Affairs in the West.
--The strength of the enemy in
Western Virginia is believed to be between forty and fifty thousand.
There are now under
Gen. Reynolds, in and about
Randolph county, about twenty-five thousand.
Gen. Cox had between six and seven thousand in the
Kanawha Valley, and
Gen. Rosencranz is said to have fifteen thousand-- some say eleven to twelve thousand.
Thus there are certainly not less than forty and there may be nearly fifty thousand of the enemy's forces operating in
Western Virginia.
We will not, for prudential reasons, present in detail a statement of the strength of our forces in that quarter.
Suffice it to say that
Generals Lex and
Loring have a superior force to cope with, and that
Generals Floyd and
Wise are laboring under the disadvantage of a considerable disparity of numbers.
We understand that several regiments have been ordered from
Lynchburg to reinforce our army beyond
Lewisburg; and that still further forces will be sent forward to this same destination very promptly.
The news brought down by the
Central train yesterday was that
General Lee had again fallen back upon his former position, his forward movement having been desisted from for some strategic reason not transpired.
The army of
Generals Floyd and
Wise have changed their position from Sewell's Mountain to
Meadow Bluff, which is on this side of the Sewell, but further to the
West, in the direction of
Summerville.
The position they now occupy is upon what is called the
Wilderness road, leading into
Greenbrier county from
Summerville, along which
Gen, Rosescranz is approaching with a part of eleven regiments.
It was with a view to meet him on his march that
Generals Floyd and
Wise have proceeded up the
Wilderness road to
Meadow Bluff.
If the movement of
Gen Rosencranz be correctly reported, we may expect to hear of another battle in that direction in a few days.
The enemy considerably outnumbers us, and the fight will come off, if at all, before the reinforcements just ordered on to
Gen. Floyd will be able to reach him; but, notwithstanding these circumstances, we are very confident that our brave little army, whose mettle has been twice tried and proved, will give a good report of itself.
