. It lulls us
into fancied security.

OCTOBER 22D.--We have news of a victory at Leesburg. It appears that the
head of one of the enemy's columns, 8000 strong, attempted a passage of
the Potomac yesterday, at that point pursuant to the programme furnished
by the lady from Washington. That point had been selected by the enemy
because the spies had reported that there were only three Confederate
regiments there. But crossing a river in boats in the face of a few
Southern regiments, is no easy matter. And this being the _People's
War_, although Gen. Evans, in command, had received orders to fall back
if the enemy came in force, our troops decided for themselves to fight
before retreating. Therefore, when seven or eight regiments of Yankees
landed on this side of the river, two or three of our regiments advanced
and fired into them with terrible effect. Then they charged; and ere
long such a panic was produced, that the enemy rushed in disorder into
the river, crowding their boats so much that several went to the bottom,
carrying down hundreds. The result was that the head of the serpent
received a tremendous bruising, and the whole body recoiled from the
scene of disaster. We had only some 1500 men engaged, and yet captured
1600 muskets; and the enemy's loss, in killed, wounded, and prisoners,
amounted to 2000 men. This battle was fought, in some respects, by the
privates alone--much of the time without orders, and often without
officers.

OCTOBER 23D.--The President is highly delighted at the result of the
battle of Leesburg; and yet some of the red-tape West Point gentry are
indignant at Gen. Evans for not obeying orders, and falling back. There
is some talk of a court-martial; for it is maintained that no commander,
according to strict military rules, should have offered battle against
such superior numbers. They may disgrace Gen. Evans; but I trust our
_soldiers_ will repeat the experiment on every similar occasion.

OCTOBER 24TH.--We made a narrow escape; at least, we have a respite. If
the Yankee army had advanced with its 200,000 men, they would not have
encountered more than 70,000 fighting Confederate soldiers between the
Potomac and Richmond. It was our soldiers (neither the officers nor the
government) that saved us; and they fought contrary to rule, and even in
opposition to orders. Of course our officers at Leesburg did their duty
manfully; nevertheless, the soldiers had determined to fight, officers
or no