The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-07-31
We war An Pesnsyivaaiss Virginia
aad Oe0rgiA.

OnumOoToOuIk w. VN~uPsSN JSSs~SS - n
rebel cavalry and artillery. Rebel cavalry
has been seen at several points near that place
Governor Curtin has called the people to arms
en- nasse, aad General Couch b endssvoring
to concentrate the elements Of defence at
Carbide Our latest news from Harrisburg
states that General Averill has driven the
rebels out Of Chambersburg. but not before
they had burned the greater part Of tho town.
including nearly an the public buildings. Such
ID the situation In Pennsylvania at present
How ID Il that the enemy has been able to
get down the valley to the Potomac, to cross
that river, traverse Maryland and appear In
Pennsylvania before the country hears positive
announcement Of his approach The answer
is that this is probably the way In which the
government prevents alarm. Doubtless the
movements OF this force were known, but no
intelligence of 1t was permitted to reach the
public by lines through Harper's Ferry,
Frederick or Baltimore; and, consequently,
the first we hear is that the enemy are in
Northern city. 1t must not, therefore, be sup
posed that tie force at Chambcrsburg dropped
from the heavens That force came down tie
Shenandoah valley On the 18th of July, just
ten days ago, this force was at Smokers ferry
on one eide Of the Shenandoah river, and
General Wright, with part Of the Army of the
Potomac was at the same place on tho other
| side of the same river. But the rebels went
| into the woods . little ways, and General
Wright thought they had gone to Richmond,
| and perhaps thought that be had better hurry
to Grant SO he came away. The rebels there.
upon turned around and went to Pennsylvania,
and the cavalry recently in Caambersburg may
| be the advance OF the same force that was In
Maryland or Of that force augmented, as 1t Is
said to be, by A. P. Hills corps
| Is this wholesale life or death invasion Of
the North, with the temporary reliuqushment
! Of Richmond, In the hope to conquer peace
at Philadelphia Is 1t mere raid 7 Oris it a
more extended attempt at the counter irrltant
strategy by which in the late advance on
Washington tho enemy hoped to draw Grant
from the James river. So far as we can rely
upon any accounts from the threatened district,
Il is not mere raid, and we think that In 1862
AID 1868 Lee must have seen how utterly hope
less it would be to risk his whole cause on the
chances Of battle in Northern State. We
suppose the counter irritant view to be the
correct one. We believe that Lee could make
this strategy very formidable to the North, and
wo believe that he could very easily overdo it,
From Lees point Of view this operation ap-
pears safer than perhaps 1t really is He may
have eighty thousand men. He has Peters
burg aud Richmond magniacently fortified. 1t
would seem, then, that thirty or forty thousand
men could, with the forts, hold Grant in check,
while the other forty or fifty thousand could in
wade the North. But from Grants point of
view this may be very different. Grant has
| just developed OF Deep Bottom change OF
tactics, aud this change may prove to pc bad
| for The thirty thousand. We must await fur
Their news from Grant before 1t ia quite posi-
! BILE TO say whether we ought not to rejoice
over this last invasion.
From Atlanta the news comes slowly, espe-
| cially the particulars OF the battle Of Friday
| last, in which the rebels claim victory. No
doubt the War Department knows more than ii
cares TO tell; but the statement that General
Blair had buried two thousand two hundred of
the enemy's men shows tina! he could not have
been driven far, and also that it was severe
drive to the enemy
We expressed yesterday the opinion that che
Southern papers would change their tune over
"Hood's victory" Of Friday last. We find that
they have already done SO. Hood had stated
that he had captured twenty-five guns and
subsequently corrected this by tho statement
that he had captured only thirteen. He can be
forgiven for this error, and the Richmond
Examiner could even "be satisfied without a
gun II he had killed Mcpherson ord driven
Sherman across the Chattahooctee." Driving
Sherman across the Chattahoochee will be hard
for Hood; but he may now understand that the
Richmond papers will be satisfied With nothing
less.
1t is very satisfactory to know the opinion of
one OF the ablest soldiers in ths Southern con-
federacy on the situation at Asianta-that SOL
der being our enemy and committed heart and
soul against us. His opinion is that the attempt
10 hold Atlanta must inevitably be the destruc-.
ton of Hoods army. This is pleasant to hear
in the hot weather. whom Hood is wholly com.
mtted to the attempt to hold that city. II APP
pears to be certain that this Was the very point
upon which Johnston was relieved" He re.
fused to sacrifice bis army n a vain attempt at
the impossible. Hardee also had the same
opinion Of the impossibility Of holding Atlanta,
and refused the command Of The army ON the
same point Heed took command on the des-
perate terms Of sacrificing bis army rather than
continuing the retreat.
All this rebel arrangement at the South Is
good news in various ways II is good news
that Hood Is In command rather than Johnston.
It Is good news that tho nnal struggle Of the
| campaign h to BE- 1t Atlantis; that thus the
campaign may close in definite victory sson
rather than be dragged out In longer weary
marches and mannuvres. Bat IL ID better news