New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-07-11
THE RAID.

THE RAID.
We have but meager particulars of the battle
at Monocacy Bridge on Saturday, but No III
cline to believe il . creditsble action to the
Union arms. 1t was defeat, bu. such defeat
az reflects more credit OH the yanquished than
the victors. There Is nothing By which TO est.
mate the conduct of Gen. Wallace on the field,
but we desire to accord him the rare merit OF
doing his whole duty up to tho time Of this
battle, and we thence infer in the battle also.
Hitherto, we have seemed to hold ouiposts-
Martinsburg, for instance, and last year Win
chcsler-for no better purpose than t. abandon
them with unseemly and unmlaary haste at
the approach Of the enemy, with no attempt
even 20 discover tho force or Intentions of Mat
enemy; much less to retard his advance. Gen.
Wallace has done something " repair the fault
Of that system. Collecting what force could be
had al the moment, he marched rapidly and res
olutely 10 find the enemy, marched til he found
him. when he found him fought him all day
long. and retreatcd only when he was over
powered by numbers. But he succeeded in
discovering The force and something of the in
,cntions of the Rebels. and with biz hastily.Or'
gained band so MUCH retarded their march
that they have not yet yenurcd to follow him.
II seems to Us. therefore, that Gen. Wallace
has done promptly and thoroughly All that lay
IN bis power-and in this war that is high
eulogy In be,tow on n General.
The force Of the enemy may he stated at about
II, 900 o. 1900; that Of Gen. Wallace is put
by Gov Curtin at 10000. but was probably
much less. The battle therefore lasting as il
did from in the morning III ! in the afternoon,
was very ob,tinately contested action on our
side The Rebels have NJ least two compact
aud veteran divisions. numbering, independently
of their other lsrce,. not le>, than 1900 men.
Gen. Wallaces command was scarcely organ
lied at all, and consisted mainly Of troops COM
paratiycly inexperienced. II il great credit to
them To have resisted ~ they did.
Late Baltimore news is 10 tho effect that The
Northern Central R.rlroad-the road from Bal.
timOre 10 Hauisburg-was cut yesterday morn
ing near CocScySville, twelve miles north of
Baltimore The Rebel force is said TO consist
Of 100 cayalry, and 60 have moved east with
a view TO seycring the Philadelphia road--prob-
ably not at Hayrc DE Grace or Gunpowder
Creek, because at these points the road is under
tho protection of the Navy. If at any other, the
damage ihoy can do will DO comparatively
Slight, nor does it seem likely that they have
yenturcd 50 far on IA chance so uncertain.
Meanwhile, We have from. two sources the
,tatement that Gen. Hunters command, or II
portion of II, had reached Martinsburg and was
expected at Harper's Ferry. At the former
place Gen. Sullivan is said to have captured a
thousand prisoners, stores, and great quantities
of Rebel plumber. Gen. Couch, moreover, NOV
ing down from Johannesburg, entered Hagers-
town Friday, driving out the brigade of Me.
Causland in confusion toward Willamsport. ii
both these statements arc true, the prospect
of a safe retreat for the Rebels from
Maryland ought Ia be very slight. We have
assurances ina; the Government il, and for days
past has been, directing all It's energies TO the
work of repelIing this inyason-wo earnestly
trust Of surrounding and capturing the invaders
also. 1t will be nothing less than disgrace if
they now escape, il committed, as they seem to
b., 10 movement east of the Monocacy. The
doubt about any crossing Of that stream in
force rests npon the failure TO follow
Wallace promptly, which is by no means ac-
counted Tor on the supposition that they were
too badly punished to advance immediately.
On the other hand, il il improbable that slcn-
der force of cavalry should have been detached
without support so far IA the Philadelphia road.
In Baltimore, Western Maryland, and in
Pennsylvania, there has been great deal Of e1-
element aud not little panic because OF this
raid, but we are happy to say there Ia no evil
dence OF any feeling at the North but rejoicing
over tho opportunity which is afforded US OF de-
stroying the Rebel force. We will not sntici-
pate, but Ne have some reason to hope that an
other day or two will justify these expectations.
IA - A ~. Il ca L.,