Year: 1863

authorized to make the official statement
that the greater part Of Lees army has
been sent away. either towards Chattanooga
/ to take part in The contest against Gen.
/ Grant, or else to the southwestern part OF
! Virginia, to drive Burnside out OF Tennes-
see; that no rebel army Of much Importance
is left ON the line Of the Rappahannock;
that, in fact, the only rebel troops now on
! the line Of the Rappahannock are SIM
ply corps Of observation. This is a
! fair specimen Of the manner in which the
administration seeks to hoodwink aud de-
ccive the people. | have mentioned in
previous letters, what portions of Lees
army have been detached for service 1T
Chattanooga and against Burnside, and no
other troops from Lees army have been
detached for service at Chattanooga and
against Burnside, and no other troops from
Lees army have been detached from HIM.
II there Is nothing more than corps OF
observation on the Rappahannock, why
was it that Meade's whole army were una
bic to hold their ground when two corps
were attacked on the 24th! 1t must be
very strong corps of observation, for they
have remained in possession Of Bealton, and
of all the territory between that point and
the Rappahannock, ever since Corps of
observation or not, it is Lees army,-.hc
army which Meade was ordered to pur ne
after and fight There it is; why does he
not fight it, and drive it across the Kappa
hammock ? The fact is, Gen. Meade has
ascertained that the Confederate force in
his front is 50 large as to require the Ut
most prudence and circumspection in all
his movements. 1t is 1900 STR no at
least And Gen Meade is soldier enough
to know that - 600 troops would not be
thrown across river if they were not sup
ported by twice that many on the o:her
side. Such is the dilemma into which
Lincoln silly order has forced Gen. Meade.
Ifhe obcys that order, the corps of obser
vation" will retire before him; cross the
/ Rappahannock; feign to retreat in order to
+ induce Meade to follow them across the
river in pursuit; and then. when half an
army is across. the whole Confederate
army will fall upon Meades little army
when it is divided by wide river and de-
stroy each portion in detail That will be
the first result Of obeying Lincoln's order.
What would follow such catastrophe must
be evident to every one.


! The recent doings Of Burnside are an
other subject about which the adminIstra-
ton is striving to hoodwink and humbue
the people. 1t is given out, on authority,
! that Burnside has gained some great victo-
ries in the eastern part Of Tennessee and
4 the southwestern part of Virginia, and that
the rebels have been permanently expelled
from those regions But | have good reason
to believe that, when the real facts are
known it will appear that his great victories
amount to nothing, and that he either has
already retreated or soon will be compelled
all doubt that a strong Confederate force
was advancing against him only few day
ago, and the result of the conflict that
must cnsue will depend as much vi on
Burnside himself as upon the number OF
his troops Burnside is not pre- emnently
fighting General Ia what great battle
did he ever distinguish himself! AT Fred
cricksburg. although he sent 10000 ofour
brave soldiers to their graves he took good
care to keep himself out of danger If he
is attacked by force anything near like
his own, he will retreat and, if he is press
ed. he will abandon East Tennessee and
Knoxville to their fate In any event, this
will be the final result of Burnside's occu-
patton of Knoxville.


The approaching session of Congress
will be a highly interesting one. and the
subjects which will come before it viii be
of the very highest Importance The ad-
ininistration has now got so firm hold q
the rclns of power, and the management
and conduct Of the war are now so entirely
in their control that any action looking to
an honorable peace will lie hopeless. The


friends of peace and oi'thc Union howeV-
cr, will exercise slecpless vigilance on
this point, and will embrace any opportu-
nifty that may offer for bringing about 5"


desirable result. Many persons suppose


that, because we are engaged in the war


VIC will have to fight it out, and that there
, can be no lasting peace until one side OF


the other is exhausted or subdued. Bui
this is great mistake. The path to al


honorable, lasting peace-a peace which
' will restore the Union-will be pointed
ont in the House of Representatives at an