Staunton Spectator

The despatches which have been sent from Martinsburg in reference to military operations in Pennsylvania have been so very contradictory and unreliable that it has been impossible to form any satisfactory idea of what has really been done. We had intended to publish them, but found them so unreliable, and some of them so palpably false--reporting battles when none were fought--that we determined not to occupy space with them. The Richmond Dispatch learns from an officer of Wright's brigade, who left Gettysburg on Saturday, the 4th, that in the fight of Wednesday and Thursday we whipped the enemy badly. On Friday the fight again commenced, being chiefly done by our centre, which was composed of Longstreet's corps and two divisions of A. P. Hill's corps. Neither the right nor left wing was seriously engaged. We drove the enemy back five miles to the heights, which he had fortified. In driving them this five miles we broke through two of their lines of battle formed to receive the onset of our troops, and finally charged them to the heights. Here our men were ordered to charge the heights, and the order being executed, resulted in our repulse.

On Friday night our wagon trains were ordered to fall back, and commenced going to the rear. It is supposed that our army fell back from want of provisions. There was no scarcity of ammunition, for there were many trains or ordnance out of which not a single cartridge or shell had been taken. Some of them were attacked by the enemy, but Imboden's cavalry successfully drove them off. Those of our men who were slightly wounded and could walk were sent off Saturday about noon. Those who were severely wounded were left in the hospitals near the battle field. In the fights of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, General Lee took about 10,000 prisoners, who were promptly sent to the rear. During the same time we lost about 4,000 prisoners and about 11,000 killed and wounded--making our loss 15,000 in all. The battle was the most furious that has taken place in this country, and the losses of the enemy in killed and wounded must exceed ours. In the charge in which we drove the enemy five miles, their loss, while flying before our troops, was enormous. Wright's brigade suffered severely. One of the regiments which went into action with a Colonel, Lieut. Colonel, and five or six Captains, came out in charge of a Second Lieutenant, the ranking officers having been either killed or wounded.

After the battle of Friday, Gen. Lee withdrew his army to Hagerstown, Md., about thirty miles Southwest of Gettysburg, where the battles were fought.--A telegram to the Richmond Enquirer of Friday last states that there had been a severe fight at Boonsboro, Md., on Wednesday, the 8th, in which we had repulsed the enemy after a fight of three hours. Boonsboro is situated about 15 miles, a little East of South, from Hagerstown. From what we have been enabled to learn--and that is precious little--we suppose that General Lee's army has taken a position not far from Hagerstown, and is there awaiting the approach of the enemy, in anticipation of another terrible struggle.

"We saw a beautiful silver set which was captured and sent as a present to Mrs. Col. A. W. Harman."

Being surprised at the announcement, in the next issue of the "Spectator," we quoted the statement of the "Vindicator" and noticed it in the following language:

"We acknowledge that the above announcement contained in the Vindicator of last week surprised us. We had supposed that everything captured by soldiers in the Confederate service became the property of the Confederate States. Have we been mistaken in this supposition?"

And by way of illustrating his purpose to do so in a forcible and striking manner, he assaulted us on the 21st of May for the offence of suggesting that that was the proper course to pursue.--At that time he did not deny the truth of the statement of the Vindicator, but denominated it a "youthful indiscretion." His feelings of friendship for his relative may have induced him to withhold the denial, and rather suffer himself the reproach of appropriating public property to private use, than to place the stigma of falsehood upon the character of his relative; for it follows necessarily that, if the statement of the Vindicator were true, Col. Harman was guilty of sending, as a present to his wife, property which belonged to the Confederate States.

Before the Court of Inquiry, however, he was not so regardful of the reputation of his friend, the Editor of the Vindicator has perpetrated a most outrageous slander against his friend and relative. He falls, too, under the denunciation of the Court of Inquiry, which declares "that the imputations cast upon Col. Harman's character as a gentleman and a soldier are without foundation." It is for the Editor of the Vindicator to show how he was justified in making the statement he did.

If the finding of the Court be correct, then the Editor of the Vindicatorstands guilty of making a false and slanderous statement.

In reference to another statement of the Editor of the Vindicator, Col. Harman, before the Court of Inquiry, was equally unmindful of the reputation of his relative. In an attempted defense of the conduct of Col. Harman, the Editor of the Vindicator, in his issue of May 29th, denied that Col. Harman had sent the silver ware to his home. In that paper he said:

"We did not say that Col. H. captured or sent it, both of which would have been untrue."

Col. Harman, before the Court, said:

"I told my servant to take it to my house."

For the honor of the Confederacy we would like to see Col. Harman exculpated from the charge contained in the statement of the Vindicator, for we would not like to have any Confederate officer guilty of an offence which would be a reproach to our Confederate soldiery; and, on the other hand, we would like, for the honor of the Editorial fraternity, the Editor of the Vindicator to be able to exculpate himself from the charge of having uttered a slanderous falsehood against an officer of the Confederate service. The Court of Inquiry has endeavored to protect the honor of the Confederacy, it remains to be seen whether the Editor of the Vindicator will exhibit equal concern for the honor of the Editorial fraternity.

Will he, either as a man or editor, rest contented under the brand of falsehood which Col. Harman has placed upon him? Nous verrons.