Maryland free press., 1862-11-28

States OF the Southern Confederacy finds no par
allel in our own annals. No war that Englad has
wsged for hundred years has met with such
cordial, unanimous, undivided support. The war
against the French Republic had its CHARLES Fox;
the war against Russia its RICHARD CoppEs.-
There is no such character in the Southern States
The victory OF the Federals in this exasperated
| struggle nieansy not the de'eat Of the Southern
| srmies-not the possession of Richmond, Charles
ton, Savanna, Mobile and New.Orleens, which
would no more lead to conclusion of the W ar
than the seizure of the Isle of Man. A Federal
victory means nothing on earth but the exterm-
nation and annihilation of every man, woman and
| child in the Southern Confederacy. There is no
passion, No frenzy, in the universal language
| The intensity of the hate flushes the cheek and
clinches the teeth, but finds little expression in
feeble words. Ii anything, the exhuberance of
animosty is more perceptible in the flashing ey es
and eager earnestness of the women; but the set
tied and uncomfortable frmness of the men re-
quires nothing 10 be added to it. The possibility
of Richmond's falling is calmly discussed and
preparations have long been m ade fer such con.
tingency. Surprise is expressed that the Feder-
ais have not long ago possessed themselves of sew
eral other Southern cities well as New Orleans
The possession of a capital city Ia these days of
railroads iu very different thing from what it
used to be in the days of Wagram and jena
Great suffering might be inflicted on women and
children if Mobile and Charleston fel-sufreriug
which there is only too much reason to fear would
be most acceptible TO the Federals, judging from
the record of their deeds during this last year and
oalf But every considerable city in the South
might be reduced to ashes without changing the
mood OF underminding the resolution of the fee
bte heart there ke in the Southern Confederacy.
THE WAR SINCE SEPT. 1.
1t remains for me go recapitulate from Southern
| sources the narrative of the months proceedings
which followed the reetor alton Of Gen. Mcclellan
| to supreme command on the occasion of tie head.
long discontinue of the forces commanded bv
Gen. PopE. In connection with these battles the
travellers attention is called to a crowd eagerly
surrounding the store of the principal bookseller
10 this town. Upon examination he will discover
hanging in the window a coat, to which is at
tached the following inscription:
"This coat was taken from the ward -ob, Of
Msj' Gen. JoBH Pore, captured at Catletts Sta
tion by Msj. Gen. j. E. u. STUART and directed
to be placed at WRsr JoHNsroR's with this in
scription: ID.
"Taken from the man who said he never ex.
pected to see any thing hut tie backs of the rebels
IL VIII pe remembered tnat Gen. MCCLELLAE
resumed the chief command of the Federal armies
on the I'd Of September, the 14th of that month
he fought his first battle in Maryland, called II 0
South Mountain, against the rear guard of The
Confederstes. No one is so willing to give Nc
CLELLAE credit for bringing his raw and demo.
rallied troops into action upon so early day as
the Confedsrates themselves. Gen LEE had wit
messed their panic route after the battle at the
end of August; had seen PoPE's shattered colums
driven like huddled sheep into Washington; and
1t wss not unreasonable to suppose that's consid-
cradle time would elapsed before they would aga n
leave its shlrteriog fortresses. The only step by
which 1t was possible to inspire confidence was
taken, and.Gen. MCCLELLAN was reappn nted. To
him, and to bim alone, is due the credit for reor
ganizstion and reinspritin his broken hosts and
It is freely accorded to him in this section of the
country.
It appears to have been Gan. LEES piucipal de.
sign, when he crossed into Maryland, to seize
Harper's Ferry, and to test the spirit of the Ma
rylaaders by his temperate proclamation. In or.
r to be upmoleated in his attack on Harper's
Ferry, he threatened Pennsy lvania from Hagers-
town, throwing Gov. CuRrIs into Mysteries. he
had little serious expectation of being able to
reach Pennsylvania, but if Gen. PoPE had been
continued in command, and Maryland had baen
more free to act, there be no. doubt that Balti
more and Washington would hive fallen. But
when MCCLELLAN took the field, and the army's
confidence again sprang aloft, n. LEE had no
other purpose on the soil of Maryland than to
capture Harper's Ferry. Gen. JACKSON, after
reaching Hagcrstown. fell suddenly and silently
back upon Hsrper's Ferry, and veloped it close
ly upon every size. ....
TIE REBELS oUTNuMBERgD AT ANTiErAn.
At this moment the fame of McCLELLAN's early
approach, with the design of reinforcing Har-
per's Ferry, overlook Gen. LEE. He immediate
" threw Cen. @. HiyL's Division of from IL, 900
to 15, ,00o men back to strong position upon Sou h
Mountain, where, on Sept IA, Gen. MGCLELLAS
attacked them with not less than 20, eco men,
The Sou utherners fell sl1wly back before ills i'm
posing force, bat not without iniic:ing upon it
such loss that 1t was not till Sept II that Nc
CLELLAN forced on the momentous battle OF An |
tetam Greek. The morning of the IA found
Gen. LEI strongly postsd, but with not IN ore than
10000 men when the battle commenced: For !
once the Federal papers, which are in the habit oI
representing that their armies are but handflls
of men fighthing against overwhelming bordes of
rebels, do not claim that their alleged victory
won against superior numbers of their opponents. |
How great the disparity was at the co pmencement |
of the battle is probably known to Gen. McCLEL-
LAM. 1t Is believed by President DAVIS, whose !
calm and dispassonate opinion will command |
more respect in Eaglaud than the rhapsodies of
the Federals, that the Soutberners were at FRS
outnumbsred more than three to one.
At noon the ubiquitous jackson threw himself
and bis division (possibly u 600 men) upon the
right wing of the Federals. He had previously
forced the garrison of Harper's Ferry to surren-
der to q man, tsking all their arms, munitions OF
war, and cannon !; and, though delayed longer
than expected, he arrived soon enough to at
tack Mcclellan. The ground won in the morning
by the Federals. who were in tremendous force,
ubon their right wing, was swiftly recovered, and
held until the end of the day., At four in the al!
.srnoon, Gen. A. p. Hills Division came up and
joined the Confederate right. 1t was we'll that
Gen. Burnside's advance on the Federal left was
go long delayed, andrwas eventually made With
overwhelming numbers The day cosed with
Gen. Burnside clinging closely to the bridge, be-
vond w bich he could not advance. with Gen,