, 1864-07-09
THE MARYLAND INVASION.
A Rebel View Of the Raid.

Correspondence Of the New York Wor1d.1
BALTIMORE, June s,
WHAT THE REBELS HAVE DONE.
The rebels, on yesterday afternoon, we're
in full possession not only OF MartinRburg,
but also Of the railroad from that place to
Harper's Ferry, and for distance Of ten
miles north of Martinsburg, and, in fact, Of
Williameport, on the Potomac river. What
damage they have done to the railroad has not
yet been aBceftaincd. II they have not
"badly destroyed - it, 1t Is owing solely to
their torbearance. There was about q million
dollars worth Of commissary and quarter
masters stores, and other government prop
erty, at Martinsburg, and five hundred thou
sand dollars worth Of private stores. These,
of course, are all gone. The wagon trains
OF General Hunters division, which he left
at Mastinsburg in General Sigeis charge, also
fell into the hands OF the enemy.
WHAT WILL THE REBELS DO?
There are no means of knowing yet what
they will do. They will not attack Harper's
Ferry unless they are in very strong force, or
unless there are more Of them coming up.
In the latter case they will no dcabt do 50.
But from all eau learn, the force at Mar
tinsbnrg is small, composed OF 1mboden's
cavalry alone. But there are Indications
that there is q much larger force behind
One report states that Breckin.idge's diyi-
sion is at Winchester, and that the corps Of
Ewell and EARLY arc at Strasburg, marching
up the valley. II this report proves to be
trne, speculation may be set at rest as to the
design of the movement. It is, In that case,
the northern movement Of General Lee, go
long ago t0reshadoWcd. It Is the long -ex-
pccted invasion OF the North; and Baltimore
frtt. and afterwards Washington, are the OBJ
jccts that Will be aimed at
POSSIBILITY or REBEL ATTACK ON WASH
1EdToN.
But all my information leads me to believe
that this fs only rcconnoitcfing party, and
that the time Is near Mt hand when the Con-
fedcrates will endeayor to carry ont the pro-
Ernmme Of Northern Invasion, which they
hare had In rieW ever since the beginning Of
the present campaign against their capital.
The success Of their plans required that all
Of the troops in the North that could be
army; and that the later should be involved
In the layers Of an actual siege before Rich
mond, before their expedition against Wash
lngton should be set On foot. They clafm
that both these conditions are uoW fulfilled,
and fulfilled, too, In manner much more
than they at first expected. For what
they expected, when their plan was formed,
was that General Grants army would
be brought to Richmond by water, and
without loss; md that his operations would
be directed against Richmond at once, and
Of the overland campaign, and the losses, too,
that We must suffer before Petersburg, are
two things in their favor that they did not
count on at first. The great difficulties that
confronted General Grant when be first sat
down before Petersburg, on the 18th Of June,
are still before him. They areyet to be over.
come And wien Petersburg falls, accord-
ing, to the rebel theory, the capture Of Rich
mord will not be advanced thereby. They
regard 1t only as IN outWork, from which
CARDS corps is 10 defend the latter, as they
are now defending Petersburg; md then the
main body Of General Lees army is to march
on, Washington by way Of the Shenandoah
valley