The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-08-01

Ut Efedef36knbar8, WA4tpt tA4 1Qo Of AtiIo y
ths laktsr plass tvsEdsd ~ = the right, ara
d.d M prsssnt consAse tssss - . ths tssn.
Or.
why. tkSu. yca ars rsaay % Inquire, did
Gsn. Lss 13kt q Ill 6 Gsttysbarg. whsn y
waa n Aispewer - a0sspt or 0ttsr ha1tls 3 .
diflsss1t sias and placs. He asss1, psobAbly,
nsdss the impeo1sf0n thas his troops were able
10 carry Any position however formidable. Il
such wa The cass, hecommittsd IN error, ssieh
however, al the ahlest COMMANDERS viii soEae
times fall into. No General can b aiways
successful. The ConfDdArate troops ear DO
what sn! other troops in any period cf tho
worlds history have done; bth there are senae
things which even they cannot accomplish. 1t
may be, too, thaa the Sapreme Rnier has chos
en- this means 70 tssca us the iuiquisy Of all
invasions, and to impress upon our minds the
jnAice and wisdom Of defending our cause Mp
on our own blood taptised coil. Indeed, there
are come things couneeted with the lase hattie
which would seem to jnstify the belisf that
this punishment was inflicted by . Divine
Haud and for samo wiee pufpose IL is but
last to add that Cen. I.es does not pretend 10
lay the responsibility upon his troops or of.
cars, but takes It upon his own broad should
srs In this, a. IN all other things, he u frank,
and juas and msnanimous. Let rs not be guilty
our confidence from him, but let NJ rather imi-
tsts the Hebrew patriots and held up his hands
that he may prevail in the fight.
Ca Saturday, the 4sh Of July, nothing was
done beyond little skirnishing by either sids.
The enemy did not even 6rs . saluts in honor
Of the day. Both armies withdrew about the
sane tims-Geu. IIse in the direction Of AlA-
gsrstown, aud Gan Meade in the direction Of
Washinxton. III Of oar wounteae who coRid
be remOvod were sent bAsk through the paeses
at Cashtown and Monterey Springs ON Satur-
day, and that night and ne xt morning the army
folio wed, taking the road that crosses the South
Mountain At Monterey Springs, and reaching
Hagerstawn Monday evening, the Oh. There
IL no doubt that the enemy commenced 70 re-
tire quite a. coon as we did. He had suffered
such incalculable loss, and was 90 fearful lest
Gen. Lee would eventually turn his lefe wing,
or get around him and pass rapidly down TO-
wards Frederick and Washington, that he
found is necessary to retreat, independently Of
a similar movement ON our part. Indeed, II
Gen. Lee had simply remained on the ground
q few hours longer, what now can be regarded
only as drawn bsttle, in which both partis 8
suffered terribly, and especially the enemy,
would be considered a crushing victory.
Why, then, did Gen Lee retire. First, be-
cause he did not know the enemy would re
treat secondly, because he had been check
mated, and failed by the stubborn resistance of
his antagonist and had suffered heavily and,
lastly, because he did not have ammunition
enough left to fight q half of day longer, and
could not gss it without taking it from his ad-
versary or rsopenipg his communications with
Winchester. These reasons for his withdrawal
did not feel 1T liberty to mention in my let
tefs from the battlefield. /. was impossible
to take with US ammunition for the entire cam
paiyn, and srftisient force to keep open our
communic atoms could not be spared from an
army already inferior in numbers 10 that G +
the enemy Our only resource, therefore,
was to take 1t from tie my, and failing to
do this no i,ltsrEas,ve Was left IA but TO retire
towards our base nf supplies. 1t was found
inpossiaIs, a:so, to subSist the army long at Il
tiEns IN ayy ons place, tho inhabitants having
driven OF 10 many Of their beef cattle and
horses asshey c5uad, taken one or more wheels
from their wagons, and removed their stocks
Of shoes, hats, and medicines far into the ints-
riur