Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-09-02
Northern News.


Late Northern newspapers received at Richmond,
Va, contain the following: a@.
WASHINGTON, August 81, 863.-Informstion Is
current here that Lees army has been moving of
from our front upon the Central railroad to Rich
mond; but officers arriving here tonight, whose
position in the army entities them to know what is
going on, assert that no such intelligence is in the
possession Of our commanding Generals. '.'-
Lee is undoubtedly upon the Rapidan and Rap.
pahannock. His pickets are extended from the up
per Rappahannock along that river to Fredericks-
burg, and the region about Potomac creek is infest
ed with rebel cavalry
Everything indicates that the enemy intends to
rsnain in his present locality unless our own move
is not impossible that the next battle may be fought
upon that river. Indeed it is apprehended thst
Lee will assume thesOfensive rather than retreat,
and many expect an attack from him at an early
date. Preparations for such an emergency are now
being made '
i have information from three different sources,
which leads me to believe that the rebels have left
our front and gone South to Richmond.
= Deserters who came across the Rappahabnock
icksburg from Oulpepper was only ruse to cover
Lees real object. e., to enable him to move his
troops southwark by way of Gotdonsvile.
Day before yesterday large bodies of rebel caval-
ry dashed down towards the Rappahannock at the
separate fords, driving in our pickets. They came
boldly out in sight ofour lines and deployed in fine
line of battle order. Immediately all the corps
along the river were put under arms, in which po
sition they remained until morning, when, behold
the enemy had withdrawn.
A cavalry reconnaissance was then made. which
went as far as Gulpeper, but found no enemy but,
on the contrary, obtained such information as leads
to the belief that the whole rebel force has gone in
the direction of Gordonsville.' The reason for my
belief am not at liberty to give.
Advsrting to recent reported movements Of the
Army OF the Potomac, the Washington Star says: {:
if he thought he could do so effectively. His ab-
ty to that end is, however, too doubtful to justify
the attempt, We apprehend. Most of the changes
that have recently taken place in the locations Of
some of the troops composing Meades army, have
been for temporary purposes only others for san-
tary reasons. No such change has been made either
in the number or positions of our troops there, as
offer Lee inducements to risk his force east of the
Rappahannock.
The drafting has already so added to the strength
OF our army, as that he would probably find him.
self materially outnumbered, Notwithstanding more
or less of Meades command are said by some of the
newspapers to be at New York, and in the vicinity
of Charleston The truth is, as those matters
have been very properly managed of late, no news,
paper men know what the strength of our army
there is the passing to and fro of troops being much
greater now than usual Judging from what we
have seen it Is hard to tell whether more have come
down the railroad than have gone up since Mead
reached the Rappahonnock.
We state these facts that the public may under
stand that the military necessities in this quarter
are as closely attended toby the authorities those
elsewhere.
We have reliable information to-day, satisfying
US that Lees army is daily decreasing in strength,
the number of desertions from it outnumbering the
conscripts daily joining it. At no previous period
manifested to desert from it. All his deserters who
come this way tell the same tale. They number
now four or five times as many as ever before, and
by far the greater portion of them are natives
They unite in declaring that nine tenths of those
who are now deserting Lee make for their respec-
tive homes, instead Of coming this way. They
also all say that the feeling that the rebel cause
lost is universal in the rebel army of Virginia.