The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-07-10
b FIeeaom - lNanonahty
The nattIes Ia PennsyIvnnIa.


The BATTLES Ia Pennsylvania.
IL is hardly safe, at this distance from
the theatre Of conflict, when the arrival
Of a dispatch any moment may knock
turmises in the head, to be specializing
about the final result of Gen. Meade's
three fold, we hope four fold victory.
The dispatches of yesterday morning
said that q furious battle was raging in
the rear Of Williamsport, on the 7thinst.
II stated also that the South Mountain
passes were ours, and hat Generals Bu-
ford, Gregg and Fitzpatrick were in the
vicinity Of Hagerstown, which is not
more than ten miles distant. We pre-
sumo that these forces were in the re-
ported battle. Williamsport is on the
North bank of the Potomac some thirty
miles above Harper's Ferry. The Poto-
mac and all other streams have been
greatly swollen by rains since Lee in
ysded Pennsylvania, and the dispatches
of yesterday said that the rain was fall
ing in torrents. OF course it is wholly
impossible to cross the Potomac except
in beats or over bridges, as the numer-
GUS shadows are 10 more forbade at
present than Harpeth Shoals since the
tremendous rains which have recently
raised the Cumberland river. Lee at
tackled Meade on the LIST inst. at Gettys-
burg and was defeated, and Meade at
tackled and defeated Lee on the I'd and
Sd inst. On the night after these bat.
ties, Gen. Sedgwick pushed up with 3D.
600 fresh troops to reinforce Meade in
the direction Of Hsrper's Ferry, while
another corps Of fresh troops were press
ing in on the left Of Lee, attempting to
cut off his retreat in the same direction
Lees pontoons had all been destroyed,
while the first days fight was going on.
IF Lee fought again on the 6th inst,
he fought after three terrible defeats,
against a victorious assailant, reinforced
by two fresh corps, the twR most expo
rienced and successful cavalry COM
manders in the National army, cut off
FROM any chance OF escape either on the
right or the left, and checked in his re-
treat by a river, rendered unfordable by
rains, and where his bridges bad been
destroyed. In addition to all these ad-
verse circumstances, il must be remem
bered that between the LIST and 9TH inst,
the dates of the Gettysburg and Will
liamsburg battles, a whole week elapsed,
for the militia, Of Pennsylvania, which
had been r~allying for weeks, 10 rush in
and harrass the rear of the rebel army
by cutting off detached bodies of troops,
picking up stragglers, destroying supply
trains, and doing other damage, easily
repealed by an advancing army, or one
retreating in good order, but ruinous TO
a shattered, disheartened, and somewhat
tumultuOus army, running the gauntlet
in a densely populated hostile territory.
To turn upon such assailants, at such a
time was impossible, for he was running
a race of life and death against a large
and victorious army, Under the cir
cumstances, il would lave been mad
ness to turn back upon the undisciplined
foe who struck at his TANKS from a hun
bred ambuscades. He could not delay
an hour TO gain q small victory even,
when that hour was so precious that he
would give a brigade of bis best soldiers
to call it his own. Thirty minutes even
wasted in capturing a regiment of raw
militia, might cost him his whole army
If the rebel officers admit a loss Of
10000 before the 9TH Inst, it may safely
be put down at 10000, which would be
one third Of Lees army, and perhaps
nearly one halt. Surprising then that
the statements of our dispatches for the
past four days are facts substantially,
we do not see what is to prevent the de-
struction and capture Of Lees whole
army. The President can safely afford
to throw every available soldier in and
around Washington 20 effect this pur-
pose, and W think be has certainly done
il.