Year: 1862

1t seems to be quite certain that the
main bulk of the rebel army will make
GOOD its ratreat,-that it will fall back
successfully upon its base of operations,
whether that be at Winchester or at Rich
mund On Saturday morning they were
all safely out of Maryland having
crossed the Potomac, partly on Thursday,
without attracting the attention of our
army, and partly on Friday, in spite Of
our attempts. which do not seem to have
been very formidable, to overtake and
arrest them. On Saturday they had
planted batteries on the Virginia side of
the Potomac to resist pursuit. We have
a report that Gen. Mcclellan had crossed
ami engaged them again; but, if this be
true. the engagement was probably only
with their rear guard, as tuey would
scarcely detain their main army for the
purpose of renewing the battle, unless the
comparative weakness of the force which
Mcclellan could throw across in q single
dav should offer them tempting prospect
of success.


The country will share the surprise with
which we learn, from our Washington cor
respondence this morning, that we have no
force in the rear of the rebels on the south
side of the Potomac. The order which
was given for Sigel and HeinfzelmAn to
push toward the rebel rear for the purpose
of iutercepting them in case of defent,
was cotntermunded. This will doubtless
surprise the rebels as much as it does US;
| for according to our correspondent, who
! was surrendered with our army at Harper's
| Ferry, and who hid free intercourse with
the rebel officers there, they fully believed
( that Sigel was even then laundering in
their rear. Why the order was counter
! manded we are not aware. We are bound
| to assume, we suppose, that It was for
some good and sufficient reason; perhaps 1t
| is not lawful even to intimate doubt upon
this point. But certainly the country may
very properly seek to know why so evident
precautiou was not takeu against the es-
cape of the rebel army from the perilous
position into which their audacity had be-
trayed them.


| Il was confidently asserted, that when the
rebels first crossed the Potomac and enter
ed MARYLAND, that they would never leave
it.; that they would be completely hemmed
in aud utterly destroyed or compelled TO
surrender. 1t can hardly be supposed that
all this was expected at the hands of Gen.
| Mcclellan. He was sent to attack them in
trout, and did it with vigOr, skill aud sue
cess. If he had succeeded on Wednesday
in turning their right flank, he could pos
stPly have cut them of from access to the
Potomac; and if he had more completely
turned their right wing, be could have &C
complished the same result. But he ouly
succeeded in forcing them back totDard the
Potomac, leaving them tree to renew tue
battle or retreat across the river. But he
did his duty in defeating!them; the respon-
slbility of cutting off their retreat rested


with others.


The rebels will not have an easy time of
it in retreating to Richmond. They must
be destitute of provisions, and the country
through which they must pass has been
pretty thoroughly stripped already of


means to support an army They have,
however, saved all their transportation,
and moved across the Potomac with de-
gree of order aud CELEBRITY which does not
Indicate serious demoraIizntioni aud as
they are accustomed to rapid movements,
even under most embarrassing circuHl-
stances, we think it altogether prOhahls
that they will succeed in reaching their
supplies at Winchester. General NcClei-
Ian is probably not in condition to make