The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-18

PEELED the latter 70 commence retrograde movement
which continued from point to point until he reached
the District line.
During ali the last week Of August, Popes army
was kept in almost continual action, having little or
time for refreshment rest. Engaged thus every
part of the army now arriving from the Peninsula
displaying conspicuous gallantry and evincing the
most heroic powers Of endurance they neYerthe
less gradually forced back by Lees army, the greater
part of which had now arrived from Richmond, until
after last inefectual effort on the old battlefield OF
Bull Run, In which fell that beaudeal OF soldier,
the gallant kearney-iant and iootsore, on the ID OF
September, they fell back within the fortihcatons of
You Win not, am sure, go far msunderstand me as
to suppose that in referring thus briefly to the cam
paign of General Pope have any design to CritiCise
II. disclaim as well any such power as such a pur-
pose. Whether IL failed through his fault that of
others or without fault anywhere are questions
quring far more skill in military mauguvres as well
as more accurate knowledge Of facts than pretend
to possess. Nor is the Of the failure at all ma
terial as regards its influence. advert to it in this
connection simply one of those unfortunate antece-
dents Immediately preceding the march Of Lee into
Maryland which was calculated to exert depressing
influence as well upon the public mind as on the sp-
ris Of the army, on which alone we now depended to
oppose his passage.
That ARMY was to be composed OF what remained
OF these two formidable organizations the Army
OF the Potomac and the Army of Virginia, constituted
each OF them of material better than which the world
never saw, but returning simultaneously from the
helds OF their recent operations with such heavy
losses 30 jaded and war-worn so keeny sensitive, as
we may well suppose, to the disappointments the
country might feel in the hopes formed other achieve
ments, that in the new and and formidable invasion
they suddenly called on to repel, nothing but
the sternest Of patriotic duty and the most de-
termined devotion to the great for which they
had already sacrificed 80 much, could have possibly
sustained them.
In that trying hour the provision to be made was
for the reorganization Of these shattered armies, and
the selection of commander who could accomplish it
and then lead the united host. Whatever doubt the
government authorities any of them, the people
OF the country, or any part OF them might then or
since have entertained of the military abilities of
General Mcclellan, there were few then, and pro-
badly still fewer to-day who, in the eXigency then
existing would question the wisdom of the order that
committed him to this command. His services in a
Ike capacity and under circumstances so strikingly
similar, that the coincidence is worty of note, must
have been fresh in the recollection of both government
At the time of our earliest great disaster the first
battle of Bull Run, he conducting active opera
tions in West Virginia, and the very day after that
unfortunate affair, telegram from the President,
directing him to turn over his command to another,
summoned him to Washington. Placed there by the
Presidents order in chief command, he was in less
than week after that reverse bringing order out of
the confusion which for while prevailed. Now other
disasters eliminating the same unfortunate field
demanded again the service of soldier who, possess
ing the skill to reorganize our broken columns could
so command their confidence to inspire them with
the enthusiasm necessary to forget disaster That the
ADMINISTRATOR, without any disparagement to other
emergency, few, repeat, will at this day venture to
deny
his army eXhilarated at the thought that their long
beleaguered Capital was at length relieved, enCou-
ragged by their recent successes near Manassas and
stimulated by the prospect of the rich supplies which
here and along the fertile Cumberland Valley awaited
days after Popes army retired within the Washington
| intrenehments, crossed the Potomac and encamped
around Frederick city.
Mcclellan reOrganizing as he marched set forth to
intercept him, embarrassed all the time by the doubts
which enyeloped Lees designs fully alive to the va
the time to turn his back upon Washington, and yet
well aware and frequently reminded that after all,
that might be Lees objective point, and his
ments in other directions meant only as a feint; with
| the Capital of Pennsylvania and the emporium of
Maryland both menaced blythe enemy, and the citizens
| OF each watching with anxious concern McClellans
movements, with the mutual apprehension that the
course of his march might far uncover their several
| cities as to open the way for Lees approach
| We may imagine to-day, though even now can
scarcely appreciate the responsibilities of the Union
| commander and understand some of the reasons for
what, in the nervous anxiety of that moment, might
| have been considered by some too tardy pursuit
He was however, on the right track The van of his
army reached Frederick on the 10Th of September
Lee, with the greater part of his command having left
| 1t two days before.
Here, before following the subsequent movements of
these armies, allow me TO revert briefly to the recep-
| tiOn that awaited them, respectively, on this new
| theatre of the war, on the north of the Potomac
and inYasions We're matters Of freqent occurrence,
and came 10 be regarded by us as thing of course
whenever usual drought reduced the river
! to fordabe condition. This however, was first
hostile invasion, and on that and other accounts
regarded by the people of the country and especially
of this State, with absorbing interest and anxiety.
The loyal citizens of the North had been taught to
believe that the loyalty of Maryland had at best but
an apochryphal existence; that as patriotic and
spontaneous impulse ii was limited to few, whilst as
regarded the great body of our people, it but q
the presence of the national forces So confident in
the early stages of the Rebellion had been the appeals
OF our Secessoniss eXorbitant their claims to an
assumed social and commercial importance and so
clamorous their denunciatons of what they denomi-
mated odious Federal ban forcing the action of the
people into channel contrary to its natural incina-
ton, that there seemed for a time excuse for
such an opinion and few even of our citizens
who had not watched that strong patriotic undercur-
rent on which, as on full mountain stream, the
masses OF our people from the first borne on
ward, came sometimes themselves to the reluctant
conclusion that the outside estimate of loyalty
might possibly be true.
General Lee doubtless confdng in the same repre-
sentations, only more highly exaggerated chanced to
select as favorable moment for himself as possible
Tor putting these theories to the test To say nothing
OF the dependency already noticed, resulting from
recent disappointments process had iust commenced
better calculated than anything that had vet occurred
TO awaken the people OF the country to practical
sense OF the grim realities of The President,
the lst OF July having issued call for three hundred
thousand volunteers followed il on the 4h Of August
with an order for the draft of like number of militia
Ihe preliminary details for that draft had been just
completed, and the enrolling officers sent forth
their mission, as Lee made his appearance north Of
the Potomac. The order for draft had something
starting in the ideas 1t suggested; one who was
subject to the process had witnessed its appca
ton; the country had only kind of traditional know
ledge of the character Of the proceeding, all the more
| exciting for Its very yagueness.
II was In this condition of things that Lee eanped
his army about Frederick, and none knew better than
nlmselt how TO take advantage of it. Appointing as
Provost Marshal OF that city former resident, VINO
naYng once been person of some political lnnuence
had III the early days of the Rebellion attached hln-
self to its fortunes, and observing the most scrupu,
lous orbearance towards the citizens he next issued
10 them proclamation, every sentence OF Whlcn was
sudlously adapted to their supposed tastes and po
ponded with the suggestions OF Southern sypathlzers
and Northern skeptcs, would have brought them III