Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-10-06

The Forces Of Mcclellan Crossing the Potomac
An Attack 10 be Mode on The Rebel Army at
WiRehester-SigeI and HeiRfzelman 10 Issai
The Enemyin the Rear-A Large Body Of Troops
at Fortress Monroe to March on Richmond ria
the james RiUer-Ths Most EDentfd Period Of
the War Close upon Us-$e., dc.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 90.
| telegraphed you last night that important
movements wosld be likely To take place the
present week, providing our forces availed them
selves OF all the opportunities now offered them
BY the insane attempt of the rebels to invade the
free States. they have placed themselves in 20
sition which. to say the least is exceedingly pre-
carious. Driven from Maryland both by the
moral sense of the people of that State and the
staggering blows given them by McClellan's gal
liant army, they find themselves acrOss the
Potomac, too much weakened 10 resume the Of
fensive, aud too much demoralized to retreat.
They would doubtless gladly avail themselves of
the last named mode of escaping from their pres
ent difficulties, IL not that the effect of a
treat upon an army and people who fortnight
ago calculated confidently upon successfully
marching through the free States to the lakes,
would tie too disastrous TO be contemplated. Ac
cordingly there is but one thing left them, and
that Is to fortify Winchester, all their avail
able force at that point, put on a bold front. aud
If attacked, make the most desperate fight posi-
BILE with the hope that with the choice OF position
and heavy fortihcatons they may be able to beat
back Mcclellan
In the meantime our armies are not idle. Pom
toon bridges have been constructed across the
Potomac, and already the forces of Mcclellan
crossing, and ere the week has passed will be pre-
cptaed against the rebel forces and Notifications
ut Winchester. AT the same time the corps of
Sigel and HentZelman, heavily reinforced, will
move from the vicinity of Washington, and cut
ting the rebel communication with Richmond,
and falling upon the rear of Lees army, will aid
McClellan in giving the rebel army what it has
for more than year badly needed here in the
East-a tremendous thrashng.
Nor will this be likely To be all of the scheme
now projected by the Federal Government. A
force of some 60 900 men has been massed ut
Fortress Monroe, which, assisted by iron clad
navy, will, at the same time fall upon the rebel
front and rear at Winchester, proceed up James
river, wipe out Fort Darling their route, and
bring up only when they have possession of the
rebel capital.
Such believe to be the programme of this or
the coming week, and, gigantic AS it seems, it is
not beyond the reach of our resources. The war
has become now terribly in earnest, and it will be
pushed with all the yigor and determination with
in power. There is To be more dallyng
no more hesitation in aiding Mcclellan. no more
temporlzing or figuring for the next President
until the enemy has been dealt blow that will
convince both them and the world that are
able TO make our boast g0Od-that We will put
down this most enormous and Ubiquitous rebel
lion The imminence OF foreign interference has
convinced the radicals, who have been schemng
to depose this elevate that man, that the time
it has become necessary to lay aside their machi-
nations, at least for the present, has arrived and
that now never we shall deal the death blow to
the rebellion.
claim no spirit of prophecy or intimacy with
the plans secrets of the Government but yet
believe that the most eyentful period of the war
is close upon Us, and that ere another month has
rolled away the continent will tremble with "A
cOnvulSiOn more fearful, bloody and decisive than
anv which has rocked the Union since the earth
quake of spread outward from Fort Sumter.
The result OF this impending contest can not
be doubted Ii God lives, if national unitv be
anything, if treason be wrong, if there be aught
sacred in a cause that has been thousand times
baptized in the blood of our loyal sons and that
has been made holy by the consecrating tears of
bereaved households without number, we MUST
succeed
But We can not succeed without a sacrifice.
from whose contemplation the soul shrinks with
trembling dread. The rebels are desperate-the
masses of them believe their cause to be just,
and they will fight as will men who believe in the
sacredness of their mission. Men who for months
have fought and travelled barefooted and shirtess,
who possess the prestige gained upon the soil of
Virginia, will not, now they are at bay. fight with
less than infinite desperation.
IL may be unwise TO anticipate but after these
three movements have been cOnsummated, we
may be induced to listen to those terms of peace
which Foote, the rebel legislator, proposed SO
I.
and Richmond in our possession we could at least
afford to he as magnanimous were the rebels
after their trihing success at Bull Run: as the
more powerful people and the victors we can
better than they condescend to propose terms
of peace. With armies in possession of
Virginia We will be in possession to receive
the submission of those who. with the fall of
their capital, must know that their cause is
hopeless and that nothing remains to them bat
to return to the Union and thus save their en-.
tire country from being overrun and devastated
by our victorious troops, and save also their
"cha,tels" which, BY the proclamation of the
President, will soon become free
But-perhaps it will be as well not to count
our chickens before they are Matched.
Yet such roseate results do not seem chimer.
zeal or improbable The fighting spirit of our
troops was never better than il is to day. The
battle of Antietam a fair test of the fight
ing qualities and generalship of the two bellig
erents The respective forces were about equal
in number. and If the rebels had the benefit of
position. we had the moral advantage of being
the attacking party 1t was as near an even
match as to size and weight as conld well have
been arranged. and the result demonstrated con
clusively that the fighting superiority
our side. Hence, when | talk of the fall of
Richmond and the speedy submission of the re-
belous South. it i not the utterance of illogical
conclusions, but fair aud probable deductions
from clearly established data. GALWAY.
Senator Douglass opinion Of what
has caused the Present Condition