Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-05-08
THg REBEL LINE OF The CfiICkA:
H0MlNY

From the Richmond Examiner, April %
1t Is very probable that decisive battle may
be fought north Of Richmond bsfore that on
the Peninsula has transpired. Our best fght.
ing generals have pursued the policy of giving
the enemy a fierce fight before falling hack
under the pressure Of superior forces. This
was the tactics Of Jackson at Winchester; and,
IL he is let alone, will doubtless be his tactics
again before falling back behind the line of
the Chiekahominy,
The effort of the enemy will doubtless be to
effect junction of his forces under Banks and
Mcdowell somewhere In the county Of Louisa
or Caroline. We suppose II will be necessary
for General jackson to Withdraw until he can
get both Of these columns in his front. This
done, the instincts Of the man will, doubtless,
induce him to offer q battle. Our Corinth is
on the Chiekahominy, and our Shiloh some
where In advance In Caroline or Louisa. We
should not be surprised at hearing within
week of fierce battle on this advanced thea
ter, wherever II may BE-
We argur we'll for The result OF any engage
ment that may come off in that region of
country. The enemy will be far from his
water base Of operations. He will be COM
pelled to meet US on equal terms in every re-
spect except bis superior numbers, and we can
manage pretty heavF odds of these. A soldier
accounted In soldiers satisfactory way for
our yielding at last in one of our most impor-
tant battles. He said we whipped them the
best part OF the time, and as long as we could
fight, and We should have whipped them all
the time If they had not "out- reinforced until
there was no end to them. They got the better
OF us on the second day at Shiloh, simply by
this process of 'out-reinforcing' US, which their
proximity to the river enabled them to do. If
they come In upon US as far as Caroline or
Louisa, they will be so far from their water
transportation that this fsvorite plan of "out-
reinforcing" will be impracticsble. Whsteyer
odds they open the battle with, those odds
only will they hold against us. The men that
fight and are whipped one day, will have to
fight and be whipped the next day if they re-
new the encounter. A whipped army will not
rest while fresh army comes forward to en-
gage our troops, worn and weary with g days
exertion and excitement, as on other occ casions
1t Is not for US to divulge the number of our
own troops that are concentrating on the line
north of Richmond. Suffice it to say, that we
believe them to be ample to withstand and re-
pulse the enemy. There is this further en-
ooursging feature of the campaign in that di-
rection-namely, that both Generals Jackson
and Ewell have the reputation of being fight
ing generals. Earnest and vigorous work on
our side is all that is wanted. Dispute every
mile Of the road, sell every foot of territory
for blood, is the true tactics. The sage policy
OF the back track may do very we'll at times,
and the virtue Of spades and sandbags may be
very great in the proper place; but here is
campaign in open field, where numbers will
not be greatly unequal, and where neither
side has had time for engineering and dirt
digging. That country, too, offers many bat
tie felds; and, as this war at last must be de-
cided by battles, better that they should be
fought promptly and bravely than postponed
to more convenient seasons and localities.