From the Rappahannock — Occupation of Manassas Junction by our advance.
The news from the line of the Rappahannock, though not so full and complete as we could desire, is nevertheless interesting and important. It is understood as perfectly reliable that the advance of our forces have reached Manassas Junction, where they captured some eight or ten heavy guns and an immense quantity of valuable stores.The portion of the Yankee army under Pope was as Warrenton on Wednesday, and it is stated that its retreat in the direction of Alexandria is entirely intercepted. The only route by which he could reach that point is by way of the Junction, which is now in possession of our forces. It is not probable that he will succeed in forcing his way back to the Potomac by taking that route. If this statement be correct — and we have no reason to question its authenticity — the only road for his escape would seem to be by way of the Plains to Middleburg, and from thence to Leesburg, in Loudoun county.
Burnside, with his army corps, was at Fredericksburg yesterday, and was reinforced by two divisions of the army lately under McClellan, but will never reach Pope.
We have no intelligence of any heavy fighting, and it is somewhat surprising that our troops have met with so few obstructions in their advance. In Government circles there seems to be not the slightest apprehension for the safety of our army. Indeed, we have reason to believe that the most lively hopes are entertained of a triumph which will eclipse any that has been vouchsafed to our arms since the war commenced. The intelligence that the enemy has been reinforced has created no uneasiness, and not the remotest idea of a reverse is entertained.
To gum up the whole, we are warranted in the conclusion that the enemy's forces are so situated that a further retreat would be decidedly more disastrous than the acceptance of battle, and that in either event he is inevitably subjected to reverse from which it will be no easy matter to recover.
