The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-05-04
The Situation.

centrate all their forces against one OF
these Grand Divisions; which one, will be
known in a short time. Gen. Hooker
has assumed the offensive while Gen.
defensive. In Virginia the rebels seem
to be retreating, while in Tennessee they
are slowly advancing. This would indi-
cate that the concentrated power of the
rebels is to be hurled against our brave
boys in Middle Tennessee. The slight
resistance offered to Gen. Hookers cross
Ing of the Rappahannock, shows that the
rebels either design drawing him into a
position from which he cannot easily ex-
tricate his army, or that they have so
weakened their own forces, bv sending
troops West and South, that they are COM
PEELED to retire to interior lines ofdefense,
probably to the Notifications of Rich
mond. They evidently estimate Grants
ability at its full value, and spare but
few men to oppose the splendid corps
under his command.
The Tribune reports that the rebels are
COMPOUNDED by the suddenness and ra
pidity of Gen. Hookers movements
They certainly. are no worse befuddled
than the newspapers. We never read
accounts so confused as those pretend
Jag to describe that officers operations.
The Cincinnati Gazette, editorially,
says the army crossed the Rappahan-
at Port Royal which is thirty miles be-
low Fredericksburg and forty-fve miles
from Richmond" The Commercial as
serts the same with the exception that i
makes Port Royal, only twelve miles be-
low Fredericksburg, which, we think, is
nearer correct than the distance given
by the Gazette.
The dispatches published Saturday,
however, indicate that the crossing of the
-;r-o- No. aGo-4-1 - g. :1z~.
ent points and at great distances apart.
The lst Sd, and 9th corps appear to have
crossed four miles below Fredericksburg,
and the I'd corps six miles below; while
the llth, 18th and 9Th corps, with Stone
mans cavalry, crossed at Kelly's Ford,
which is several miles above In divid-
ing his army thus, Gen. Hooker must be
Satisfied that either one of the two col
umns into which it is divided, is able
alone to meet the entire force of rebels in
the vicinity of Fredericksburg. Other
wise he stands good chance of being
attacked and beaten in detail If he is
not satisfied that the rebels are mum eri-
cally weak, he has repudiated, at the
very threshold of the campaign, one of
his favorite maxims.
Having effected crossing of the Rap
pahannock the next move is to unite the
two columns in the rear of the rebels and
compel them to fight outside their en-
trenchments. To do this the 9Th, 18th
and 18th corps were moving, at last ac-
counts, south towards Charlottesville,
small village about ten or twelve miles
from Fredericksburg, and little south
of west in direction, while, we presume,
Gen. Hooker's disposition of his for
ces-under any other supposition than
that the rebels are not in large force-is
SO at variance with his previously ex-
pressed opinions that we feel safe in con-
Guiding that no serious engagement will
take place north of the Anna or Pa.
munky rivers, and that the rebels design
stalking the success of the summer cam
UuEvvrr5 III au-
other quarter. Con6rmatory of this
opinion is the constantly repeated ru-
mors of re-enforcements reaching Bragg
f,on the east and the slight advance of
his army Under all the circumstances,
We might consistently indulge in serious
apprehensions for the safety of General
Rosecrans, did we not know the man and
his army We doubt whether the rebels
have enough men within the limits of
their Confedsracy to successfully attack
and drive the Army of the Cumberland
out of its Notifications at and in the
vicinity of Murfreesboro. Nor can the
rebels spare the time required to cut off
Rosecrans' communications for the pur-
pose of starving him out he has
already made ample provision for an
emergency of that kind. They may go
around him, but that, too, will be an ex-
pertinent of so dangerous character
that a prudent General, like Johnston,
will not attempt it tits always regard
ed as dangerous to leave any hostile
forces, however Insignificant, in the rear
of an army, and we cannot think the
rebels regard Rosecrans' army as insig
nifcant
Since writing the above we have re-
ceived the New York Tribune dispatches
of Saturday. These assert that the move
mont below Fredericksburg was feint,