Q ieElElght
before sIacuaiisS Yorktown. Their forlihca.
lions extend from within half n mile Of Rich
nond TO point on the ChicSahonIiHy, fifteen
miles from Tie city. Tbs land in that ylci;fi'y 7
is uudulaIing. cxcopt about The river, whsra II
; il low and buoy, compiling the use Of hrIdS
l es OF considers U!s lcLglh to cross the sueafn
! which il no size in itself IL is believed tiA
|. political considerations wiliinduce them to np
i, pose 10 the last cur entry into Richmond
. though n point further away from the waei
! eUurseaw wsud give thsm smuch stronger po
i sitioh, yhere they would have no fear Of ou'
h gunhoats The destruction OF tho Merrnna
9 and our possession OF James ryer, will nctles
;. sen thsji dread of these, asd for this reasoI
= some ars inclined to beleys that they viii syaC
J, watts Virginia But saeh course would, j
l. ita.lr he equivalent to defeat. The Firgnian
is have already had too much Of thus war to hg
desperately for anything but their native sot
,, and it would uk hard to keep them in the rel
I, ,l army with th,ir State once fairly in The POI
.S session Of our Vsrnment
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