We have received, through the courtesy of
Capt. Hatch, of the
Exchange Bureau, copies of New York papers of the 13th inst., and we have also a copy of the
Washington Chronicle, of the same date.
The New York papers know less about the situation than the
Washington journals.
We give some extracts from both, which will be found interesting:
Indignation against the Administration — cause or Gen. Lee's inaction — history of the rebel plans.
The
Philadelphia correspondent of the New York
World, writing on the 12th, gives the following "information" to that paper.
His speculations about the
Confederate force in
Maryland are amusing:
As the cause and character of the rebel raid in
Maryland becomes better understood, the sentiment of indignation against the Administration, suppressed at first by the surprise produced by that event, becomes more and more intense.
It is now clear to all that this movement could have been easily prevented, and the humiliation consequent upon it avoided, had the men who hold the reins of power been endowed with the least amount of sagacity and foresight.
A single glance at the facts which preceded and attended this audacious excursion of the rebels, will satisfy any one that I do not advance here anything I am not fully prepared to demonstrate.
To understand the last rebel incursion fully, it is necessary for one to revert to the series of operations by which
Gen. Grant, leaving the bloody fields of Spotsylvania Court House, cut his way through
Virginia, and after a short but sanguinary conflict on the banks of the
Chickahominy, finally succeeded in crossing the
James, and in establishing himself strongly on the south side of that river.
During this perilous match across a hostile country it was thought pretty generally that the enemy would impede our progress southward, and prevent
Gen. Grant from reaching the point he had set down in his plan as his objective.
But to our great surprise nothing of the kind occurred.
The roads to the
James were invitingly open to us, as if the object of the rebels was to attract us there
Gen. Lee, far from emerging from his retreat, as good strategy would seem to indicate he should, kept closely within his entrenchments, never giving sign of life except when we came within a few hundred yards of them, or made a demonstration against the rebel capital.
The cause of that inaction, which was then so surprising to us all, was, I have been informed, produced by a desire to attract the
Union army as far south as possible, so as to uncover the northern frontier, which, by this means, was to be eft accessible to an inroad of the rebel forces.--In the estimation of
General Lee, the concentration of all the available forces of the
North on the south of the
James, far from being dangerous to the rebel cause, was one of the luckiest events of the war. It compelled
General Grant to lose in a series of siege operations time which might have been usefully employed in active campaigning, gave to the exhausted forces of the rebels an opportunity for re-uniting behind the walls of their fortresses, and opened to the forlorn columns of the rebellion a considerable portion of the border States.
Such is the consequence of the strategy adopted in this in stance.
You are now going to see with what rapidity of execution
General Lee availed himself of our mistake.
No sooner had he ascertained that our intention was to remain before
Petersburg, in front of which he can keep us six months if he chooses, than his first object was to feel our forces in the Shenandoah Valley and try to penetrate into
Maryland, this was done immediately after our first assault on
Petersburg, an attempt which had for result to convince the
Confederates of the strength of their position, and of their power to employ their troops upon another battle field, should the thing be deemed advisable.
The repulse experienced by our forces along the
Tennessee and Virginia Central railroads, had already demonstrated to the rebel General the facility of such an undertaking.
He soon understood that by hurling back all the columns we had scattered along that line beyond the
Potomac, he would complete our defeat, open to his exhausted soldiers the fertile fields of the border States, unmount his cavalry, and replenish his granaries.
In pursuance of that plan,
General Early, who had for some time occupied the
Shenandoah,
Breckinridge, who was watching the
Southwestern part of
Virginia; Gosser, who had been acting in conjunction with
Early; and the two guerilla leaders,
Mosby and
Imboden, received the order to march forward for
Harper's Ferry and to occupy
Maryland Heights.
Some people think that, in order to make the expedition a sure thing,
Gen. Lee has added to these forces a few divisions of his own army, and recommend of
Gen. Ewell.
The thing is not, however, probable.
Ewell is not likely to leave the command of his corps for the inglorious occupation of leading a raid.
Be this as it may, the whole expedition was carried on with an activity and a secrecy truly admirable
Gens. Hunter,
Sigel, and
Wallace were either defeated or compelled to fall back.
Martinsburg,
Williamsport,
Boonsboro',
Hagerstown,
Middletown,
Harper's Ferry,
Bolivar Seights, and Frederick fell into the hands of the rebels without even a struggle.
