Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-09-10
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF
THE REBEL ARMY AT CHAT.
TANOOGA.
Joe Johnston Said to be Moving North upon
Burnside.

Burnside.
A correspondent Of the New York Herald,
writing from Stevenson, Alabama, under date
of September /, says that there was a report
there, (not, however, confirmed,) which had
received serious consideration, that the rebels
were moving north from Chattanooga. There
Is gap Of forty five or fifty miles between the
armies Of Burnside and Rosecrans. This gap
is mountain, which is called "Walden's Ridge
of the Cumberland" Burnside's right is in
front of Knoxville, on the Clinch river His
army is therefore about ninety miles, through
wide, rich valley, from Chattanooga. Rose
Grams army is about thirty miles, through a
very rough, mountainous region, from Chatta.
nooga. He is fifty miles from the railroad,
which represents on the map the rebel line of
retreat southwark. With the two armies thus
situated there are reasons why this as yet unde-
fined rumor is rather startling.
The theory is suggested that Johnston, in
thus taking the offensive, calculates upon meet
ing and overwhelming Burnside before he can
form junction with Rosecrans The CORES
pendent then goes on to say:
"The broken front would certainly be tempt
ing to q general with an army superior, or ven
equal, to either half OF that of his enemy. 1t
would be dangerous to us if we were in the face
of an enemy equal to either Rosecrans or Burn
side But Johnston is inferior to the former
and believe not more than equal to the latter
If inferior to Burnside, JohnstOn's demonstra-
prove dangerous enemy to Burnside, and
will at least halt him. If superior, he will
force him to retreat: Burnside's retreat would
halt Rosecrans. The rumored movement,
therefore, promises something. What does it
riskl The rebel has the interior line good val
ley roads and railr Dad to get back over his
ninety miles before Rosecrans, on the exterior
line, can make his fifty miles over mountains
and rivers to Johnston's rear.
What is johnson to hope for by taking the
offensive against one-half Of the armyl He
calculate ROspcr3ns
whom he roughly estimates at g., 900 men for
defensive battle, $4,000 for an offensive one
There is always this difference in favor of
defensive army OF that number. This army is
separated from him by three ranges of noun
tains, river and fifty miles. 1t is ten DAYS
march fcr an army. 1t is five days more to
Rosecrans out of his calculations for the space
of fortnight. He has that time to devote to
Burnside In Burnside he calculates to find
an enemy OF $4,000 strong for the defensive,
10000 for an offensive engagement
What force can he muster to attack Burnside
with before the latter can form the anticipated
junction with Rosecrans He has twenty fl We
Thousand available men at Chattanooga, Bragg's
old army His own army, gathered in vain to
raise the siege OF Nicksburg, will muster as
many more, OF whom fifteen thousand are SOL
diers, the rest rabble. Maury at Mobile has ten
thousand. He can thus concentrate force of
sixty thousand men. With the shorter lines,
good roads, river and railroad, he can put his
twenty five thousand and Maury's ten thou
sand at Cleveland in five DAYS tits fourday
march thence TO Burnside at Kingston or
Knoxvil He reaches it with a force eoual
for offensive work TO Burnsides fifty thousand
for defensive work. An engagement ensues,
and, result how it may, Johnston can be back
again at Chattanooga before Rosecrans can have
used his fortnight to advantage. The possible
res ults would justify the attempt.
Johnston, it is believed, sees in this offensive
movement his only prospect of success, for if
he remains at Chattanooga on the defensive,
burnside and Rosecrans advance in parallel
lines upon him, and when he turns to fight
one army the other would fall upon his flank
and force him to retire. The concentric point
OF the lines upon which Rosecrans and Burn
side are operating is necessarily in the great
valley through which runs the Georgia State
Railroad: Once in this valley, they concen-
trate, and, stopping to cover Atlanta, Johnston
fnos he has but his sixty thousand to fight the
ninety thousand OF Rosecrans and Burnside
combined.
The correspondent says that the rumor,
whether true or false, had temporarily stopped
operations of the army half way across the Ten.
nessee, until the story can be confirmed or dis.
proved; and as the good news has since arrived
that Knoxville Is in BarDsids's possession, and
that division of Rosecrans' army has taken
Chattanooga-the rebels retreating southwark
the rumor would seem to have no founda.
ton.