Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-05-15

1t is evident that Virginia is to be the battle
field of the coming struggle. Maryland, what
ever her feelings may be, will not declare her
self otherwise than as friendly to the Union,
while Washington remains to the North uncap-
tured. But it is also equally clear that were the
slightest reverse to happen to our arms in Wash
ington, Baltimore would issue the men who would
intercept supplies and cut off retreat
We want, therefore, to know who are our friends
and who are foes, at least in the seat of Govern
ment. Yet this is not so easy matter as might
be imagined. OfthOse supposed to be most loyal
citizens, men who have taken every OATH there
must have been some mean enough to load the
cannon with saw dust instead of powder and ball
SAM cartridges were attempted to be served out
to troops by a man who was shot. Spies are
everywhere 1t is only by the force of an i'm
pregnable strength that the Administration can
succeed.
1t is equally clear that the treacherous enc
mics of the Government in Virginia are keeping
dark. Instead of e1aggeratng their forces. they
purposely make them appear far less than they
really are. General Harney, for instance, could
see pretends that he did see no considerable
body of troops at all. Nor have we ever been
able to get any authentic tidings of five thousand
men concentrated at any one spot, either at Nor
folk or Harper's Ferry, or even at Richmond.
But we do find Georgia and Alabama troops
DtAnS sent tciuc lO LNllCnDuTB. mere are fu-
mOrs, too, of camp being formed at Dumfries
on the Potomac, half way between Acquia Greek
and Alexandria. One paper, too, speaks Of sew
enty thousand men having responded to Governor
Letchers call. IL only half that number have
actually enrolled, it would that there should
be body of fifty thousand men under arms
in Virginia and there might easily be hundred
thousand with the known enthusiasm of the
Southerners along every line of railroad Pos
10 .0f- 4
ions may prevent their formation, but we hearC
of none scattering or being refused on that &C
count.
The probability is, that there Is a profound anC
very able effort on the part of their generals tC
conceal their forces until the moment mt whicl
they are ready to strike. They have, no doubt
officers of the greatest brilliancy, with youth anC
yigor on their side. while we are greatly Iackin,
in these, and but for General Scott, should b,
still more so. Even he is about to remove hi
headquarters and that of the army 10 Philadel
phia, it is said. This is probably on account o
the difficulty of keeping up sufficiently rapid an,
reliable communications with the main body o
the army. Ii is now well known that for abou
two DAYS General SCOTS messages for troop
we're read and kept in Baltimore by the rebels
and vet it was telegraphed back to him that the,
had been forwarded.
Thus far Providence has been better 10 US thai
we have been TO ourselves, unless it be that. b.
somk means vet unexplained, the arms at Har
per's Ferry were not blown up nor destroyed, an
very large and important pertOns of those of tn
small arms, cannons andL er warlike stores
have escaped destruction L. the Norfolk Nav
Yard. How all this has happened will be matte
for future investigation, and whether any officer
have been treacherous in the discharge of thei
duties. Probably no nation before ever so Ion
survived such wholesale treachery and treason o
the part of so many of its superior officers. 1t
upon the honesty and strength of our own volur
teers that we must now rely.-Phila Ledger.