Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-05-29
AN IMPORTANT ARTICLE.
The Plans of the Traitors Startling
Disulogurea
iftou ihe Shelby tHy.j News, May Ell

In our issue Of last week we relieved ,
50 gcstion that we have on several occa
siols, daring the past few months, urged
upon tn, Military Board Of this State anC
the Federal authorities; the necessity Of
raising and organizing military force il
each county, Of ono hundred TO two hundred
mounted men, to act IN the several countc,
or when occasion required, to unite tbeil
commands in defined districts. We would
again urge this matter upon the attention
of thuSe who have the authority 10 carry the
suggestion into practical operation.
There were reasons niue mouths ago, why
this pIan-or one analogous 10 it-should
have been adopted. At this time there i,
an absolute necessity for it, Had the sug
gestion been put into practical operation
even SIX months ago, the men composing il
would have been well drilled aud thorough
ly understood their duties As il is now
however speedily the companies may be or
ganlzed, il is very probable that before they
are sufficiently trained and drilled there may
I've need OF their services indeed, to oui
mind, circumstances tend very strongly to
induce the conviction that the danger that
would demand their services is now inlni.
nant. We are no alarmists We do not de.
sire to, circulate rumors or fears that will
cause excitement, or increase the feeling ot
unrest which has taken possession Of so many
OF our best citizens. a, But facts are develop.
ing, which show that The traitors are deter
mined to carry out, so far as possible, their
deliberately concocted plans to keep the seat
OF war from their own peculiar soil--the
Cotton States. That has been, from the
hrst, the leading object OF the Southern trai-
tors who lead the van in the traitorous at
tempt to 0verturn the Government and
break up the Union. Fooled in their earlier
attempts to carry out this darling object.
new plans were recently formed, and all the
energies OF the traitors are expected to carry
these plans into operation-partially, IL not
thoroughly. The measures recently adopted
by the traitors, and which they are endeav-
oring to carry out, may be stated thus
j. Withdraw all the forces from the Vir-
ginia and North Carolina coasts and con.
centrate them at some central point 10 Vir-
glnia. These forces to form one wing of the
rebel army, to be placed under the command
OF Joseph Il. johnson, and to move in the
direction OF Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, for
the purpose Of invading that State.
2. Withdraw all forces from the coasts of
South .Carolina and Georgia, and concen
trate them at Chattanooga, or some ada
cent point. This division to form another
wing OF the rebel army under command of
Robert +. Le', and to move in the direction of
Louisville, for the purpose Of invading Ken
lucky and Ohio. :
B. Withdraw the forces from the coasts
OF Florida and Alabama, Mississippi, Louis.
lana, Texas and Arkansas, and concentrate
them at Corlnth. This wing to be command.
ed by u. L. Beauregard, and to move in the
direction of Paducah, with the intent of in.
vading Illinois and Indiana.
This plan was formed by full council of
leading traitors. 1t is unnecessary for us to
give the source Of our information. Suffice
1t, that our informant obtained it from
native OF this State, now resident of an.
other State, and whose name has often been
gwen In the newspapers in the Southern
States as trusted and confded in agent of
the traitors against the Union. Socially and
politically he stood among the most promin.
ent before the rebellion.
The objects to be gained in carrying out
this plan was, first, to secure subsistence, of
which there is none, or at least but very lit
tie, IN the South-not enough to supply
1.-THE OF the or inary demand and secondly,
to force into their armies all the fighting
men. The several commanders were to push
forward their forces with all possible dis.
patch, and possesses themselves of all the
important military posts on the rivers and
in the loyal States, before these posts could
be occupied by Federal forces and thus.
while the Union armies held and occupied
the postc OF Importance in the States in re-
bellion, the forces of the traitors would ad.
vance into the very heart of the country.
We think the reader will agree with us,
that the recent movements of the forces of
the traitors show that this development of
their plan is correct 1t is true, that their
attempt in forming the middle wing under
Lee, at Chattanooga, has been at least for
the present foiled, by the energetic move.
ments of Mcclellan. But news from West.
ern Virginia shows that Jo L. johnson is
all the forces he can bring
against Fremont command in that direction
Leading directly toward Pittsburgh. And
the evidence is overwhelming that all the
forces from those States to constitute Beau
regards army at Corinth, are concentrating
there rapidly, with the design and hope of
overpowering Gen. Halleck's army, and if
successful in the object, then moving &C.
cording to their plan. They will, by this
means, cause the Federal authorities to move
an army in that direction to meet them,
during which time the traitors will rally. by
impressment and under. their
law to their army every traitor
and rebel in Tennessee and Kentucky.
With these facts before us, we. and the
reader also can see why it is that Morgan,
Wood, King and Scott, with their maraud,
ing bands, are thrown forward into Tennes-
see and Kentucky: They are ready to act in
gathering up all the rebel forces that can be
fully enforcing the CONSUMPTION
law in the States, whenever Bsauregard
moves forward, and also to cut off the small
Of Union forces stationed at
various poiHts in Kentucky and Tennessee, |
and small bodies that may be sent out
They are further to steal and rob, intimidate
and despoil loyal citizens, and act iu CON
junction with the traitors in the various
communities in suppressing the Union ele.
ment, and giving encouragement to the
dropping spirits of the Secession traitors.
That all the leading traitors and rebels in
this State, as we also believe in Tennessee.
nre fully cognizant of the plan ofoperatinns
Of their traitorious leaders is evident. We
need but, to refer to their threats and at
tempts at intimidation toward Union men, |
and their recent open avowal of treasonable
sentiments. We might refer to the fact that
in this county, but few days ago, a violent
traitor and rebel vent TO an old gentleman,