The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-10-27

= him there.
Lees advance had reached the Poto
mac and still Hooker was marching
. North covering Washington. To draw
= him from his base, Lee ordered Long.
! streets corps to march east Of Blue
Ridge, and occupy the gaps in Bull Run
Mountains, and heavy cavalry force was
thrown cut beyond, This was attacked
by our cavalry, and after severe fight
driven back. A part of Ewell's corps
entered Maryland, and jenkins cavalry
penetrated 10 Chambersburg. 1t is in
teresting to read the statement of Gen,
eral Lee that these demonstrations did
not have the effect to cause our army TO
leave Virginia, and that neither did
Hooker seem disposed TO advance on
Longstreet. Therefore he was with
drawn and the whole army pushed for
ward in pursuance Of It's undertaking TO
draw Hooker out Of Virginia and away
from his base.
Lee marched to Chambersburg, and
on the 29lh was about pushing on to
Harrisburg, when he heard that Hooker
had crossed The Potomac. No sooner
had he accomplished his object of draw
ing Hooker from Virginia, and farther
/ from his base. then he found his own
base threatened. He therefore found il
4 necessary to concentrate his forces, and
/ the various corps took up the march to
! Gettysburg. By a singular fatality,
/ Sfuart's cavalry, which was left behind
10 harass our crossing of the Potomac,
being unable to effect anything serious,
marched TO join the main body, by such
a route that our column was interposed
between it and Lees army until itreach
ed Gettysburg, so that Lee derived
no information from that.
Lee knew little Of the movement Of
our army, and he says his march toward
Gettysburg was more leisurely than it
would have been had he known. Two
Of Ewel's divisions and two of Hills,
came upon the advance of Howard's
corps beyond Gettysburg. That affair
/ is well known TO our readers.
On our part it was rash, brave and
disastrous. Our leading division, com
ing suddenly upon the enemy, deployed
into line on the double quick, and went
into the fight without stopping to find
out the force they had TO encounter.
/ The result was a severe and bloody re-
pulse, and heavy loss in prisoners
but. as was supposed at the time. and as
/ Lee now says, this success encouraged
the enemy to make the attack which re-
suited in their total repulse and the de-
feat OF the whole campaign.
Lee says :" 1t had not been intended
to fight a general battle at such dis
tance from our base, unless attacked by
the enemy but finding ourselves unex.
pectedly confronted BY the Federal army,
i i, became matter Of difficulty TO with
draw through the mountains with our
large trains" Ii seems that he was
+ pushing north to draw Hooker from his
base. so as to attack him, but did not
intend TO attack him SO far from his own
base In short, in marching north TO
draw Hooker, he caught Tartar
Lee shows, also. that the anticipations
of drawing unbounded supplies from the
agricultural stores Of Pennsylvania, were
disappointed, The transferring Of the
scene Of hostliies to the Potomac, did
not answer the expectations. He says
we were enabled to restrain his foraging
parties by occupying the passes in the
mountains with regular and local troops,
and n battle thus became in a measure
unavoidable. There were also valuable
results that would ensue from the defeat
, Of Meade's armv." The first conflict
! was on the morning OF July Isl. In
! stead Of following up that great success
2 the attack was not made until the after
I noon Of the 2d Lee says Of this delay
I i" The attack was not pressed that after
! noon, the enemy's force being unknown
g and it being advisable TO await the ariva
n OF the rest OF our troops
This was remarkable prudence upor
J. the heels of such success. But thi
enabled our army TO come up also, ant
TO take up strong position, slrengthe
ii. and make all its dispositions for
d pitched battle. The operation was de
J. hherate rather than Nspoleonic. A
things being duly prepared, Lee attack
, ed at The mature hour OF the afternoo
@ Of the Cd After severe tighting he la
5 some success on his right, where h
n plan was 10 get hold OF oommsudln
to point IN our position, which encourage
a him 10 renew the attack mex. day.