During all the time the administration, instead of coming to the assistance of our troops in that region, lost a precious opportunity in providing for the defences of
Washington and
Baltimore, which were in no way threatened, and let the rebels, who might have been easily checked, have their own way in
Maryland.
Immense lines of railroad and telegraph are cut, bridges are blown up, houses are burned, crops are destroyed, contributions are levied, a large amount of cattle, horses and grain are carried away.
But what does it matter?
Mr. Lincoln must be saved, nod to that great object the whole force, the whole talent, the whole energy of the country must be applied, and that at the expense of every thing else.
Is there any instance in history where selfishness and incapacity are more strikingly unfolded?
Some people will say, perhaps, why is it that
Gen. Lee, having for some time past contemplated an invasion of the
North, had not given to the present expedition the proportions of a regular campaign?
The objection may be answered by the observation, that in a great war like this everything is subordinate to the operations of your opponent, and that when your opponent keeps all your forces busy it is difficult to detach from them an army of invasion
Gen. Lee has done in this instance all he could do, and his success proves that he knows what
Mr. Lincoln ignores — how to obtain great results with little means.
Had our Administration been gifted with a particle of the talent which graces the rebel leader, it would have known from the start that concentrating all its available force on a single point, far from its original base, was to invite the enemy to an invasion of our frontier; and the only way to counteract the effect of that strategy was to occupy all the avenues leading to the
North with a force sufficient to repel any attempt of the enemy on our lines.
Having failed in that, we are now exposed to the inconveniences of a depredatory incursion and to the humiliation of seeing the rebels on our own solt--two things which, I hope, will be remembered in the election of November next, when the verdict of the people upon the acts of
Mr. Lincoln and his Cabinet will be given.
The Feeling at the North--the Disinclination of the militia to Volunteer — Calls of the Governors, &c.
The New York World, of the 13th, contains several columns about the preparations to send troops forward to
Washington.
In the mass we find a letter from
Mayor Gunther to
Major General Sanford protesting against sending the militia out of the city for fear of another "Copperhead" outbreak, and a reply from
Major Gen. Sanford requesting
Gunther to attend to his won business; that he (
Sanford) would be careful to retain twelve regiments in New York, enough to keep the people down.
About the volunteering, the
World says:
‘
It can hardly be disguised that there is a good deal of unwillingness among some of the new regiments to respond promptly to the call for militia to go to
Washington and
Baltimore.
There are a number of reasons alleged for this.
Most of these militiamen are unused to the service, have never had any experience in the tented field, and do not seem to understand as well as the more experienced members the nature of the call and the situation.
They hesitate, and ask if they will be relieved from the draft in consequence of their obeying the call, how long they are expected to serve, and whether they will be engaged in garrisoning the forts and works of defence or placed in the field.
The regimental commandants explain that they will probably be engaged in garrison duty; that the term of service will probably be short, but that it is not definitely known, and that the orders are positive.
At present the military situation is really not such as to enable the authorities to predicate any definite statement of the time the militia will be needed.
The raid may practically end in ten days; it may, in a more of less threatening form, exist for a hundred; so that it would be deemed desirable to keep a strong force ready to act on the defensive in the vicinity of
Baltimore and
Washington.
’
These periodical raids are getting to be popularly disbelieved in, and the apparent apathy thus caused seems to be showing its effect upon the militia.
It may be observed, too, that this failure to appreciate the probable danger of the crisis was very much encouraged by the "extra" issue of the
Tribune on Sunday last, which declared in large head lines, "Nobody Hurt — Everybody Scared--Two states quaking before a band of horse thieves.
Ridiculous Exaggerations," and others of the same nature.
The very shabby treatment of the New York militia by the people whose homes they went to protect, on the last previous rebel invasion, is also remembered, and the hardships they underwent in consequence.
Gov. Seymour has issued a proclamation calling out the National Guard, and begging the citizens to enroll themselves.
He says:
‘
I implore all citizens to lay aside passion and prejudice, and unite in carrying out a law clearly demanded by the honor, the interest, and the safety of the
State and nation.
In many parts of
N. York this duty has been utterly neglected, and the burden of answering call for the militia has been thrown upon a few sections of the state.
In a time of civil war we are perplexed with many questions which are beyond the grasp of any mind.
We see from different stand points and reach conflicting conclusions.
It is only ignorance and bigotry which make these differences and views occasions for controversy and reproach.
However we may differ on other points there should be no conflict of opinion as to the duties we owe to the
State and National Governments.
