Year: 1862

fredericksburg. on the Rappahannock,
is place almost as easy of access as
Alexandria. 1t is twelve miles by rail-
road from the landing at Aqua creek,
but no farther than is really desirable to
afford room to place large army prepa-
ratory to its organization for a campaign.
1t is little west of south from Washing
ton, >and precisely north of Richmond
A sandy plain, with no rivers of impor-
tance crossing it stretches between Fred
ericksburg and Richmond, with good
railroad running straight over 1.-THE
distance just sixty miles. No better road
to Richmond could be imagined or desired
winter or summer 1t is not swampy !;
not over the heavy clays of the upper
country and of the peninsula. 1t has no
formidable river banks or rivers to Cross
no deep cuts or impenetrable forests.
How it has happened to be overlooked
heretofore passes comprehension since
Hampton is ninety miles from Richmond,
and Yorktown seventy miles, while the
landing places of the peninsular army
going to these two points are moro than
two hundred miles from Washington.


At last, however, VIC have found the
short road to Richmond. and have set out
to get there At thirty miles distance,
the Virginia Central Railroad can be cut
a few miles above its junction with the
Richmond and fredericksburg road. A
squadron of cavalry visited this place,
Beaver Dam, in the early part of the
campaign of Gen. Pope, and proved the
feasibility of riding there in less than q
day from fredericksburg. As the rebel
army must take the railroad in order to
get to Richmond before we do, there is n
probability that there will be a sharp
contest for the possession of the junction
of the two roads to begin with This is
nn important point to us as we'll as to
them, and it should, at least, be shown TO
be dangerous for the rebel infantry to
pass over that route. There may be an
army of rebels hurried forward to dispute
our passage of the North Anna river, the
only considerable stream on this Rich
mond road, but the country there is not
favorable to any considerable stand such
as they made at Antietam. and rs they
seem always to prefer 1t- -l4l


This narrow, plain, and short straight
road will soon be the field of decisive
operations. The country looks with con-
fidence to the army, and having given it
everything so far, is quite confident of
obtaining, at last, some positive service
The rebels cannot hold this line against
us They are scattered all the way from
Gordonsville to Winchester, a distance of
one hundred and fifty miles, at least
Through the largest share of their army
has fallen down to GordonsVille, there has
been, until now, probably 0ne-third of its
aggregate of numbers making show of
defensive and offensive work along the
liue of gaps from Cnlpepper to Harper's
| Ferry. This array cannot at once be
Withdrawn, or at least cannot go to the
railroad junction we speak Of as quickly
as we can get there. They have along,
circuitous route to travel, while ours is
direct. and easy. They must go through
Thornton's Gap, or go down by way Of
Stanton, either way being difficult in
comparison with the march our forces
have to make


II has been stated that we retire from
Warreaton andits vicinity in going 70 the
new point of departure for Richmond; but
this ought not TO be. WarrentOn is within
easy reach of 0ulpepper and the lower Gaps
by which the rebels in the Shenandoah fal-
ley must 90 over to the Richmond Eeld Of