Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-07-29
The Late Raid.

No event during the war has so dis
graced the nation and the government as
this last rebel raid. l: will have that eff.
feet abroad, and no ingenuity of explain
alton or apology can make it otherwise,
T disgrace is of more consequence
than the loss, though this is not SMALL
What amount of government stores at
Martinsburg, Harper's Ferry and else
where t he raiders appropriated or des~
troyed, we shall find out when somebody
accidentally tells the truth about it but
the material loss to the government is
doubtless several millions. Besides this,
Maryland has been stripped of horses,
cattle, sheep aud hogs, grain and all other
movable supplies that the r b S
thought worth taking her railroads des-
troyed, and has suffered as much devas.
tation as if she had been the theater of
war for year. The invading force did
not probably exceed twenty thousand all
told. There are no authentic accounts
Of half that number. Yet h ely have
been rampaging about for more than a
fortnight, have moved lei.urely fro m
place to place, sent their booty across
the Potomac in trains and the cattle and
other animals in droves, crossing the riv-
er close upon Washington and SO down
the valley to Gordonsvlle, a n d not a
wagon or a sheep has been recovered
from them. All this time our command
ers seem to have had no means of ascer-
tanning the number and intentions of the
enemy, and to have thought of nothing
but to stay behind Notifications and bar
ricades and keep up terrible thinking.
And yet we had veteran troops enough
from Grant at Washington to have COB
bled upsthe whole gang of raiders and
made. short wor k of them. Hunters
army was idly watching for the rebels at
Harper's Ferry, where they were sure
not to go a second time, and Sigel was
keeping | and safe Maryland
flights. For several days we have had
kilograms fir m Washington reporting
the vigorous pursuit of the enemy-an
infallible sign nothing effective
would be done, and the report that Sher-
man had started for the James to inter-
cept the raiders is probably pure fiction.
The force that feigned attack ON Wash
ington and kept our troops for two days
within the Notifications. is now known to
have been contemplate. The only re-
deeming feature of the whole fortnight's
work is the little battle of Monocacy,
where Gen. Wallace's troops did W e | Ii
and undoubtedly prevented a nearer APP
proach of t he enemy to Baltimore
The rebels may now boast the bol3est, \
safest and best paying raid of the whole
war. They will be greatly encouraged
by it. The rich plumber taken will help
out their scant supplies, and when these
are gone they may come again. They
did withdraw a considerable force from
Gen. Grant, Notwithstanding h e fire.
quent assurances from Washington that
Grants army should not be diminished
by single man. Probably the cam
paign of Gen. Grant has not been mate
rally damaged and if that was one of
the rebel objects, they were so far disap-
pointed.
Henceforth let h government get
from some quarter enough men TO guard
the Shenandoah valley-a measure that
all commanders, from Mcclellan down,
have insisted upon as essential to h e
safety Of Washington. AT least it should
push its garrisons and scouts far enough
up the valley to make sure of weeks
notice of a raidng 70 coming from
h quarter These obvious precau-
tions taken n d h fortiications at
Washington and Harper's Ferry occup-
led by hundred day men, and small
but enterprising force of cavalry kept on
the move in northeastern Virginia, we
may hope to be protected against any
more such rebel raids during h deci,
sive campaign before Petersburg a d
acknowledgement Republican.
"
A STRANGE DRNK.-An old topper
oct that he could, when blindfolded, tell
each of several kinds of liquors. When
brandy, whiskey, gin a other drinks
were presented to him, he pronounced
correctly what they were. AT length a
glass of pure water was given him; he
tasted it, paused, tasted it again and again,
considered, and shook his head. AT last,
said be, Gentlemen, give it up; l am
not used to that kind Of liquor"