The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-07-04
LEES PLANS.

II IN the 0henandoah alley. The corps OF
I Gen. Ewell was sent ahead to clear the way,
which it did very completely-in two days
| driving Milroy from Winchester, Selling
that place and all its outposts, and sending
the remnant of Milroy's forces to the north
side of the Potomac. From the capture of
Winchester ten days ago. to the present.
time, the rebels have nowhere been seen in
force Jenkins's cavalry brigade invaded
Maryland and Pennsylvania, and have been
busy for near fortnight in gathering and
taking away all the horses they could find
Gen. Pleasanton has had several severe and
brilliant engagements with Stuart's cavalry
east of the Blue Ridge, the victory each
time resting with the Union standards.
Gen. Kelley Las met portion Of the rebels
marauding in and near Cumberland, Nd,
and has driven them back eastwardly. But,
excepting in these three directions-near
the Gaps in the Blue Ridge. at Hagerstown
and Chambersburg, and at Cumberland
there has been no contact with the enemy to
show his numbers or the direction of his
movement.
Ewell, it has been averred, has remained
in and around Winchester; and there, it is
now believed, are gathering the other corps
of Lees army, commanded by Longstreet
and Hill. This seems to be settled at
Washington as the real rebel position. What
is to be the next move in the game of war,
supposing Lees whole force to be massed
IN the Shenandoah Valley, is the problem
that absorbs the attention, not only of Gen.
Hooker, but OF every citizen in the North
who has interest of feeling at stake in the
contest
: There are three theories of Lees inten-
tons, much canvassed; and each has its
confident supporters. One Is that Lee. as
soon as his whole army is well in hand, anc
an additional mounted infantry force pre-
pared-for which be has about 5000 fresh
| horses, 200 taken from Milroy and 1000
drawn out of Pennsylvania = will move
across the Potomac and make bold dash
for the railroad communications between
Baltimore and Washington, making no at
tack on either city, but prepared to take ad
5 vantage of secession outbreaks ia Baltimore,
or severe panic in Washington. If he is
moved against by Hooker, be will give him
battle with entire confidence that he is
u strong enough to cope with him successful
= Iy in the field. If he defeats Hooker, of
+ course he will be master of the situation,
and the fail Of Washington and Baltimore
! may speedily ensue.
d all the Gaps in the Blue Ridge, from Gull
IS pepper to Harper's Ferry, SO as to prevent
o any attack upon his rear, throw the bulk OF
. his army across the Potomac, and hold in
like manner the passes in the continuous
range of hills running north in Pennsylya-
MIA, and behind THIS screen devote himself to
: a foraging and pitlaging campaign an the
j.. heart Of Pennsylvania. .a..
A third theory is that all the demons ira
i tons in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and
S in Virginia east of the Blue Ridge, are only
e blinds, by which Lee intends to confuse the
North and hold Hooker in check, while he
is rapidly moving the bulk Of his army
> westward by the Cumberland Road across
the mountains, designing to, seize Pitts
s burgh or Wheeling, or perhaps both cities.
= Thence he is to move into the Valley of the
' Ohio, and compel Rosencrans to fall back
out of Tennessee, when Bragg is to reoccupy
e that State, and make into Kentucky. This
n last Is complicated and most stupendous
scheme, but it is seriously believed In by
certain persons at Washington, though not
} by our military authorities. 1t is obvious
= ly absurd in this, that it would throw all the
d great rebel armies into the West in the
midst of population intensity hostile, with
no great strategetic points to seize, no vast
depots Of supplies to appropriate, and no
If armies at hand to destroy. At the same
time, it would leave all Virginia and all the
Atlantic Seaboard States defenseless, and
) nothing could prevent Gen. Hooker from
o capturing Richmond, Petersburgh, Raleigh,
Il Lynchburgh, and marching clear through
# to the rear of Charleston and Savannah, ut
terly annihilatiug railroads, workshops and
magazines, and destroying the last vestige
II ola Confederate Government. Lee is mol
going to the West. His destruction of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from Harper's
Ferry to Cumberland, shows that he does
o not wish to travel that road nor to be at
tackled by forces brought over it from the
west. His demonstrations toward Pitts
L burgh are not for attack, but for confusion
: and pillage to get horses, and to cripple, j
IS it may be done, the Pennsylvania Contra
Railroad at some weak points-a tunnel or &
n bridge.
The choice lies, then, between the other
u two theories-that of movement upon the
I, railroad between Baltimore and Washing
y ton; or closing of the doors of the Blue
n Ridge Mountains. while a permanent inva
IS sion and spoliation of Pennsylvania is car
ried on behind the curtain. We shall no
70 speculate on the relative probability of thu
correctness of the themes, but turn them t
}, the public to digest with the aid of new
J. lights each hours news will aford.-Neu
l. York Times. .4-r f..-s
-e A TELEeRApH TO ToPEKA.- The Topek,
&c Tribune says: &c .r
d With commendable energy the citizens o