Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-07-20

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state positively that his forces were vastly superior
to ours, many of them estimating them at tao hun-Y
dred thousand men.
OF the loss on either side we here in Richmond
know absolutely nothing. We have heard ours es-
timatcd at eleven and the enemy's at forty -thousand
men; how far either or both may be of the mark we
have no means of knowing. We lost between eff
teen hundred and two thousand prisoners, and cap
tured not less than six, and perhaps as many as six
teen thousand.
THE RETREAT FROM GETTYSBURG.
It seems that whilst our infantry and artillery were
fighting the battle Of Gettysburg, Stuart was scour-
ing the whole face Of the earth in search Of horses
mules and wagon trains, and SO prominently sue
Nse6ful was he, that before Friday night, he bad col
lected in the rear of our army, a mammoth train
over fifteen miles in length. TO secure this plumber,
which is of course to be counted as part of the spoils
of Gettysburg, our army made its r~etrograde move
mept. Such j booty is not to be made light of, but
the thought occurs whether the thousands ofStuart's
bold troopers, could not have rendered more valuable
service on the battle field? There must have been
many opportunities for the effective operations of
cavalry during the retreat of the enemy from the west
side of Gettysburg to the mountains in which they
found refuge on Friday. BUTT is useless to discuss
this question now. We have got the wagons end
males aud should be thankful.
From the time this train started from Gettysburg,
till it reached Iiagerstown, it was beset by the enc
my's cavalry, regular and guerrilla. Even the stupid
Dutch peasantry, believing the stories told of our
rout and decentralization, made bold to take a hand
- and from all we can learn, that so far as depended
upon the protection afforded by our cavalry escort,
they could have had their own way. In nearly every
instance they We're driven off by our wagon drivers.
A CAVALRY FIGHT.
A considerable battle is reported to have taken
place on Sunday between the cavalry covering cur
rear and the Yankee cavalry. We are known to
have beaten the enemy and taken a large number Of
prisoner. Why our cavalry who fight so cour2geously
-l4.11 L. ~ onrSxy ma 1rho~ n&1~- aooz.I
to wagon trains, is one of those things that we cannot
understand.
AN ATTACK ON wILLIAMsPoRT.
A determined attack was made on WILLIAMSON
last Tuesday by a considerable force of cavalry, in
fantry and artillery. We had at that point many
wounded officers and men, and a large amount of prop
erty, guarded by Imboden's cavalry and two regiments
ofinfantry. There were also there about a thousant
of our wagon drivers who, procuring arms, sailed GU
to meet the, enemy. A very sharp engagement tool
place, and the enemy was repulsed and driven of
mainly. it is alleged by those who witaessed-i it, b.
the gallant fighting of the wagon drivers.
in addition to the above, we take the following
items from the special correspondence of the Rich
mond Enquirer, dated Winchester, Va, July s and9
l telegraphed you yesterday, what has since bee
confirmed. viz That Stuart had captured some tw
hundred wagons and n thousand to twelve hundre
mules. He went within three miles of Georgetown
near enough to see the steeples of the churches.
Our army is certainly now at Hagerstown, Boons
boro, and Frederick, Nd, and seem TO De on the rOut
to Baltimore. Ny own impression is that the grea
battle Of the war will be fought at or near the Rela
House, the prizes at stake being nothing less tina
Baltimore and Washington.
The positions which the enemy held at Gettysbur
in the last ttso days battles were quite impregnG6l
and Gen. Lee has done wisely in changing his has
and forcing the enemy to meet him on a fairer fielc
There is also another reason assigned for our chang
of position, but, for prudential reasons will with
hold it.
There has been no general engagement since Sun
day, and all the rumors of our successes since ths
are, YOU may rely upon it, untounded.
It will be asked what has been gained by this /
vasion of a free State, since our less must be qui
heavy? | answer, it is valuable in that it demo
strates to the people of the free States oar pooer n
only to repel aggression, but it will go further, al
assist largely in banishing from their minds
schemes for our subjugation. In full, it is a livil
demonstration of our ability to act successfully
the offensive as we'll as on the defensive.
A Golgotha monument to the folly of this CRIT
crusade has been erected in the heart of Pennsylv
MIA. near the homes of those who have been most e
ergetic in it's prosecution. The chaice which tn
have commended to others has been pressed to tn
own lips. The draught is bitter, but like all healt
medicines, it must work good results, political a
social, to the system of our opponents.
The proportion of wounded is much greater tn
in any. previous fight of the war. Our loss in kill
;.cu,au compared with the wounded. Our loss