Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-06-26
The Rebel Plans Fooled.

We are gradually getting little light
on the plans of Gen. Lee in his march
northward, and thus far he has been com
pletely foiled. His destination was
Washington, and the force Of cavalry
sent to Maryland and Virginia was sim
ply to frighten the North, get Gen. Hook
re to divide his army or move the whole
of it towards the scene of the raids, and
then with his main force attack Wash
ington, either crossing through some of
the gaps from the Shenandoah valley, or
moving up into Maryland to descend up.
on Washington from the North. But in
this little arrangement he has been thor
oughly outgeneralled by Gen. Hooker,
who was not to be frightened by raids Of
cavalry, and has maintained close watch
upon Lees main force, keeping his own
army undivided and close in hand to
strike blow in any direction. In the
meantime the raids to the North are
nearly through, and have really amount
ed to very little. Generals Sehenck and
Couch will soon have force enough to
drive the rebels entirely across the Po-
tomac; and if they did not, Lee would
probably recall them to his main force.
For, though be has been bafled, he is
not likely to give up his cherished plan
of attacking Washington without a bat
tie. For this he will now need all his
force, and the contest will only be delay
ed till one general or the other thinks be
has secured the advantage in time and
place for an attack. The Baltimore cor
respondent OF the New York Herald, j
who has hitherto proved TO be unusually |
well posted in regard to the rebel move
ments, predicted this raid month ago,
and he now writes as follows -
"The gittering prize upon which the
eye Of the rebel general is fixed is
Washington. The possession of the
national capital is the immediate object
which he proposes to gain. The move
ment into Pennsylvania, by way OF Win
chester and Martinsburg.; the demon
stration toward Harrisburg, and the in
vestment of Harper's Ferry, are all
feints, intended to divert the attention of
the administration, and, fpossible, por
ton of the Union troops, also, away from
Washington. The rebel forces now in
vesting Harper's Ferry-the same whoI
defeated Milroy at Winchester, General
Tyler az Martinsburg, and part of whom
are now playing the mischief in the rich
Cumberland valley, near Harrisburg, in
Pennsylvania-are not only not COM
manded by General Ewell, but they are
not even chiefly from Gen. Ewell's corps.
There are among them three squadrons of
Ashby's cavalry, about 1900 or 1000 sa-
bres in all, and eight pieces of light field
artillery. That is all there is from Ew
ellis corps. The remainder of the force
is precisely the same that played such
havoc and caused such CONSERVATION
along the western end of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, and in the western
part of Pennsylvania, six or seven weeks
ago--namely, the mounted and organized
.guerrillas under Gen. Jones, Gen. Jenk-
ins, and Col. Imboden. They number
5000 men, but not soul more. There
are besides two regiments Of infantry,
r,vus'Iss;-s =, 'ha aeeraoafa 1910 mr.
1900 men. Thus the whole force num-
bers II, 800 men at the outside. / have
these facts from the best authority, and
put the statement on record now, and
the events of the next week will prove
its correctness. But all this is mere by
play to what Gen. Lee is doing. He
was on yesterday, with his whole army,
at Thoroughfare Gap, forty miles west
of Washington. There will be no fight
on the battle field of Bull Run"