Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-09-04
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FiLMoUTH, Aug. 20.
We have the following Information a
to the rebel army on the RappahannocE
Our informant, q man Of good Judge
ment, and who saw the enemy's force
cross from the Rapidan 10 the Kappa
hammock, estimates that the whole Con
federate army opposed to Pope is unde
two hundred thousand. He was sur
prised, however, BY the extent Of thei
artillery and transportation and th,
general good condition Of the troops.
Our informant overheard the Con
federate officers expressing much ve1
alton that Pope escaped them. They
said that but for some misunderstanding
about orders they would have nabbeC
him, and that they ought on Sunday t.
have been where they were on Tuesday
Pope's activity in evading them caused
their plan TO turn out failure entirely
In the opinion Of our informant, Jack.
son has quietly slipped away to some
new field of operations, and the DEM
onstrations made by the Confederates
along the Rsppshannock within the last
few days have been mere feints to
"amuse" while he steals off 10 strike an
unexpected blow.
There has been no firing since Satur-
day night, when there was some can
nonading between Sigel and the enemy
at Waterloo, on the Rappahannock,
near the White Sulphur Springs
Since that the enemy has been suspi
ciously quiet, and are quite evidently at
some new scheme of mischief.
The Confederate cavalry, in their late
dash within our lines, stopped at the
Warren Green Hotel, in Warrentou and
took tea, registered their names, etc.,
with cool impudence, on Thursday
evening, while on their way to Catlett's
Station. They were enthusiastically
received in Warrenton BY the disloyal
portion of the citizens. They returned
by the same route, carrying with them
some three hundred horses and num-
Der of prisoners.
This afternoon we have reason to be-
lieve that already the great bulk of the
rebel force that reached the Rappahan
mock on Wednesday and Thursday last,
is far on its way back to Gordonsvile.
Yesterday we mentioned the fact
that large body of rebel artillery
(suficient for an aggregate force from
10000 to $4,000 strong) was certainly
on the march from the Upper Kappa
hammock, on Friday last, back in the d.
rection of Little Washington. From
that point one fine turnpike leads to
Luray. in the Valley, and another to
Gordonsville, via Sperryville and Madi-
son Courthouse.
The fact that no information has yet
reached here showing that any rebel
force had entered the Valley, satisfies
us that the march of this receding force
was to Speryville, and thence in the
direction of GordonsVille.
Since Saturday last nearly all firing
across the Rappabannock has ceased.
Hardly dozen shots day are being
fired, and now most of our officers in
front believe that on Saturday last Lee,
Longstreet, Jackson, &C., quietly took
the "back track" going somewhere, no
one knows whittier.
"Ten to one" to Gordonsvile, we
think. The signs yesterday were that
but very small rebel force was in our
front-hardly enough to keep up the
appearance of an opposing force there.
We have further interesting informa
lion of the rebel army. On Thursday
last there was an animated discussion
among the members of Lees staff to
settle the question where the blame
should rest for being outgeneraled by
Pope.
1t seems that Lee and Jackson GER
tainly expected their army to be on
Sunday morning. the 18th. precisely
where it arrived on Tuesday morning, |.
The 18th. Somebody gave wrong or
der or somebody did not promptly act
upon right order. However, the loss
of the two intervening days utterly de-
feated the purpose of the forward move
ment.
ION Thursday last it was conceded in
Lees military family that the move
ment had been dead failure, Pope be-
ing found in position on the north side
Of the Rappahannock, instead OF being
caught upon the bank of the Rapidan,
as designed.
The entire force that marched east
from Gordonsville was about 10000
men, not more.
-CDo1T co,rrN-c y