The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-29
THE REBEL RAID.

dORh Nnlley-trObHbie strength oi the
RaidIng Forcc-sLilrni Retroa; Of
General Crook.
FREDEmCN, Nd, Thurdhy, July 25.-1f
strong array Of testimony may warrant a Judg.
ment In regard 10 the mention Of on enemy who
has an ANNOYING way of talsityiug AL predic-
! uups, hazard the assertion that she PO'OmRc ~
! not al present likely to be crossed 10y any for
| micahle invading force. IL is cert lin thtt mp to
| the hour Of writing (Ihursdly, =. NJ no hos
| tile body has shown itself at auy point along
| the banks Of the Potomac, and no dem1nstra-
! tions have been made in any wise looking ~
NOV meut into Maryland.
! Nov, when the fact Is considered that the
| Rebels fought the battle OF Winchester last
! Saturday, aud on Monday made their appearance
| before MutinsbuTg, thus allowing an interval Of
! four days pass unutiIi1ed and when we couple
! with tbs the fact that the enemy Is doubtless
! aware thar the period has been employed by US
| in way that must make every hours delay
! perilous TO him. IL seems fair to infer that this
| furccase of action betokcns on the part of the
| Rebels another purpose than that OF q movement
into thS loyal States.
| have stated in a former despatch that Il the
| enemy did not show an intention Of crossing the
| Potomac, might be concluded that his purpose
| was To harvest The crops OF the Shenandoah val
| ley. Now, he more this theory is considered the
! more fully il seems to furnish IN adequate mo-
tive Tor the presence, otherwise ineXpliCable of
| detachment of the Rebel army large enough to
seriously weaken Lees strength, and yet seem
| ingly not formidable enough 10 etlec: auy con
| sid, Tahlc military object.
have lately talked with many officers Of Hun
ter's command, who have marched through the
| who'e length of the Shenandoah valley, from its
debouCh to LynchburR and their unanimous tes-
timoDy IL, that this rich productive region fairly
| grouns under the iruitagc Of harvest uncofn-
| monty ine FOR its eNuD runt soil. IL Is calcu-
lated that there Is to-day in the Shenandoah
valley brendstuls enough 70 feed the whole of
Lees army for a tweyemonth.
| nay mention, As n single item, that the Rebel
commander has just levied on the farmers OF
Jefferson, Frederick, and Berkiey cou1tics-thc
three counties nearest the Potomac, and betwCea
that and tie Shenandoah river-for 100000
bushels Of wheat TO be promptly delivered,
tbreehed.
Now If the yield of cereals is anything like as
| great is stated by well-inf0rmed persons IL Is
obvious that force of from fifteen to twenty
thousand men could not, from Rebel point of
view, lie more advanageously employed than in
garneriug the precious staff of life, especially If
they are able TO call away from the front of Pc
tersburg, and neutraliae, force OF equal if not
greater strength.
It is a lamentable fact that autumn after au-
tumn the Rebels have been able to como aud take
possession of this great granary This spring the
| work was allowed by us to 60 on undistnrbed,
end now the enemy comes to reap the harvest
! prepared for him.
Allowing that this Is the object of the presence
| Of the Rebel force in the Shenandoah valley, IL
would be proper for it to make just such move
| meLts rs il has lately made. Finding that Crook =
| command was pressing uDcomtOrtaoly close, and
II allowed TO remain, would hold valuable tract
| across the Potomac.
With his view the Rebel General in command
| lo he Early BreCkinridge Hill, or whOsOoycr,
| turned upon Crook, aud on the 23d delivered bat
tie three or four miles beyond Winchester, aud
| near the scene of Shields encounter with Stone
wall Jackson. The nature of this contest is not
| yet fully known, but there is no reason TO doubt
that the enemy was in very considerably supe-
Tcr force. General Crook, understand, reports
that the Rebel line oyerlapped his by half mile
ou either flank.
His cavalry was in miserable condition, being
originally not of the best, and being further de-
terOraiCd by late eXhausng raids The latter
fact should, in all fairness be taken into ac-
count in mitigation of the severe Judgment hear
pronounced by officers to the effect that II be-
hayed in the most di,graceful style, etc. Certain
II is that Crook, a most able aud energetic
soldier, could not hold it to its work; that it
broke, imperiling his right flank; and his whole
force was compelled to lall back in considerable
| disorder. His loss In killed and wounded will,
II is believed, reach 1000, and have to-day seen
scverRl bundled OF the latter in the hospitals at
| Frederick
Having got our force on the run the Rebels
| continued their march up 20 Mdrtinsburg; but
they do not appear to have pushed their incar-
sions beyond that point IL Is not at all unlikely,
| however, that they may send cavalry parties
| across the river. II will be policy for the enemy
10 Distract attention from his own agricultural
! operations in the valley by saies across the Dor
| der, and on may look for a chronic scare along
| the lower counties OF Maryland and Pennsylya-
MA as long rs a Rebei horsetail is visible within
bundled miles
with regard 20 the strength OF the Rebel
army operating in the valley, am, like every
BODY elc, unable 10 communicate auSht resting
on u surer foundation than surmise. General
CIooA ropous the force that engaged him ~ from
! | 10000 70 10000 strong. stated dly or two
ago II 81 the old Taidiug column Of BreckinridgC
Lnd Early hFd been joined by MOrgIn's cavalry
aud lhis Is still positively asserted by those who
should krOw.
| General Grant denies that any divisions OF
UilI's Cprns b4yp left his front Peters burg and
| may Say 10 tGi- connection, that l talked yes
t'rday win two deserter3 from Hills command
who left Petersburg just week ago. and they
. RihrmeO with TIE utmost postiyeness, that
[ neither Hi lorany part Of his corps had gonC
st thu time.
> Il must he remembered that the force with
+ which the Rebels la'ely made their invasion wa
very misc, llaueous one. Il contained, as VI
: know, two or three brgades from Hills com
aud, and this fact might very well give rise {,
: such rIors. On the whole, there is no reasoI
10 conclude thar the old force has been YerJ
materially increased.
And now there arises question which hardly
belongs much to the domain of newspaper dis
cussiOn as 10 the executive sphere Of our mill
taTy authCr rites. II ls in word, shall the enemy
be allowed to retain an undisputed possession o.
the Shenandoah valley, and be allowed TO carry
Q ON undisturbed, their customary autumnal har
vest work : lfthese crops, rendered now by th
seYedng of railway communication with tn
great productive areas of the Southwest, of tel
: times their old value be of vital importance Il
n | the enemy, II is OF equal importance that NJ
should prevent his obtaining them.
But 10 do this II is indispensable that the force
of the half dozen different military "bailipieks
of this region be united under the command o
Y some one thoroughly able aud efficient militar,
(. head. Til this is done, we can only expect suc
10 | haltng, halfway measures, such high-hOW
promise and such pitiful performance, as we say
N | during the late invasion.
a II is but Justice to say that late movements o
'e the military authorities TO check a new inyasio
Il of the loyal States, should the Rebels adventuT
thereon, have been marked by an unwonted vigo
n and Sagacity. Nevertheless, II the Rebels al
allowed 10 carry out their designs in the ShenaI
II doah valley, they will put us In the disgracefI
n position Of having large force, which should !
A. elsewhere employed, neutralized, while the
lf accomplish eAds Of high military and incalculi
a BILE material advantage.
Ne WILLIAM SwINroN, Of the n. Y. Times
CrsOk Drives the Rebels from Martin
In burg MOndRy--So Fighting since-M
y. Chtttenden Recovering - Rebels seE
IN from Richmond 20 the valley The
| urn.. HIO