Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-06-24
THE SITUATION


This mornings mail brought US the following
letter:
NEW HAVEN, CONN. June ~ 1853.
Mr.. EDfTo&: A general officer OF much
military knowledge and ability, suggests TO me
the following as his idea Of the Rebel move
mens:
Bragg and Johnston ha We reinforced LIE. with
from Az to 6S,O0O men. An immense army is
thus massed in Virginia. whose object is the
capture OF Washington. either via Baltimore
or Dy crushing Hooker If a battle is forced
upon them by him.
This explains Braggs incomprehensibilitv
behind a strong fToa-Johnston's quiet and
Lees delay. We cannot find Johnston and
nothing co,aes from him except demonstrations
by active but small partles-Bragg keeps IN a
strong show but nobody knows what force he
has-eyerything indicates that he has greatly
reduced his army lately. Probably he has made
every preparation for retarding Rosecrans if he
advances, by broken bridges, felled trees, &c,
whereby he can be delayed until the Virginia
movement rs completed. Eeerythsag is aban-
doned for that. II the Rebels can take w ashing
ton or Baltimore, (Which last ensures the can
ture OF Washington with the destruction OF
Hooker's army they expect to close the war,
ana can mus AFFORD to risk crcfytting ppoR Ia.
cast.
The view looks SO plausible that cannot
refrain from asking you to call the attention of
the Government to ii as worthy of serious
CONSIDERATION ours respectfully,
We "don't see it," Our belief is that the
months past come from southeastern Virginia
and North and South CaroIina-not from the
West. He would i'he to crush Rockers army
after taking Baltimore and Washington doubt
less; such being his programme, according to
our correspondents progaosticating General
Officer.
But he already finds that game blocked. He
evidently hoped first to capture the most O..
n tbp YAH baI
succeeded only in capturing very few hun
dreds instead of the many thousands he antici-
pated.
The movements of his troops in Maryland
and Pennsylvania develop the fact that he
hoped 10 induce the division of Hooker's army;
not dreaming that the authorities here could
procure At the North for the emergency sufi-
Gent troops to render his advance from the
Potomac too hazardous to be undertaken
Thus his calculations have sorely failed in
that important particular.
Besides the new troops that have fastened
and are yet Fastening to oppose his advance
from the Potomac northwara or westward,
nearly all the nine months and two years
regiments lately discharged have volunteered,
and are again in service. All the Pennsylva-
MIA regiments but two, we learn, have done so,
bs sides those from other States. We msmen-
tarly expect to hear that the two above allu-
ded TO have followed the patriotic examples
thus set them.
With forty or fifty thousand veteran troops
thus obtained, perhaps twenty thousand trained
volunteer militia, and any number of unframed
militia required, in his 'front.' and Hooker's
army intact i'll his rear and on his flank, we
are by no means surprised that Lee fingers
with his main force-Longstreet's and A. Z.
Hills corps dormceS-amid the Businesses of
the western slope of the Blue Ridge, between
Smokers Gap and Winchester, which was
certainly his position on the day before yes
terday
On the whole, il seems quite probable that
has current campaign is TO be dead failure
ending in nothing except the capture of Mil
roys stores and artillery, and the wholesale
robbery of two or three counties Of MARYLAND
and Pennsylvania OF horses and beef cattle
Ii looks to US as though on hearing of the fall
of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, events destined
to follow each other in quick succession in
very bret period, Lee will realize the tact that
nothing is left Tor his army to do but to seek
the Businesses OF the mountain ranges of East
Tennessee, Georgia, Upper South Carolina
and Alabama-the region Of CHATTANOOGA
If the rebellion loses that refuge as the
result OF the fail OF Eicksburg and Port Hud-
son. (Which il must inevitably d o if Lee then
fai.s to reinforce Bragg enormously he could
not sustain aearIny in Virginia for any length
OF time.
The reader v i'll therefore perceive that wa
can see nothing whatever in 1.-The Situation
here or elsewhere 10 make Us dubious a 10
the end OF he summers campaigns
EAiAi. ORDERS