Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1863-06-02
Rebel Threat of Invasion.

The Richmond papers, within the last fortnight,
have been full Of hints and menaces-dark and
ominous hints, as well as open and ferocious men.
aces--ol an aggressive movement OF their East
ern ard Western armies, in the direction Of Ma
ryand and Of Kentucky. The pressure is partc'
ularly great for an advance of Lees army This
is not only urged in the Richmofd journals, Lut
they pretend TO have knowledge that it is on the
very eve Of taking place.
jeff Davis does not usually permit his organs
either to announce projected movements Of his
army, or TO discuss them and the freedom with
which these announcements are put forth, might
be thought 10 throw doubt on their truth But
our Government, We believe, is in possession oil
other information beside this to the same purport
information in the handwriting Of a Coniede.
rate officer, OF projected rebel movement into
Maryland and Pennsylvania. The rebel theory ia
that by tie end Of this MOI ID, or lhereab)uts, our
army will he so weakened by the loss Of the two
years and nine months regiments that il will be
feasible for them, with body of 10000 or 90 ,OOO
men, to make sudden march northwafd, through
one or more # the passes Of the Blue Ridge
down the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland
by this means it is supposed they would draw
Hooker's army up TO Washington Tor its defence
and thus Richmond would need but a small force
for lis defence. IL is true that the rebel army lost
prodigous proportion of its men in the battle,
OF the first four days OF this month but by call.
ing in outlying delaehmens, they could probably
still bring together an effective force Of flly thou
sand men for an offensive movement, and yet
leave twenty thousand to defend Richmond.
There are two or three remarks suggested
about this whole scheme.
!. The Government could easily prevent its ex
eculion by occupying with proper force one OF
two strategic points 10 the Shenandoah Valley
and one or two Of the passes of the Blue Ridge
Mountains. There are forces under Gen. Mlroy
forces around Washington, in Baltimore, and
elsewhere that could be used for this purpose
without weakening the Army of the Potomac.
. Another means OF aiding to prevent the
rebel movement would be by activity on the part
Of our forces on the Peninsula and in North Gar
olna. Let them ceaseessly menace the region
round about and back Of Richmond and thus
keep active in defence Of their capital as large
part as possible of the rebel army.
8. We would say in regard to the rebels, that
a movement Of invasion on their part would be
really aud truly movement Of desperation. The
NuuleutIaUJ anu 10 army ult ueluS hlieu W
inches-or rather, by much larger measurement
than inches In every section Of the South tn,
rebels are being pushed to the wall. They are
on the edge Of the last ditch. With shattered
finances, short supplies, blasted hopes, disma
future, with the West almost wrested from the
grip, with our armies in the heart of the Cottor
States and our flag waving in every State, with
Slavery, for which the war is waged, tumblng to
pieces, the rebels can see no prospect of success
but by maniacal rush in the direction OF ouI
Capital, where they might wrench victory from
fate and enforce peace.
4. The loss OF Stonewall Jackson will operate
seriously to the detrment of the rebels, il they
entertain any reckless project of INVASION 1t wa,
be who took the lead in every daring and despe
rate rebel movement Of the war; and, so far, WI
know Of no man in their army possessed Of equa
skill, nlrepidity and righteousness, as there i,
none other who has ever undertaken such work
We believe, on the woole, that il the Virgins
rebels should undertake movement of invasion
it will be for us the opportunity which, if properly
seized and used, will enable US not only to CHECK
them, but 10 capture Richmond. annlhiate Davis
army, and biing the rebellion to a close. N y
1ims.