The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1862-09-25
THE WAR NEWS.

matches we receive in our Dailies, be.
cause they are 50 conflicting and
lengthy, and upon many points perfectly
unreliable. After gathering and sitting,
we are forced to believe there has been
great deal Of heavy hgh'ing with the
enemy while III Maryland and they have
been obliged to retreat back into Vir-
ginia, with great loss Of men, but pro-
baby an increase Of forage and sub
sistance. Harper's Ferry was attacked
bv force under Jackson, rebel, for the
purpose of securing good aud safe
crossing for their forage and transports,
and after a short engagement was sur
rendered to him. Col Miles wac IN
command, and is greatly censured for
urendering the place without more of
a struggle. The Chicago Journal makes
these comments:
THE surrender of Harpers Ferry
with 10000 men-the kew to our posi-
ton on the Potomac--exeites great in
dignation among the people. 1t was
dissraccfui in the extreme. Only 200
on our side were killed and wounded
before the stars and stripes were lowered
It appears the rebels got upon the
heights unmoicsted, where they could
rake our position at pleasure. The
main portion of the rebel army G, ossed
the Potomac at this point on their re
treat. Why it xas 50 ineloriously sur.
is a mystery. General White
and Colonies Miles and Ford wcre the
commanders, Colonel Miles acting as
chief. The blame seems to be between
Miles and Ford. A fiji investigation
and explanation are demanded. The
blame should be fastened upon whom
soeyer it belongs"
We do not much admire these COM
ments Of the Journal. 1t says the
stars and stripes we've lowered, when
onlg 200 on our side were killed and
wounded asi. mourning fhcrc was moi
more, and at the same time acknow
hedges that the rebels had secured the
heights near the place.
This being So. 1t nonld take them bat
a short time with cannon to destroy all
our troops or drive thssl out.
I, is now estimated tiiat rebel loss in
Tuesdays aud Wednesdays battles of
las, weeks somewhere between 20,
oco, and 4e,Qso killed, wounded and
missing, and our loss fraln 5000 to
10000 But then our readers know
how To take this.
The Chicago Tribune draws this
conclusion ~ tic battles
\ brief review Of recent events on
the Potomac il about as fellows: Tie
rebels, in a fighting column fitted for
LIGHT and rapid movements, pu>,.s..
northward freha the successes operP epe
in the Rsnrahannock and at Bull Run
They poured over into Maryland, pri,,-
cipally 70 secure supplies from q rich
region never visited by the Eay. Tie
needed army stores were there. Tney
had believed that rebel sy,npa.hizers in
thonsands would rally to their standard.
With such aid they could alone have
hoped for a long campaign north Of the
Potomac. Without it they must have
expected just what has happened. The
rising lid net come off. The other
part Of the programme did come of.
The great foragag party, hungry from
swept rapidly the country and made mp
immense forage trains. Our columns
moved against them in solid array.
The rebels retired carrying with them
their booty. But it was not to be thought
Of to keep these long trains in advance
Of the army retiring before Mcclellan,
and SO Stonewall jackson is given an un-
derfaking executed in manner worthy
of himself He makes detour south
ward to Harper's Ferry, and secures a
passage-fortaceloe miles eflsasiiy loaded
.oa9ons rapidly hurried across the bridge
and dispatched down the Shenandoah.
Valley. No wonder that Fedora. pri.
soners were Of no account in his eyes;
he was there for another purpose and
did it, and then swept back. to aid Lee.
The rebel army has followed its.trains,
all now across the Potomac, Eonbtless
punished severely by oa:r.troops, who
hung upon their rear. The future will
soon tell whether their trip down the
Shenandoah is q safe one, and the pre-
sence Of some Of Heintzelman's force at
Thoroughfare Gap is suggestive Of what
may be- on the tapis. As far as events
have revealed themselves it cannotibe