Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-08-26
Special Correspondence of the Chicago Times.
From Washington.
The falling back Of the army of Firginia-Strate-
gicat mopements-Ligt draft rar steamers on
the Ohio-Faiiure OF our Western Gunboats
DC. dc.
W AsHINGToN. Aug 81.

ht OHO-I UttHJc " OUT beSteFH oUHOOGfS
DC, dc
WASHINGTON. Aug 81.
For a few DAYS past it seems as If the old for
mulas "All quiet on the Potomac-on the Chick
ahominy-on James River" were about to be
come applicable on the Rapidan. "AII quiet on
the Rapidan" sounds well; and, had il not been
for the unquiet devil which nhabits Stonewal
jackson, IL would have probably come into gen
eral use for the next month or two. jackson,
with areprehensbe disregard of prophecies, has
been INDUCING IN some of his feints, mySter
ious harlequin changes, whereby our forces have
found it necessary to fall back, which they did in
good order, and took upa "Dew base" win
ming of course great bloodless victory aud max
ing the most mastery retreat on record"
Pope's er cathedra bull, concerning his habits
of seeing the backs OF his enemy, and his habit of
not talking about bases of operation, doesn't
seem to work. 1t don't seem to frighten the reb-
els as t properly should do which | can only
account for cn the grounds that the ignorance of
the chivalry has prevented Their reading it, Like
Phelps's celebrated pyonunciamento, it should
have been sent among the Confederates, accom-
panied by an Interpreter Had they been inform
Ell that it the "habt" of Gen. Pope to inspect
that position of the enemy which includes their
backbone, heels, &c. they would undoubtedly
have been accommodating enough to have given
dissolviug and posterior views ot their forces
The Latest arrivals from the army OF Virginia
bring the information that pe has fallen back
from ten To twenty two miles; that lie hasn't
taken GOrdonsv.e and that he has violated Two
of his hibtS-that of always seem. the backs OF
the enemy. and never taking up new line- of
operations to the A. matter of course,
strategy l. at the base of the movement and il Is
but the immediate prelude TO some brilliant oper-
alton against the enemy. A. ulaIi, IN leapIng
over fence, runs some distance to give himself
impetus, has done the Army oi Virginia !;
they have fallen back of miles IN order
10 give themselves space for a run IL their con-
templated bound over the Rapidan
The Intelligence from ali quarters is equally
encouraging, II Tot more As strategic
movement allowing the enemy to retake
Clarksvlile and threaten Forts D0nelson and
Henry by mastery" operation. the object
of which cannot vel be made public We have
allowed them TO isolate Buell., surround Morgan,
break up tue railroad connection between Louis
Vile and Nashville, and threaten Cumberland
Gap: in short. BY sublime combination OF
Strategic and other plans. we are in full retreat
every where with the enemy close heels.
Ii it we're rot developing strateeiosl secret
would hint that the object OF the late move
mentS Is profound one,-being no less than To
retreat into Upper Canada assume a permanent
oase of operations, ana hold il undl the warm
blooded rebels freeze out. IL is simply retalia-
ton. fhey drew Us into the South ana baked
us we will now reciprocate 10y inveisling them
into the frozen Morrill, Row land for their Oil
irigid Tor Their tropic If this he not the
object OF their late movements, will be happy
10 be corrected.
John y. Dnble, formerly master of the Cones
toga, ex Governor Dennison, and one or two
other gentlemen are here for the purpose OF ur-
ging the Administration TO place fleet OF light
draft steamers upon the Ohio river. They pro
pose 10 use light swift bouts. make them proof
against nusketry, arm them with three guns
and keep them moving on the Ohio. Cumber-
land, and Tennessee rivers. None of the boats
will draw over twenty six inches, and conse
quently they will be available at all seasoLs OF
the year and at all stages of the water. The
entire expense OF running each boat will be
about SD 600 per month. or about one-ihird the
cost OF running the iron-clads tor the time.
All our western sGn0oats have thus far been
unwiedy failures. The, took Fort Henry, since
which they have done but little more than burn
coal, plug up shot holes made by rebel balls, and
raise themselves fast the rebels choose to
sink them The Mound City and Essex have
both been blown up. or az east sufficiently 30 to
scald 10 a horrible death two-ihirs OF their crew
tue very hrst action that the costly, much vaunt
ed. ana Impregnable" Benton ever engaged in,
rebel shot came ripping through her n ii she
We're made OF pastebOaro--a little later, Il rebel
ram very nearly but,ed her cut OF existence:
two other of the iron caos gracefully dived 10
the bottom. IN short, il has been failure every
where. The light rams had the battle before
Memphis tw thirds won before the heavy gun
boats got into action; and, even in the late bril-
liant achievement before Baton Rouge, the Ar
kansas was disposed OF "a f>herulen DISPOSE of
stranded whales without damage 10 the attack
ing party, and without chance OF escape for the
h0undering victim.
This being the history OF our naval operations
in the West il nav be well to inaugntate a
change Whether this will be met by the plan
proposed by Mr.. Duble IL Igoie than | am pre-
pared to say. Something. however. needs TO be