The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-07-01

! The Campaign in Pennsyivanis-Gene
raj Lee Failing Eack and Gener"
Meade Advancing.
The movements of the rebels yesterday II
! Pennsylvania, 80 far as reported, show tina
they have found the Susquehanna river an OBJ
structon which it would be unwise to attemp
to pass. and that they are gradually falling
back to provide against the contingencies of {
movement upon their flank or rear by the army
of General Meade.
We conclude. from the facts before US. thai
the bulk Of the rebel army is now within the
limits of the Cumberland valley (Which is but
a continuation of the Shenandoah valley, and
that the line occupied by the rebel forces ex
tends from Carlisle enthusiastically to the Dor
ders of the narrow northern neck Of Maryland
distance of about fifty miles, We guess that
the corps of Longstreet. which is said to en-
brace one-half Of Lees whole force extends
from Chambersburg to Hagerstown, distance
of about twenty miles; that A. p. Hill's corps is
east of Hagerstown, extending to Gettysburg,
while Fweil's advanced corps is at Carlisle. We
have no doubt that the foraging detachmentsfrom
these several divisions of the rebel army have
made good use of their time in cleaning out
the country in every direction north. of the
Potomac from Shepherdstown to the Susque-
hanna, near Harrisburg-a distance of some
eighty or ninety mles-while from west to
east in Pennsylvania their depredstions have
extended over the same breadth of land.
How many millions Of dollars in horses bar
ness, wagons. cattle. sheep swine, pork, bacon,
hrendstufis, salt, shoes, groceries. medicines,
dry goods, hardware, &c, and forced contribu-
tons in money, have thus been appropriated by
tie rebels we have no mode of estimating
We arpreheud. however from the significant
suggestions thrown out nv the Richmond En-
c,i;rc. in It's leading editorial on the subject
which we publish ibis morning, that the work
OF spoliation and devastation of this rebel
army in Pennsylvania will in reality only be
gin with it retreat
The E,aq,tire-, which IL understood to be the
official organ Of the rebel government, very
broadly intimates that il is the game Of Lee
while advancing into Pennsylvania, to amuse
the natives with q magnanimous forbearance-
10 play with them as q cat plays with mouse
to deceive them with the idea that they are not
20 be robbed to any great extent; but that
when Lee returns his march, by way OF re
viii be marked by universal plumber
ing ard destruction The forced contributions
levied upon the little city of York show that
the Enquirer in the leading article in question
spoke by authority. With the return of the
rebel army therefore, 80 Virginia. unless pre-
cinita'eiy driven back, we may anticipate a
schedule Of losses of property to the suffering
Pennsy'vanians amounting to many millions
in value beyond the present conjectures of our
own people outside the districts now infested
by The enemy.
We attach no great Importance to the raids
from TIE little rebel cavalry squads in the d.
rsctlon OF Baltimore. They are accommodating
parties feeling about for the army Of General
Meade while Lee is holding his forces in con-
venient positions for concentration In the event
Of battle. and for safe exit out Of Pennsyl-
wanna and Maryland in the event Of a defeat
He.evidently has his misgvings as to bis ability
to cope with our Army of the Potomac, or he
would not have lest 40 much valuable time in
bringing il to an engagement In coming, how.
ever, around from Fredericksburg one hundred
and City miles. over an exhausted country on
short rations his first necessities were supplies
ard sending them back TO Charlestown
ard Winchester in immense wagon trains, In
addition 10 the quantities retained for imm0di-
ate nse. lf Lee should. therefore, be driven
back into the Shenandoah valley, unless tho
roughly defeated, he will probably have gained
from This campaign six months subsistence fol
his army An amount which even the Shenan.
aoah valley, stripped of two-thirds Of its able
bodied field hands white and black, could moi
afford without inhicting great suffering upon its
people,
Cur army OF the Potomac, If equal in mum
: bers. Is superior in strength to the army o.
Lee. The records Of all The operations Of thi,
war in Virginia and Maryland establish this
fact. Nnt We believe that even in numbers tht
army which General Meade is now moving
uroa tie enemy is immensely stronger thar
that 81 lee suiposing him TO be at the head o
j hundred thousand men. We do not believe
however that Lees army can exceed seventy
five thousand men; and. from all the lates
reported movements Of his forces, we judg,
that le i more anxious TO yet safely back int
tho sheoandoah valley with his plumber thar
to Try The issue Of pitched battle with Genera
Meade The events of the passing day ma,
change tlese aspects of the situation; but from
ptesent appearances Lee is moving, not q
meet but honestly to avoid, the Army OF th'
Potomac.
4 ForRTH or JrIY ORATOR WASTEp-Ora
tors have usually been very plentiful on tn,
Fourth o. July hitherto; but this year Tam
many Han, tire mother Of so many spoutin,
politicians, is sadly in want Of an orator.
appears that the sachems Of that venerable