Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-07-13
Correspondence of The New York World.l
,r.f BALTIMORE, July 7.

The purposes and designs of the rebels,
in their movement toward the North, are
now more clearly developed by what has
taken place during the last twenty-four
hours. In the sight of these facts, the pub
lie will be at loss which to admire most in
our sapient military authorities at Wash
ington. Their pig-headed obstinacy in re-
fusing to believe that such movement
could be possible, or their shameful stupid
ity in neglecting to provide any adequate
means to stay the tide of the invasion. Ev-
cry day since the movement began, they
have ridiculed it rs a mere horse-stealing
raid, and have assured the public that am
pie means had been taken, not only to pre-
vent any advance of the rebels, but also to
intercept and capture the gang of horse
thieves" and every night the rebels have
made further advance, and their numbers
have increased. J. is insulting to General
Wallace and General Sigel to intimate, as
the Administration papers do, that the
Union troops have been compelled to
abandon successively Martinsburg, Will
Transport BoonsborO, Hagerstown. Mid
dletown, Harper's Ferry, Bolivar
Heights, and Frederick, and to permit
those places to be occupied and held by the
rebels, while the latter were only in incon-
siderable force. / know that, when the
rebels crossed at Point of Rocks the Union
troops there threw down their arms and
fled, both cavalry and infantry, without
firing a shot, and their officers afterward
excused themselves by saying that the 1orce
of the enemy was overwhelming, and that
they were not going to have their men cut
up in vain attempt to fight the whole rebel
army, especially as they had no supports
But in every other instance our troops have
behaved in the most gallant manner, and
only evacuated the positions they held after
fighting bravely. and after being really
overwhelmed by the superior forces of the
enemy. This was particularly the case at
Harper's Ferry, at Leetown, and at Middle
town.
THE CONFEDERATES CROSS THE POTOMAC IN
THREE COLUMNS.
Up to yesterday the movements of the
enemy were confined to the concentration
of their forces at Harper's Ferry, and at
one point above, and one below that place
the first opposite Williamsport, the latter
opposite Point of Rocks-and to reconnois-
sances for the purpose of ascertaining the
position and strength of our troops. Yester-
day and to-day, however, their movements
have been more significant. They have
crossed the Potomac with infantry and ar
tillery at two points, at Williamsport and
near Point of Rocks, and with cavalry still
lower down, only twenty miles above Wash
ington. 1t will be remembered that all the
troops on the line of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, east of the Cumberland, have now
been concentrated at two points, namely,
at the Maryland Heights, and at the great
bridge over the Monocacy, three miles
southeast of Frederick. If your readers
will examine good map of the locality,
one which shows the roads and mountains,
and will observe the relative positions of the
points named above, to Baltimore and
Washington, the significance of the above
movements will be apparent. No real at
tack has yet been made upon the Maryland
Heights. What was supposed to be such
yesterday, was only close reconnaissance,
by which the position of our troops there
was accurately ascertained. The three
columns OF Confederate troops above named
after crossing the Potomac yesterday, ad-
vanced to and took possession of Hagers-
town, Sharpsburg, BoOnsbOro and Middle
town. The cavalry is understood to-day to
be extended ia line from the Potomac riv-
er, in the neighborhood of PoolsYille, to the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, near Monrovia
The center of this line crosses the National
road near Clarksville. ] cannot vouch for
the accuracy of this statement. But it is
believed here by those who ought to know.
PERILoUs POSITION OF THE TROOPS OF sIGEL
AND TYLER.
Thus. then, the Union troops at Maryland
Heights and the Monocacy Bridge, appear
to be surrounded on all sides and cut off
from reinforcements. If such is really the
case, these dispositions are OF course made
with the intention of attacking General
Tyler's force first, in the hope of forcing it
to surrender, and then o. moving on the
Union position at the Maryland Heights, by
the route indicated in my letter yesterday.
If these man9uvers are successful, | need
not say that the case will then have assumed
a gravity that will probably. at the eleventh |
hour, awaken the military authorities at |
Washington to sense of the peril that |
threatens the capital.
DANGER OF THE ISOLATION OF BALTIMORE
AND WASHINGTON FROM THE NORTH.
For, if these maneuvers are successful, |
the Government will be reduced to the al. |
tentative of recalling the army from before
Richmond, or else of running the risk of
seeing our own capital in the hands of the
rebels, Once in possession of Maryland |
Heights and Frederick City, the next move
of the Confederates will be to take possess
sion of the railroads coming into Baltimore
from Harrisburg and Philadelphia, and thus
to Isolate both Washington and Baltimore
from the north and east. This could be pre-
vented by the prompt withdrawal of the
troops from the Maryland Heights and the
Monocacy bridge, and by posting them
where they can hold the railroads named,
until they are reinforced by troops from
New York and Pennsylvania. But there
seems to be no o'disposition to do this at pres
eilt.
So daring are the rebels, and so confident
in the superiority of their forces, that yes
terday, while the column of cavalry above
mentioned was in motion, a detachment
from it attacked one of our outposts near
Washington, and drove them as tar as the
Chain Bridge. w
STRENGTH OF THE REBELS ADMITTED.
1t may be stated that even those people ,
here, who, up to yesterday, sneered at the
idea of the rebels being in Maryland in any
force, now say that they are mistaken, and j
that they are satisfied that there are at least |
forty thousand Confederate troops north of
the Potomac, and more coming. These ,
people are so intensely loyal that they de-
nounced it rs treasonable only a few days
ago to even hint at the possibility of Gen-'t
eral Lee being able TO make any such dem
at all. The fact of the rebel cav,
airy having crossed near Point of Rocks Is
by the testimony Of the Signal z