The Portland daily press., 1863-10-22
BY TELEGRAPH
EVENING PAPERS.

Important Aehierement ~ B"rmside- Main
Railroad Line tet,ceen Richmond and Chat
fdao0ga Broken up Lee gone 10 attack
Bnrnside-lMeade Folto,riag him Up.
New YORK, Oct. 81.
The Worlds army Of the Potomac dispatch,
dated yesterday, contains the following impor-
tant intelligence:
Deserters from the rebel lines bring us most
cheering news to-day, which understand to
be confirmed by official dispatches received by
Gen. Meade from Washington, and which full
ly account for the hasty withdrawal of Lee
from the front.
1t appears that Burnside has forced his way
through the mountains of East Tennessee and
southwest Virginia, and has actually got pos
session of the main line Of intercommunica-
tlon-the Virginia and East Tennessee Rail-
road.
The information, as l gather it, places Burn
side in the vicinity Of Abingdon, about 175
miles southwest of Lynchburg, the great rebel
base of supplies. He is said to be in possess
sion of the railroad for a distance of forty or
fifty miles, and has utterly destroyed it. He
IS working along up the railroad towards
Lynchburg.
Lee in his recent advance against Meade,
withdrew all the available men he could gath
er from the line of this road, supposing it per-
iectly secure SO long as Meade was in his
front.
1t now appears plain what was before in
comprehensive, why Meade was not allowed
to fight the rebels on the Rappahannock, as he
desired to do, but was not allowed to do by
the authorities at Washington. BY falling
back towards Washington, he withdrew the
enemy at least ten days march further away
from Burnsides field of operations. Lee, ut
terly ignorant of Burnside's movements or
whereabouts, followed him.
The discovery OF Burnside's operations was
made on the 18th, and telegraphed to Gordons-
vile, and thence dispatched by special cour
Ter to Lee, reaching him on the 10th, coupled
with imperative orders TO fall back immediate
ly and with all haste to Gordonsvile and rein
force the garrison at Lynchburg. His retro
gade movement was commenced on Friday
night, when the troops intended for Lynch
burg were first Withdrawn. These, I under
stand to be the corps of ID. II. Hill which was
at that time operating on our left, and was
therefore nearest to Culpepper. They arrived
at Culpepper on Wednesday where immense
trains of cars were waiting for them, by which
they were transported southwark.
The rest of the rebel army followed more
leisurely, though with all reasonable expedi-
ton, taking the Warrenton turnpike and the
dirt road via Greenwich. Stuart's cavalry re-
tanned their position In our front until Sunday
when they fell back.
The destruction oil the Orange and Alexan-
dria Railroad by the rebels in their retreat
was most complete. Not only were the rails
torn up and piled upon heaps of ties, which
were burned, thus varying and bending the
iron, but all the bridges were destroyed. even
the abutments being blown down, culverts
blown up, water stations destroyed, timber
feed across the track and.every conceivable
device resorted TO, to make the destruction
complete. The destruction of the railroad
will not retard the operations of our army.
Their whereabouts it is not now proper for
the public to know. Let it suffice for the
present that they are not idle, and though
startling events may not occur daily, the time
is not far distant when the old Army of the
Potomac will strike another blow influential
for the restoration of the Union.