Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-11-07
The Advance into virginia.
Correspondence of the New York Tribune
On THE RIGHT FRONT, NEAR AsHBY's GAP, VA, |


rapid and important" The Importance" of
the movement the future will determine. Its
''rapidity" is such that on the ninth day after
crossing the Potomac our infantry advance is
at Ashby'S Gap. This pass through the Blue
Ridge is thirty miles south of Harper'S Ferry
(our starting point and twenty north of Ma
nasSas Gap. We are only nine miles from
the Manassas railroad, and shall shortly
change our base of supplies to that line. We
are as really in the enemys country as we
could be in Mississippi or South Carolina.
Our troops, fresh from the warm welcome
they enjoyed in Maryland, see this contrast,
and spoil the Egyptians accordingly. Their
drafts upon the orchards, -roosts, corn
cribs. and fence-rals, which soldiers never
spare, are astonishingly heavy. l think if
Pharaoh had seen his homestead passed over
by hungry hostile army, he would have let
the people go.
NO WHITE LOYALTY.
l have not heard a single white Virginian,
male or female, profess loyalty, since we left
the Potomac. Wherever private property is
taken for the army the owner. if loyal, is fur
nished with a receipt emitting him to pay
ment; if disloya, he has no redress. Under
this pressure many profess a sort Of loyal
neutrality or neutral loyalty: but have met
no unconditional Unionists. The women and
children, as usual tell the truth without dis
guise. AT Woodgrove, the other night,
young woman, who said she protested to be a
christian of the Baptist mode, declared she
had no aspirations for heaven if any Yankees
were there. She would willingly lay down
| her life for the cause. She would be proud to
kiss the dirtiest and raggedest soldier in the
rebel army. 'Have you seen any rebel pick
cts this morning?" another was asked at Up
perville yesterday. She replied, with intense
indignation, "Why do you call them rebels ?"
GAS you please, madam; what do you call
them?" 81 call them southern heroes, sir!''
THE FRIENDLY BLACKS.
The slaves come into our lines, act as
guides, and give whatever information they
can. (which side are you on boys?" asked
Gen. German of large party standing on the
roadside to see the column pass. 1.-The Union,
sir, Of course" responded half a dozenvoices.
'Do you want to carry information to the
rebels ?" inquired an officer of another, who
asked pass to go home, outside of our lines.
''NOt l. We are no friends to them. Your
army is all our hope, sir" 'Well, uncle" Ito
the gray-headed patriarch who tottered
around to the farm house gate with my horse
this morning., ''are you rebel, like every
body else here ?" mo, sir, what should be a
rebel for? l should have come to you all be-
fore, but good many colored people who
did were brought back when Harper's Ferry
was taken, and are worse off than if they had
staid at home. So I'm jHst watching and
waiting" Even this old negro, almost ready
| to tumble into the grave, could not repress
| his aspiration for liberty. There are four
millions of his race to-day, whose condition
he exactly describes, who with him are
watching and waiting" | have never yet
encountered one, however ignorant and de-
graded, who failed to manifest an interest in
| the war-who did not recognize our troops as
friends.
| PRoGREss-sNICKER's GAP.
Our army has moved southwark on three
| parallel roads. In the right column-Gen.
| Couchs corps, with Fitz John Porter bringing
up the rear-we have been feeling our way
cautiously, clinging to the foot of the Blue
Ridge, on its side, in sight daily of the enc
my'S cavalry, but driving them back without
fighting. The crest of the ridge, commanding
the whole country to the Kittoctin and Bull
Run Mountains, gives the rebels a fine oppor-
tunity to watch the progress of our army.
Our troops from the valleys look up the noun
tain side, to see only here and there stray
rebel, and everywhere the wonderful tints of
autumn. On Sunday morning we reached
Smokers Gap. 1t is a broad, easy pass,
through which the Leesburg and Winchester
turnpike crosses the mountain. The enemy
held 1t with artillery and cavalry, but fell back
without fight as two of Hookers brigades,
with Pettit's battery, moved up and occupied
the summit. From the crest, looking west
ward, we saw three miles away the deep gorge
between two wooded hills through which the
Shenandoah passes; and beyond, the turn
pike stretching off, broad and smooth, for a
third of mile, then plunging into belt of
woods. Just on the edge of the woods sig
nal flag was waving, evidently to commune
cate to the troops lying under the HILL nearer
to us but hidden from view, our movements
upon the summit.
SIGNS OF TROUBLE.
The rebels supposed we designed crossing
the Shenandoah, and prepared to dispute our
passage. Out of the woods poured column
of their infantry, completely filling the section
of road which we could see, then passing out
of sight under the hill. Following then came
another column, which disappeared at the
same point. Then a third moved out, also
coming toward us. At this moment one of
their light guns, much nearer than the infan-
try, opened upon us. 1t threw four Shells
but they all fell short, and exploded 800 yards
in front of us. Petit, who had his guns upon
the coast, could not receive this salute in ST.
lence. Giving one of his l0-pound PARROTS a
great elevation, he sighted it himself, and
| fired. The rebel column in the road was
three and half miles away, but he dropped
the shell right into the midst oft. 1t explod-
| ed; there was white puff of smoke; in a
moment it lifted, and showed the dense column
rushing back into the woods. There was no
more fighting during the day. The rebel
| force, which Gen. Hancock estimated at TO-
900, held its position, but made no attempt to
dispossess us. Gen. Sykes, with his regulars,
remained to hold the gap, and our column
moved on. Reports have come forward that
Cen Sykes had a skirmish yesterday, in
which he lost about 20 men, but held his po-
sition.
THE sKIRMIsH AT Smokers GAP.
LGter.-Particulars have been received of
the skirmish at Smokers Gap yesterday. Gen.
| Fitz John Porter sent a reconnaissance
through thegap down toward the river on the
west side, to find the position of the enemy.
1t was under command of Lieut. Col Sar-
jeant of the LIST Massachusetts cavalry, and
consisted of forty men of his regiment, with
the 9th 18th, 10th, and l4th regular infantry.
AS the river was approached. the whole force
were ordered to depIoy as skirmishers. All
obeyed except the 18th regulars, who, through
misapprehensiOn of the orders, charged down
the hill to the river in line of battle. They
went down with a rush and a cheer, but lust
as they reached the waters edge masked
battery on the other bank of the river opened
on them with shell and canister. They were
ordered to fall on their faces, and drawn off
as soon as possible, but they suffered a loss
of about eight killed and more than twenty