All the information, private and public, that comes from Washington, point to battles soon to be fought and won on the banks of the Rappahannock and York rivers. Sumner’s Division is pushing the rebels southward, beyond Manassas. Banks’s Division is moving steadily forward down the Shenandoah Valley in the direction of Staunton. The Eastern papers state that a powerful column have gone down the Potomac to Fortress Monroe, to take the rebels in the rear, by marching up the York river, or up the James, direct on Richmond, while the main army pushes forward along the Railroad track from Fredericksburg to Richmond—repairing it as they go. But whatever may be the plan of operations, there are men enough in the Grand Army of the Potomac to march whither they please. It is not in the power of the rebels to arrest the advance of 237 regiments of soldiers equipped and armed as are our troops. Nothing but their own officers can keep them back. And any General in the Federal service, fit to command a brigade, could not fail to win any field which the rebels were fool-hardy enough to contest. Gens. Sigel, Grant, Burnside or Hunter, would lead the Grand Army of the Potomac into Richmond in ten days from the time either took command of it. All that is needed is some one to order the soldiers to “move on the rebels works.”
Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago, IL