The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-07-25
The Escape of Eee---How it was
Fife Of ed

WILLIAMsPoRT, Md, Tuesday noon,
July H.-You have been informed by tel
egraph, of the time and manner of Lees
escape. The last six hours have demon
strated the fact that for the Rebel army to
recross the Potomac, intact since Gettys-
burg, is nothing less than an escape. 1t is
now palpable that from that hour, Friday
night, July Sd, when Lee began to fall back
he has bent every energy to the one end OF
placing the Potomac between his own army
and a better one. He has not for moment
ceased to elude battles. He dared not haz-
ard another. He has improved the first
practicable opportunity of recrossing the
river which limits his masters pseudo en-
pire.
Always opposing to our advancing col
umns heavy rear-guard, for the last five
days he held each parallel ridge rs though
he would retreat no further, but there, once
for all, accept battle. But not so. Each
succeeding morning he held another line,
apparently in better position and in more
force than before. Half Of our army was
led to believe that of all things he most de
sired was battle. Officers high in command
reasoned that he could not afford to go
back bleeding from defeat, but nerved and
stung by disaster, would risk everything
i'll the 'do or die" of another struggle.
And was it an unreasonable hope that,
in position of his own choosing, his bat
tered army fighting with safety-ay, and
Washington and peace hanging upon the
resblt-ho had more than half the chances?
The crafty Rebel leader did not think so.
He remembered Gettysburg, and knew
that to meet the Army Of the Potomac again
would he TO meet it at PhillipDi. And sc
all those days we were closing in upon him
he chafed and swore, because the loyal
Potomac remained bank full-because the
pontoon train sent from Richmond when
the first was destroyed was long on the way
Yesterday noon thattrain arrived at Fail.
ing Waters. Yesterday morning the first
wagon forded at Willamsport. Last night
he made the transit with his whole army
mainly at the former place, though most OF
his cavalry, q portion of his train, and one
division OF EweiPs corps, forded at the lat
ter place. This division during yesterday
was pressed hard against US on the enemy &
left, opposite ourri ght at Hagerstown. I'm
able to march to Falling Waters in season
to escape, it was pushed into the water
here, q swollen torrent whose terrible cur.
rent, running to their chins, washed away
several hundreds who were TOO weak OF
short to stem it, Several prisoners with
whom have talked, half grown boys ano
sick men, were permitted by their officers
to remain behind, since to attempt TO cross
was death. Twenty or thirty wagons
with horses still attached, are stranded on
bar hundred rods below the ford.
Up TO this hour 500 prisoners have been
taken on the road from Hagerstown here
AS many more will be picked up in the vi
entity during the day. l understand q
brigade, probably not moro than ,8N
strong, has been taken near Falling Wa
ters. The entire number that will fall inte
our hands during the day may be estima'
ted at 500.
ii IS possible few wagons have been ia
ken on the left. With the captured bri.
CAGES are said to be two guns. Except
hurt.
understand that in the actual crossing
he was wholly unmolested; that except bI
olI caVairy, he has been utterly unmoles
Yea on ms retreat; that our army was iT
admirable position yesterday within a milk