New-York daily tribune., 1863-07-04
The March and position Of the Cenfed-
ernto Army I'm Pennsylvania.

WARRINGTON, July J. 1859
A Union officer just returned from Gettysburg,
received, from the lips Of several prisoners made at
that battle, some information as TO the movements
of the Confederate army in Maryland and Penn
sylvanis.
General Lee, be was told, after having vainly at
tempted to attract Gen. Hooker out Of his position
by Offering him the chances Of battle in the Shen.
andoah Valley, and in Mary land where he intended to
stop, finally decided to his corps from Hagsrs'
town to Greencaste and to invade Pennsylvania.
In doing shis he bad tbreefold object in view:
in the first place his desire to attract the Poto-
mac army from it's position and as far from ts base
ar possible; in the second place, he wanted to re-
plensh his nearly exhausted granaries and to add
TO bis very inadequate means OF transportation; III
the third place bis intention was TO make people be-
lieve that he was marching upon Harrisburg and
Phiade phia, and that his plan was general In
vasion of the North.
To that effect be cent several small columns, prn-
cpally composed Of cavalry, in various directions,
with the order however, to fall back whenever OPP
posed by strong Uzion forces. One of these columns
was directed against Hanover Junction, another
against York and Wrigbtsville, while others oPer-
ated in the direction Of Carlisle, Harrisburg, and
along the line Of the Susquebanns.
Alltbese demonstrations, made by moving columns,
free from encnmbrances, carrying with them but
few aubulance., no provisions, and but very little
ammunition, had but one object inview: to bewllder
the UDonis,s, ard to make them believe that the
Confederate army was divided in two; one, 1t was
supposed the army of observation, remaining on the
line between Maryland and Pennsylvania, watching
the movements Of the Army Of the Potomac, and
waiting for au opportunity to pounce upon Washing
ton, the other, the army ofnvason, to march North
ward, invade Pennsy lvana, New.YoIk and, in fact,
AL the Northern States.
Ibis belief once impressed upon the public and
shared BY tie commander of our forces the position
was sufficiently clear To place the whole Union
amy between tue two Confederate armies, aud to
crush them by coming with their whole weight
against each sepsrstey-such was the plan to FOL
low. Without waiting moment, GsnsMeade gave
oriers to the whole army to move forward IN the
direction OF Gettysburg thus cutting at right angles
Gen. Lees army, whose main corps wss said TO be
AZ IaQerstown D. while TWO of bis divisions were sup
posed 10 be at Carlisle snd Harrisburg.
No sooner did the Rebels hear Of The advance oil
our forces than according the orders they had re-
ceyed, they rspidy evacuated all the places they
had visited ighlsvile, York, Hanover JUNCTION,
Carlisle, &c.-and fell back upon Gettysburg. where
Gen. Hills corps, forming the vanguard OF Gen.
| Lees force located somewhere iu tue Cumberland
Valley near Greeneaste, had already taken position
supported by Longssreet, whose retreating columns
| i. Inf hat
| II is now believed that Gen. Lees army is not
divided IN two, but ma-sed in the range OF the Cum
berlAnd Mountains, where be has selected his own
position. The opinion Of the officer from which
have these details is that if IT be true that the Keoe
forces are concentrated in these regions, is not
probable that Gen. Meade, who is now strongly IN.
trenched in the neighborhood Of Gettysburg, Will
advance immediately.