Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-10
Special correspondence % the Chicago Times.
Prom Washington.
The Designs Of The COntederafes against Wash
ingfon-Their preparations for The Defense of
Richmond - RecreatioHs Of the Spanish Minis

The Designs OF The COnfederdfes against Wash
ingion-T Their preparations for The Defense Of
Richmond - ReereatiOHs of The Spanish Minis
ter.
WAsHiNGToN, April A.
There is reason To believe that the authOri-
tie AT Richmond maddened 10y the continued
verses that happening to their armies, con
WINGED that their cause is hopeless, and that. un-
less they make some desperate effort to retrieve
their fortunes, they must abandon their wicked
enterprise in despair, have resolved upon an at
tack Washington kind of forlOrn hope.
The very fact that they are mad enough 10 en-
terrain such an idea for moment. shows that
they have been deceived as 10 the means of de-
Tense here The Norfolk and Richmond papers
OF April 81, contain accounts OF the arrival at
Fortress Monroe within the last ten days, of more
than hundred large vessels filled with Union
troops, amounting. they say. to $1,000 III mum
Der, and swelling the aggregate OF Union troops
there To 90 900 These troops. they think, have
come direct from Washington, and constituted.
until few days ago, part of the Union army
of the Potomac And their idea is that General
Mcclellan contemplates attack on Richmond
hv way of Yorktown and the Peninsula with
these troops; but in order to do this has left
Washington undefended. Here Is another in
stance of the I'LL effects of suppressing the truth
in regard To certain military movements. Had
the real truth been published IN regard To whatey
err troops may be ut Fortress Monroe. the Confed
ates would have been wonderfully chagrined at
learning where they did come from: and they
would be Convinced also that any attempt ON
Washington now will be more hopeless that it
has been at any previous time. Perhaps, howev
er, this move on Washington will be the last ex
pring struggle of the monster of secession; and
this made, or attempted, the said monster will
probably give up the ghost.
Ii is said that the Confederates are preparingsa
combined land and naval force consisting of
5000 troops OF the late army OF the Potomac,
five or six large iron plated steamers, a fleet of
transports, and innumerable number of fiat
boats. The five or six iron vessels are the Mer
rinac the jamestown. the Yorktown, and two
three that have recently been built at Rich
mOnd When all things are in rea,iness, the
steamers and the transport vessels with 'roops on
board are 10 sail down the James river, out into
Chesapeake Bay. and mp the Potomac They
expect to encounter the Monitor, but it is said
that the Merrimac will engage her. and that she
has been supplied with an armament and projec
tiles which will enable her TO disable if not to sink
the former They expect to elude all the other
vessels i'm the roads, and proceed up the Potomac
without further detention. AT the same time the
5000 troops are to be assembled at Frederics
burg, march thence 10 tie nearest point on the
Potomac, cross that stream in the fiat boats un-
der cOveH of the guns of the steamers, land at
MARYLAND Point, and march up the eastern side OF
the Potomac TO Washington, while the feet
moves up the stream. They are fully acquainted
with the position and strength of every fort
around the capital. accurate drawings of the same
have been furnished To them by Their friends. IL
will be their first hurry their troops across
the Long Bridge. and endetvor to seize these
forts They know very well that without them
they could not hold Washington a day. The
strength of the rebel army on the line of the
Rappahannock and Rapidan is said 10 be such
that, even after 10 600 troops are detached from
it for this expedition, there viii, still he enough
left to hold that line against any force that IS at
General McClellan's disposal for operations in
that direction.
Such are the dreams which the secessionists at
Richmond indulge in. Ii would be giving in.
formation to the enemy il l were TO show why
il IS that these dreams cannot be realized But
may say that they are based upon error; that
however strong the rebe fleet may be. il can
never pass the Rip Raps; that, even il rebel
army of 5000 men and feet OF rebel steam.
ers should reach Washington, they could not
take the city, much less hold il; that the forts
around the capital and tho troops that nun them
are ample against the whole military force OF
rebeld0m.
While thus scheming for The destruction of our
capital the rebels are by no means uumindtul Of
the dangers 70 their own They fear an attack on
Richmond from Fortress Monroe more than from
the north Their great dread i IN 70 the - an
kee hotilla." which the Richmond papers describe
i living in Hampton Roads. will sail up the York
river 20 within thirty miles Of Richmond, with 4
part of the Union army on board, while the re-
mainder marches direct for that city over the
turnpike road from Hampton, 10y the way of
yorktown. To guard against this danger (prob
ably purely imaginary, Gen Magruder has for
tilted the latter place that no vessel except the
Monitor can pass il. and no army without fight
inc 4 battle Nor are the only Instructions IN
the way NJ yorktown The rebels have never
been easy about their capital. and ever since last
Nav the deleuses on all the approaches TO Rich
mond both from the east and southeast. have
been steadily strengthened Those between the
York river landing aud the city are OF formidable
proportions But all the preparations for defence
will avail the rebels nothing AZ the proper mo
ment At an hour when they think not. the doom
Ell city will fall into the hands OF Mcclellan like
a ripe pear. The race OF Trojan horses ! not yet
extinct
The example of Illinois in preventing negroes
from coming into the State "A course which ex-
periefce has shown TO be necessary, viii be tol
lowed Immediately bv several OF the Middle and
Northern States. Bills are pending in the
Pennsylvania Legislature for that purpose; and
members of Congress from other Northern
State~ sav that MONUMENTS are in progress in
their States 70 effect the same eud Poor Cufiee,
where will he 20 to- \ ter stealing his master
and has home away from him. his pretended
friends are thus turning upon him the cold
shoulder
Who Is attending 10 our Interests now az the
Court of Spainy Those interests are Of the
very gravest importance. but the individual ap-
pointed by Mr.. Lincoln 10 attend u them has
been in this city for weeks past lingering for a
Generals starsi-an individual who has not the
slightest military knowledge He aspres 10 fiji
Gen Blenker's position lie is radical OF the
EXTREMIST type. and i supported IN his claims
and preten>ions by the whole pack Of radicals, in
and out OF Congress.
- At the recent township election IN Rich
land couty. Illinois the Democrats elected The