Year: 1862




from the rebel army column in Maryland. our
city, as usual in such cases, Is abundantly sup
piled with conflicting reports, rumors and con-
lectures. Beyond the picket lines of the rebels,
which, it appears extend to within twenty
miles Of Baltimore and thirty of Washington,
we have no information but the vaguest scraps
from doubtful refugees. We think it altogether
probable, however, that heavy column of the
rebel army is intrenching itself along the
Monocacy river while another large body on
the opposite side of the Potomac, near Lees
burg, remains on the watch, to act as circum-
stances may require.


This is good arrangement on the part of
General Lee to move over to the support of his
forces in Maryland, il necessary or advisable,
or to the support Of those forces in recrossing;
if driven back to the Potomac; or to an assault
upon the works of Arlington Heights, on the
south side of the river, should he be satisfied
that the bulk of McClellan's army has moved
up into Maryland in pursuit of Longstreet,
Jackson, Hill and Fitzhugh Lee. But for the
present these rebel forces in Maryland appear
to be almost exclusively employed in foraging
and in sending over their collections of sup
plies to the half famished branch of their army
on the Virginia side of the dividing river Thus
they hold both banks Of the Potomac and its
fords near the mouth of the Monocacy
and the whole fruitful and hitherto un-
touched valley of this latter river up
to the State line Of Pennsylvania, some forty or
fifty miles-a very neat arrangement for gather
ing the abundant army supplies Of that valley,
and for moving them over into Virginia


The Richmond EXAMINER after deploring the
failure OF the rebel army 10 cut that Of General
Pope TO pieces before reaching the heights Of
Arlington, contends that the chief prize Of the
late rebel Victories would moi be Washington in
any event, "bat the opportunity which they ai-
ford for foraging in the enemy's country fol,
says this intelligent Richmond rebel organ, lit
s. in fact matter Of necessity that we should
do 80 II is difficult to see how al enormous
army can be subsisted in Northern Virginia
during the coming winter. Everything that it
consumes will have to be transported
there from great distances; for it is now
literally Gn Northern Virginia> an army
in the desert" This is the simple truth. and it
shows that whatever may be the present de-
signs of this rebel invasion of Maryland. it was
from sheer necessity at first undertaken. to sup
ply the destitute army of General l. With
provisions the hitherto prolific fields OF North
ern Virginia having been reduced by this war
to desert.


In this view, should General Lee conclude
that it would be worse than useless to attempt
to push into Washington by the back door, and
that the front door is impossible, those supplies
which he is collecting in Maryland will be re-
quired to feed his army while recrossing this
desert of Northern Virginia back to Richmond
That he contemplates winter sojourn in Mary
land or Pennsylvania we cannot for
moment suppose; but that, before returning to
Richmond, he will make a desperate effort
by strategy and by hard fighting to get into
Washington we have very little reason to
doubt Let him be defeated in this last and
most desperate venture, aud it will need
very little strategy or additional fighting on the
part Of our army to put au end to all the
schemes and hopes of General Lee on his way
back to Richmond.


Meantime, with our army at Washington re-
invigorated, consolidated and sarmonized uu-
der General Mcclellan, and heavily reinforced
by our new regiments Of volunteers, of the best
which have yet been sent to the field, we think
we have nothing to fear from immediate
action. nor from q few days longer de-
lay. The rebels are much mortified by
the failures and blunders of their leaders and
generals as we are by the disasters which
we have suffered from our intermeddlng poll
ticians; but we think that the pressing neces-
sites of General Lee have at last brought him
into position. on both sides of the Potomac,
which will be fatal to him with the first eNen-
sive rain in that quarter Of Eve or six hours
duration. In any event. and under any circum-
stances, as the two armies now stand General
Mcclellan is master Of the 0ituafion, and has
all the advantages at - command for holding
this position and winning from il the crowning
victory Of the war.


Count CAvoug ON GARiBALDI AND THE AME