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February 20, 1863, The New York Herald

Our White Oak Church Correspondence.

NEAR WHITE OAK CHURCH, Va., Feb. 16, 1863.

Great excitement was created here during the last day or two, owing to a rumored movement in advance of our pontoon trains. On inquiry I learn that the movement was nothing more than the returning of condemned pontoons to Belle Plain, and the arrival here of the new ones which are their substitutes.

The enemy in front of us have been ascertained to be very weak in numbers. The balloon makes its usual early morning ascensions. If this aeronaut ever sees anything of interest he has a very profound way of keeping it to himself.

If this army could only be shut off from communication with Washington for one month I am sure we could wipe out the remnants of the rebel force on those fatal heights with little effort; but nothing can be done with the army while we are so near the capital by rail and steamer. Our generals are unfortunate in being near enough to the Secretary of War to have all their orders countermanded and their best plans thwarted, not to mention the fireside plans of campaign which the telegraph constantly pours into their ears.

Yesterday it rained hard, and the roads were soon cut up; but today we have it clear and cold, and transportation has become comparatively easy.

On the train which arrived at Falmouth last evening from Aquia creek there were twenty-three ladies, mostly the wives of colonels, who were bent on making their husbands a visit. They were not to be envied, however; for, owing to the want of proper conveyances, they were obliged to tramp through the mud in all their finery, and in the midst of a chilling drizzle of rain.

A paroled rebel surgeon, who was captured by our forces during one of Stuart’s recent raids, came on the train, en route to the rebel side of the river. I am told that this officer, who is a man of great intelligence and deep observation, was under no restraint whatever, and during the whole trip to Falmouth stood at the door of the freight car in which he was placed, and observed the disposition of our troops along the railroad, with the character of the defences, and doubtless has made ere this a pretty accurate estimate of our forces in that direction. All the important facts thus gained will be doubtless given to General Lee. There will be another cavalry raid, some body will be scared, some one hurt, politicians will wrangle, generals recriminate, and then, when everybody is out of breath and nobody is proven to blame, there will be a subsiding of the wordy storm and, Rip Van Winkle-like, the army will draw its nightcap over its eyes and turn over for another nap.

Really it is criminal, after what experience our officers have had to their cost, that a passage of our lines should be allowed an open enemy, with such chances of observation. I have not the slightest doubt but that one man has gained by his careless observation a more perfect knowledge of our forces, their strength and weakness, than has been communicated to the rebels by all their numerous spies for a month past.

It must be granted that the enemy have greatly the advantage of us in the desideratum of reliable spies. This proceeds from necessity; for we are in a campaign where the very earth we tread is our enemy and would betray us.

I may say with truth that not the slightest movement of our troops has occurred here during the past month but that the enemy has had the news before it reached the Northern papers.

As an evidence of this, the next day after the departure of the Ninth corps for Fortress Monroe, the following conversation passed between the pickets across the Rappahannock. Two or three unarmed rebels came down to the water’s edge and hailed our men, who were making themselves comfortable about their fire:

REBEL – Say! Hello! Where’s them other fellows who were here last week?

UNION – I don’t know.

REBEL – We want to give them some tobacco.

UNION – What did they belong to?

REBEL – Don’t know. We want to pay them for some coffee they gave us.

UNION – Oh, they belong to the Ninth corps; they’ll be out again tomorrow.

REBEL – No, you don! The Ninth corps has left. We know that.

Now, whether the enemy gained this knowledge from our own men, who had been in the habit of visiting and receiving visits from the rebels on picket duty, is a matter of doubt. This fact coming to General Hooker’s ear, however, apparently impressed him with the idea that something of this kind might be going on. Hence his late orders forbidding all communication with the pickets of the enemy.