I extent all not to allow their passions, their prejudices, and suspicious to increase the dangers which overhang us. Let us cordially unite in numbers essential to the preservation of the national the power of our State, the peace and good order of society.
Foremost among them is the organization of those liable to duty, without respect to creed or political opinions, into local military companies, in order to meet the constitutional demands of the general Government, to secure the enforcement of the laws of the
State, and to afford security to the lives and homes of our citizens.--This must be done at once.
’
Gen. Parker, of
New Jersey, issued a proclamation on the 12th, in which he says:
‘
A battle has been fought within a few miles of
Baltimore, and our forces, composed in part of veteran troops, have been driven back.
Intelligence has been received that the railway between
Philadelphia and
Baltimore has been cut, and communication between the
East and
Washington interrupted.
The national capital is seriously threatened.
Although
New Jersey, has not been officially called upon for troops in this emergency, yet, regarding the danger as imminent.
I call upon the citizens of this State to organize immediately into companies, and report to the
Adjutant General of the
State, for thirty days service in
Pennsylvania,
Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
’
The latest dispatch published in the New York papers is dated
Harrisburg, Pa., the 12th, and says:
‘
The gratifying intelligence was received to-day that
Gen. Sullivan is in communication with
Gen. Sigel, who, it will be remembered, is in command at
Harper's Ferry.
If this connection can be opened, advantages will flow from it which caution forbids me to discuss in this dispatch.
We have another dispatch to the effect that
Sigel's cavalry were in
Frederick yesterday.
This is, however, questionable, as we have other information stating that large forces were at
Hornsboro' and
Middletown at the same time.
If this intelligence is correct, it was utterly impossible for any Federal force to maintain itself at
Frederick.
’
From
South Mountain the news is of a reliable character, and it is credited here that the rebels have fortified the rugged ranges in that region.--There are rumor that a large force of rebels, thirty-eight thousand had passed through
Frederick.
Accompanying this force were one hundred and forty field pieces, in addition to the forces reported to have passed through
Frederick.
We have intelligence derived from rebel officers by persons living in that city, which is of a highly, important character.
It purports to give the fact that
Hill's corps was approaching, and that a junction was expected to be made with the 20,000 already alluded to near
Leesburg.
In connection with this report, we have a rumor that the rebels are recrossing the
Potomac and reaching
Virginia below
Harper's Ferry.
There is no doubt that the crossing at this point is a feint on the part of the rebels in
Maryland to defeat any effort calculated to affect conjunction with the approaching forces under
Hill.
A dispatch reached headquarters at 8 P. M. that a force of fifteen hundred Federal cavalry dashed into
Frederick this afternoon and drove the rebels beyond the city; and that the latter, on being Heavily reinforced, returned and repulsed the
Union, troops.
A dispatch from
Baltimore says:
‘
At six o'clock this morning all the bells of the city rang the alarm for an hour, and subsequently after half an hour's intermission rang another hour.
To this the
Union men, City Guard and Union Leagues promptly responded, and now, ten o'clock A. M., large companies of citizens, Union Leagues, &c., numbering probably ten thousand men are marching through the streets, armed, and proceeded to the different fortifications and defences.
In all the past history of this war I have never witnessed such an excitement, and such a gallant determination to die, if necessary, to repel invasion.
’
Secessionists generally are very quiet and mute.
They are mere lookers on, and take no part in our defence, and are seemingly more frightened than the
Union people.
They all think the rebels do not design coming into
Baltimore, but purposes demonstrating upon
Washington.
Our police are all armed and at their posts.
Very many Southern sympathizers attempted to ride out of town with their horses, buggies, etc, but were pretty generally stopped and their horses impressed. --Even the
Secesh women are frightened and mute, fearing after consequences if they expose their feelings.
The churches are closed and every one is absorbed in the intense excitement.
Rumor of course is thousand tongued and intensely wild.
All of the
Government archives here, money and valuable property, have been prepared for instant removal, if necessary, and much of it is already on board of ships in the port.
Drays, carts, and every description of vehicle, have been busy throughout the day. Horses are still being pressed into service, and likewise negroes for labor.
There is a guard all around the city, and no one is allowed to leave without a pass.
There is a throng at the Baltimore and Ohio railroad depot, awaiting news and the arrival of troops.
Persons cannot to outside the city without passes.
Thousands of refugees are arriving in the city.
Immense crowds of persons throng all the thoroughfares, and the excitement, if possible, is greater than on and after the 19th of April 1861. But the
Union people hold entire away.
The negro population is much frightened.
