The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-11-26

y
gins SHENANDoAH.-We have some In
formation touching the recent movements
Of the rebel force under Early, in the Val.
ley Of the Shenandoah. That restless chief
does not seem to take his three defeats quiz
city, but is obstinately bent on fourth.
Recognized his army ct New Market and
thereab0ut, he has once more advanced
northward, and spent last week in the del-
icate process Of feeling his adversary
Sheridan lies encamped in and about New
ton, q locality to the north Of Cedar Greek,
and affordine, perhaps, better ground for
an entrenched and permanent camp than
could be found in the position which was
surprised on the memorable 10th of Oot0.
Der. Up to the front of 6heridans lines
Early has pushed his cavalry, and on the
10Th there occurred q collision which seems
to haye disciplined the rebel commander to
pursue his investigations. a.5g.V
It is not to be understood that there has
been anything like general engagement
between the two armies. There were To-
connoisances on both sides. There was .
spirited cavalry fight, but there has been
| no battle of infantry. Lomax's cavairy
division has got itself handsomely thrashed
with the loss of two pieces of cannon and
sundry prisoners-a sort Of gentle reminder
| to Jubal Early that he has to deal with .
General who knows something about cav
airy, and who handles that arm with ex-
traordinary precision and with, the most
| has q way of settling cavalry GenoTalD,
new and old, and his subordinates have
caught from him an unfailing inspiration.
AS for the possession of the Shenandoah
Valley, it is ours wholly, 80 long as Sherf-
dan chooses The Key to the Valley lies
held in connection with the Culpepper line
north Of the Rapidan and east OF the Blue
Ridge. But the Valley alone Is just as we'll
| controlled at 6trasburg, or at either OF the
| strategic positions south Of Winchester, or
at Mount jackson or Staunton. Indeed.
the further north Sheridan establishes him
self, the more secure is his ground against
the dangerous flank movements for which
the passes Of the Blue Ridge offer always
perilous facilities. Disregarding wisely all
considerations Of military display, Sheri-
dan has seized upon and infiexibly holds
the points which are essentially and STRAIT
egically important-points which force his
antagonist to attack him at a disadvantage,
and to extend to the utmost his own lines
of communication and supply. The re-
tirement down the Valley means Just this
and nothing more. Early resumes his adj
vance because he must try something; be-
cause his own reputation as commander
is at stake; because he is urged on by the
sneers of the Richmond press because
the rebellion lives to-day on pretenee
rather than on fact-on shadow more than
substance. But the attempt reveals the
real weakness Of the rebel force. It will
shortly appear that even this aggression
is newly enforced from the South, from the
heart of Georgia, and from the entering
columns Of Sherman, must compel the
withdrawal Of Early, and put the rebellion
where it belongs-wholly on the defensive.
4 A.
i Mexican war we have admitted some new
States and formed some new territories
west of our previous trans Mississippi set
Elements. The States are California, Ore
gon, Nevada and Kansas. Then we have
formed the following territories, that are
fast pressing towards state-d0m-Dak0tah
Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Ida
no, Nebraska and Washington. But few
have yet began to realize the importance of
these twelve States and territories, whose
vast mineral wealth and great agricultural
resources are now attracting population,
and promise in another century to have
double the people that are now in the en-
s re country.
California has Is, $751; square miles of ter
ritory which is equal to England, Scotlanda
Ireland, Denmark and Hanover, which
have population Of thirty-two millions.
Oregon has 81, 24S square miles Of territory,
which is nine-teuths as large as Prussia,
Il
has 81, 348 square miles Of territory, equal
to Belgium, Naples, Netherlands and the
Roman States, with seventeen millions of
people. Nevada has 81 800 square miles of
territory, equal to Portugal, Greece and
Bavaria, with ten millions ofpeopie. These
Mexican war, are therefore equal in area to
England, Scotland. Ireland, Denmark,
i Hanover, Prussia, Belgium, Naples, Meth
erlands, the Roman States, Portugais
! Greece and Bavaria combined, which to.
gether have population OF seventy-five
millions. a
The territories willaverage much larger.
Dacotah has LAG, 900 square miles, which IL
equal to all the Nsw England States, New
York aud Ohio. Colorado has 104, 500
square miles, which is about the same as
Pennsylvania and Virginia united. New
Mexico has 12l POI square miles, which is
equal to Maryland, Delaware, North Caro-
lima and Georgia. Arizona has 126, lag
] square miles, which Is equal % Florida,
Alabama and two such states - Massa.
chusetts. Utah has 1872 square miles,
which IL equal to Mississippi, Louisiana,
Maryland and Massachusetts. Idaho has
S26, 375 square miles. which is eQual TO six
and Ireland. Nebraska has 1885 square
miles, which il equal to Kentucky and
Ohio combined. Washington has 10000
square miles, which would make ten states
like Massachusetts, or sixteen like Con-
necticut. % N
The total of these states and territories il
. million and q half Of square miles, which
Is equal to Austria, France, Great Britain,
Ireland, Prussia, Spain, Turkey, Sweden,
Norway, Naples, Portugal, Greece, Rome.
Saxony, and Switzerland in Europe; or
they would make thirty.two states like
New York. It is only by comparison that
we can realize their vastness. But when
we come to estimate their value as mineral