Washington telegraph., 1863-11-11
VOL. XIII.

clal correspondence of Chicago Times of O.t
l'th, Washington l7th.-Thc brief note which
wrote you yesterday, simply stated the great
disaster that has befallen the army Of the Po
tomae but to day it is evident that tho reality
was even worse than it appeared yesterday
Ii 1t was possible tc cover the government.
with deeper load of infamy than that under
which 1t has long staggered, the events of last
week would do it every day.
Inc government organs have contained off,
clal assurances that Meade had ADVANTAGE of
position, that Lee had been foiled in his do
signs, that the skirmishes that had taken placa
were OF no Importance, that We had come off
nrst best IN every engagement, ana our army
had gained brilliant victory. Here is Satur
day, and how does the case stand. we have had
hight every day this week and have been
driven successfully from every position we oc
euPied, every day, along the whole route from
Cuipepper to this city. Our army made a gal
!ant stand every day, we have been driven
oacK until now eur weary troops find shelter
and rest under the defences of the capital
Gen. Lee has not been foiled in his DESIGNS -
What his ultimate designs are has no, vet baan
developed. Up to this time he has sncceedad
In getting possession of the gaps in Bull RIM
mountains III pouring in troops throu oh thase
gaps and defeating Gen. Meade's army in
eight eugagements,o on as many successive d,vs
ana driving our forces from Culpepper to war.
j To
Manassas, from Manassas to Centerville. from
Centerville to Fairfax, from Fairfax to Wash |
lngton, and this, too, with such preci pit tat on
ON our part that were compelled to l..va /
our dead and wounded in the hands of the
reoeis- Ihe engagements We're important for |
they have resulted lii the complete defeat orl
Gen. Meades army, ana its retreat to the na
uonal capital. Lee is now ablo to b .si ere and
probably will hesi ege tho city. If we have
gained a brilliant victory, these are its fruit.
at the time L wrote my letter of the 18th.
Meade's army was. as tnen supposed, at Cen
terviIle. Mea .es good gcneralship had ena-
bled him to gain that position, but of what
avail was it to him. On that day Gen. Lee
moved his army from Manassas Junction
across Bull Run, around Gen. Meade's right
aank to hantliy with the intent to reach aud
occupy Fairfax aud SO get in Meade's rear
lie would have done this if Meade had not |
penetrated his design and prevented its c,e- (,
cution. The only way by which Meade could |
prevent his army from thus being cut off from t
Washington, was by quitting his position at
CcnterViile aud occupying Fairfax before Gen.
Lee could reach that po ut. Meade did this
but Fairfax is position which is utterly un-
tenable. Having got his army there nothing
remained to be done but to remove them 10
the lines around Washington, and here accord
lngly they are. Gen. Lee in the meantime o.,
cupicd CeutervIlie, and uIV-- - u ur ,rf,t.
cent those of his troops who at the west.
There is no probability that Lee will either |
attack Washington the Potomac at
preset even If lie had many as Ell 5hty /
thousand troops, and L think it doubtful III
he had so many he still would not be strong
enough for either of tue enterprises. If he Is !
reinforced by his four divisions now in the
west lie may essay an attack on the capital, II
not it is at least in his power t. remain a Cen
teryile during the fall and coming winter with
sixty thousand He will probably do that
if he does nothing more, so the probabilities
are that when Congress meets, they Will as
semble in a beleagured city. So much for the
situation here.
Now for few words about Charleston
The Governments fine promises that Charles
ton should be taken, have at last dwindled
down to the following statement, as given in
the official organ of the administration: The
distractions in the harbor of Charleston are of
such a nature that they cannot be moved by
any appliances of ours, and they are OF too
formidable u chli acter to justify a hazardous
attempt by our Iron-clads to peuetrate further
into the harbor and within range of the rebel
guns.
dispatch from the army of the Potomac
states that Lees withdrawal from the vicinity
of Washington was caused by the TACT OF
Furnishes threatening Lynchburg The rebel
General protested against the order, desiring
to give battle to Meade's army, but Davis
would not WELD to his wishes; he accordingly
made a retrogaIe movement, completing his
xithdrawal from the Federal front on Sunday
night. Pursuit was soon after made by
Meade's cavalry, and the rebel rear was come
ND with on Monday noon rear Thor ugh Fare
Gap, and a tight skirmish ensued, lasting four
hours, resulting in the repulse of tie rebels In
his retirement Lee destroyed the railroad
from Manassas to Culpepper. Arrived at the
latter poin the bulk of his army was trans
norted southwark by railroad
Rosecrans has been relieved of the command
of the army of the Cumberland. His success
or, according to' one report, is Thomas, and
another is Hooker.
Grant takes general command OF the armies
of Tennessee. the Cumberland and Kentucky.
He left Louisville yesterday fer Chattanooga,
10 assume the direction of affairs at that
point.
1t is reported at Cincinnati that kosecrahs
is to succeed Meade, in command OF the army
of the Potomac.
Rebel prisoners make boastfui assertions
that the army of the Cumberla nd is in O trap,
from which ii has means of escape. They
state that Bragg has lately been largely rein
forced.
Washington, Oct. 22.-It is calculated that
the damage done to the Alexandria Orange
railroad will be repaired in ten days.