The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-15


| tugni'es, who have been the authors OF most
Of the saelling numbers that have been
gwen ont. IL has, m iact been one OF
the greatest misio.tunes arising out Of
the iupiDciency OF the Generals who, up to the
time the Reutls arrived before Washing on, we're
mtrusted With the duties Of che King their adj
vance, that we have had no estimate even aP-
truN m0toly re liable of the cnemy's streng ~.
Sgel, who held the door of the valley through
which the Rebels, on the occasion of both their
previOus invaSions, entered the dominion of the
loyal States, had his troops taultily disposed
that hewas not even aware OF the apprDa N Of
the enemy, and he was never aft rwards viii ing
Co set near enough TO them % learn their num-
hers. General Wallace, who met the enemy in
the chief engagement they have delivered on tho
soil Of Mary Iand put them at twenty thousand
men hu' this again, Is simple conjecture It is
true that the reports Of the Rebel prisoners them
selves have all assigned great figure to the
column Of invasion, putting IL invariably at forty
thousand at least, and claiming reiutOrccments
as coming.
But there is the very best reason 70 believe
that thee fellows lie either willingly or unwit-
tuRy-euher because they are told to do so, or
because they know no better. One Of thesa state
mcnts confess for q moment staggered me. A
Rebel lieutenant, morally wounded, called, in
his iaiutucss, for some water or brandy.
some Of the latter was given him, aud
he then, with great solCmnity, aud con.
scious of his moribund state, averred that
the Confederate force which had fought Wal
lace at MOnoCaCy numbered twenty thousand
mCn-that this was hut Oue-hilf their force, the
remaining half having diycrgcd on another road
and lhRt an additional column OF forty thousand
under General Lee was on ITS way up % ilin the
force then in Mari land Whether or not he
believed what he said l know not; II he was
guilty OF perjury in his dying hour, his soul has
already answered for t.
Another fact which initiates against the hy-
pothesis that the Rebels aimed at the capture of
Washington, Is the extraordinary degree to
which their forces have hren scattered A force
l. trlOUttUu Itrnnv'g n
dcnshurg and Baltimore, may hc well calculated
for raking into is drlg-ust al the spOils of the
country and for inllicting the most extensive
possible damSgc; but for effective military blows
concentration is, of course, absolutely essential.
1t docs not appear that the Rebels were ever
really concentrated although il Is not improba-
bic that they had the dior portion Of their force
massed Ht MonOCaCy and pc .haps also, they had
n good part of It before Washington. In the latter
case we are again conducted TO the belief that
their force was inconsderabe. They yesterday
made respectable show in ront of Fort Stevens
2Dd Fort Lincoln; but Ccrtaiuly nothing more
thau moderately heavy skrmish line no line
of battle, no such masses Of men as we're COnjurpd
up by lively imagiuatiuns at the frOnt, out of
columns of dust" ! should think that twelve
or fifteen thousand must have included the whole
Rebel force in Maryland.
Finally, in evidence that tho enemy was not
prepared for any serious attack on Washington,
the weighlest circumstance of all Is that they
made none whatever. The numerous little spirits
of fight they have shown have been Of the most
feeble knd-only the rencouuter of last evening
reaching the proportions of respectable picket
fight. Without doubt they would have been will
tug, bad they found the oppUrtunty-had they
found Washington defenscless-to have entered,
sacked, and burned it, and their expedition in
this direction, was PROBABLY reconnaissance 10
see what the chances were. They did not fud
them promising, aud after this they appear TO have
confined their Efforts to keeping our large force
coOped up In Washington, while the rest of the
sand devoted Themselves 10 an extended system
of pillage. They found they could do this, and
throw our overwhelming numbers into defcn-
siYe attitude, and this was doubt glory enough
V.
What the Rebels actually accomplished may
be summed up as follows -
l. They established, for time, q base OF sup
plies for Lees army in Maryland. There can be
no doubt that they have been only too success
tul In the capture OF stores, cattle, horses, &C.,
which they have made. In this part of their
programme they have probably been as success
ful as they could have hoped. Ifone could look
down the highways of Virginia, he would see
fling adown them long trains filed with the
spotta optald of this raidlng campaign In Mary
land.
2. BY cutting the railroad communications
leading into Baltimore and Washington, aud
drawing their forces up impudenhy before the
deienses OF the city, they won the prestige of
having for the time being thrown the capital of
the nation into species of siege. The fact OF the
real hollowness of this triumph will not prevent
lis Oelng taken abroad Tor very significant de-
monstratiOn of our weakness.
3, By the fact of the Invasion they will proba-
bly, gain, furthermore, the credit of having shown
that hile VIC are beseging the Rebel capital we
are unable to protect our own soil. This also is,
OF course, nothing more than spccious, but it will
be accepted as Gospel by our enemies at home
ana abroad.
4. They have produced great scare through
out all the country covered by their operations,
aud far beyond. ! should except from this
washington
maintained certain d.guiieI composure;
but from MartinsDurg, HagerstOwu, aud
Harpers Ferry 10 Baltimore, and even
north of that, they have spreaI terror wher-
ever they or the rcpors Of them has gone.
In Baltimore, especially, Me exhibitions have
been pitiful There is no evidence that that city
has ever been threatened by anything more than
\ cavalry parry, and a sua oae at that Aud
yet this squad OF men has b,aa able 20 coopupa a
force strong enough 10 chew up the Rebels, or
ten times their number, body and boots, while
they have devoted themselves TO burning houses
in the suburbs, ana haze cTau "a ltured Darties OF
our men within the limit Of he city itset.
3. They have been he 10 ,ieve their ines ia
front of Petershnrgs for g brief period at least,
nom the pressure OF gopJly lumber of Grants
amy.
g. They baye given pra ical demonstration
OF one OF the staining dangers of putting our
army out of the posi- lun &, uOysr Wa ,hingtOu,
tas IL Is before pet,fs'U'sj nImely, that the
enemy eau, by vlforons tr'ps 90 Yards the CAPT
tai, throw thC whole c3Iutfg into alarm respect
III its safety. Tuis is d"nyarols state Of facts,
fUr IL inouccs a. pressure Fru'a it becomes dili-
cult for any Executive 10 "it1-tiRd.
VI.
The movements Of tbC r. els from Monocacy,
where thgy were last $ .tgfd y , do not appear 70
have been ctatei by any o.her considerations
hAn those already cuumtrltcd, General Wal
lace did right lu making IT, ht ~ M9noctcy; for
it is tue point OF divergence OF the roads leading
10th 10 Baltimore aul 10 NL-hhg gtOn. Had he