Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-07-02
From the Richmond Examiner, June 90.
"a Nc EuVaSISIt---A Cheering View

lie auspices which attend tue second offensive move
n1ent of tie Confederate are far more favorable
than those under which that OF last year uderta-
ken Our forces then entered Maryland iootsore and
weary, after tie most arduous campaign Of the war,
with the aided and diseased, and the animals, as
we'll those OF transportation and artillery of cavalry,
completely broken down. General Jackson's corps
had traversed the entire length of the Valley
from Saunton to the Potomac had returned and come
all the way down to Richmond had then faced about
and made another campaign from GordonsViie to Cen.
terVile lighting, when confronting the enemy, at least
battle every other day. The distance marched must
have betn five bundled miles in the aggregate and the
number of engagements fought something between
twenty thirty. 1t Immediately after these as
tonishipg marches and battles that his weary army
went over into Maryland.
Nor did the main army under General LIE cross the
Potomac in much less exhausted condition. 1t had
just faisSet the campaign on the Chckahominy by q
protracted of most desperate battles and had I'M
nediately marched forward without rest Or epportun
ty for recruiting to encounter a superior army under
Pope After march OF more than hundred miles, it
had overtaken the enemy upon the familiar fields OF
Manassas and CentrevilIe and, far away from its base
OF supplies, had engaged him, superior in numbers, and
heavily reinforced, III successive battles, continuing
through several days 1t ate destroying these
mics Of the enemy and performing march of over
hundl ed miles, and after dCz3n pitched battles With
out any interval OF rest Crepose that it entered Mary
land Jaded broken down. tootsofe and shoeIess it must
have presented sorry picture the inhabitants CT that
State and the unimposng plight In which the C0ned
crates seen might naturally have had Gerrcss-
ing elect upon any enthusiasm which their advent might
have excited beyond the Potomac. Confronted again
in Mary land by fourth army Of fresh tr0Cps falling to
receive supplies from the inhabitants and compelled to
subsst chiefly green and green apples pucked
from the fields and orchards miscarriage of the enter
prise and consequent retreat were things inevitable
The suit rings endu by troops in that memorable
enterprise little understood by the world and the
escape OF the army with honor and with aurGs of vic
tory, from Maryland soil, little short of mracu
lous. The number OF Southern troops who entered
Maryland also Has greatly exaggerated in popular est
nation. After the arGuou5 AMI exhaustDg campaign
which they had undergone previously to crossing the
Potomac, it would be extravaganza to suppose that the
morning reports would show fifty per cent. Of the
strength called fer by the muster rolls
La all respects the condition of the Confederate army
now entering and about to enter Maryland has been
changed from last year. There have been no previous
exhaustrg campaigns to ds roy the animals, break
down and sicken the men, to decmate the ranks and
paralyze the whole movement. The affair of Chance-
orsvllle was pass time ard if it had been
serious, six weeks have been afforded for
and rereshment. = he march thence to Leesburg has
been shorter by half than the long march of last year
from the swamps OF the lower ChickahomDy. Nor have
any terrible battles yet been fought the fields of Fair
fax to Tag the troops and dpete the strength of the
army. The campaign down the Valley has been
an exhiliratiDg recreatlop and Ewe is not,
like jackson, obliged to return to Richmond TO take
part in desperate combats here before resuming his ad
He goes right the line while fresh and in full
strength, capturing all sorts of supplies and munitions
for Immediate Il g. He has made the enemy his quar-
terlnaster and coulmssary, and has stint of horses
vehicles OF draft subsistence and ordnance stores while
the hest artillery awaits him wherever he goes Cir
cumstance which dispnes with the trouble OF hauling
his
The former Invasion a political necessity forced
upon the Confederate general by the condition of the
country, and was undertaken as an experiment. The
present invasion is OF military strategy un-
dertaken by the commander Of the army from choice
without compulsion, and with the light of previous
campaign to serve as his guide
If we look away from own army to that of tie
enemy, the contrast between last year aud this seems
still more cheering for Then there three large
ankee armies, those under Mcclellan, Mcdowell, and
Pope, to whip, and large of troops around
Washington, and IN supporting distances beyond,
amounting TO fourth army. Alter the three first OF
these were beaten Virginia soil, there was etill
fourth to confront beyond the Potomac reinforced by
tie remains of the three which bad been dscom6tted
The first invasion occurred after the fall of New
Orleans, the evacuation of Norfolk, and long chain of
advantages gained by the Yankees various quarters
of the Confederacy by the agency of gdnboas. Then
their forces buoyant and confident OF triumph ours
depressed and uncertain of success The case is now
wholly altered We have whipped the Yankees so Oft
en-, easily and so badly, that have established
right to conquer, whilst they have grown accustomed to
accept defeat their fate.
Surmise in regard to the plans Of Gen. Lee would be
idle but it is appropriate TO review the auspices which
attend his movements and safe thus in advance to adduc
success to his enterprise from data SO conclusive Moth
ing could be more favorable than the situation IN our
own quarter of the Conleneracy. -.
The Liverpool Shipping Gazette points to a bona
de advertisement for Fsench Vessel TO load for the