Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-14
Special correspondence Of the Chicae
From Washington.

From Washington.
The Designs of the Contederates against Wash
iRgton-7heir preparations for he Defense Of
Richmond - Recreations of The Spanish Minis
ter.
WASHINGTON, April A.
There is reason to believe that the authOri-
tie at Richmond maddened by the continued re-
verses that are happening TO their armies, con-
WINGED that their cause is hopeless and that, I'M
less they make some desperate effort to retrieve
their fortunes, they must abandon their wicked
enterprise in despair, have resolved upon an at
tack on Washington as a kind of fororn hope.
The very fact that they are mad enough to EN-
terrain such an idea for a moment, shows that
they have been deceived as to the means of de-
fense here The Norfolk and Richmond papers
Of April ID, 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 $4,000 III num-
Der, and swelling the aggregate of Union troops
there to $1,000. 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
hy 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
|
the real truth been published in regard to whatev
er troops may be at 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
piring struggle Of the monster of secession; and
this made, attempted, the said monster will
probably give up the ghost.
1t is said that the Confederates are preparingssa
combined land and naval force, consisting of
700 troops of the late army of the Potomac,
five or six large iron plated steamers, fleet OF
transports, and nnumerable number OF Hat
boats. The five or six iron vessels are the Mer
rimac, the jamestown, the Yorktown, and two
or three that have recently been built at Rich
mond When all things are in readiness, the
steamers and the transport vessels with troops on
board, are to sail down the James river out into
Chesapeake Bay, and up 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 armament and projec-
tiles which will enable her to disable if not to sink
the former. They expect to elude all the other
vessels in 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 to the nearest point on the
Potomac, cross that stream in the fiat boats
der cover 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 uptbe 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. Ii
will be their first care to hurry their troops across
the Long Bridge, and endeavor to seize these
forts. They know very well that without them
they could not hold Washington day. The
strength of the rebel army now on The line of the
Rappahannock and Rapdan is said to be such
that, even after IS 600 troops are detached from
it for this expedition, there will still be 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. 1t would be giving in
formation to the enemy" if ! were to show why
it is that these dreams cannot be realized. But
may say that they are based upon error; that,
however strong the rebel feet may be, it can
never pass the Rip Raps; that. even if rebel
army of $4,000 men and feet of rebel steam
ers should reach Washington, they could not
take the city, much less hold it, that the forts
around the capital, and the troops that man them
are ample against the whole military force Of
rebeldom.
While thus scheming for the destruction of our
capital, the rebels are by no means unmlndfGl OF
the dangers to their own. They fear an attack on
Richmond from Fortress Monroe more than from
the north. Their great dread is that the yam
kee fotilla, (which the Richmond papers describe
is lying in Hampton Roads, will sail up the Y 0rk
river 10 within thirty miles of Richmond, with a
part of the Union army on board, while the re-
mainder marches direct for that city over the
turnpike road from Hampton, by 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 it, and no army without hight
ing battle. Nor are the only distractions in
the way at Yorktown. The rebels have never
been easy about their capital, and ever since last
May the delenses on all the approaches to Rich
mond, both from the east and southeast, have
been steadily strengthened Those between the
York river landing and the city are OF formidable
proportions But all the preparations for defence
will avail the rebels nothing. At the proper mo-
ment, at an hour when they think not, the doom
ed city will fall into the hands of Mcclellan like
ripe pear. The race of Trojan horses Is not yet
extinct.
The example Of Illinois in preventing negroes
from coming into the State. course which
Derience has shown to be necessary, will be fol-
lowed Immediately by several OF the Middle and
Northern States. Bills pending in the
Pennsylvania Legislature for that purpose; and
members Of Congress from other Northern
States saw that MONUMENTS in progress in
their States TO effect the same end. Poor Cuffeei
where will he 60 tot A ter stealing his master
and his home away from him, his pretended
friends are thus turning upon him the cold
shoulder
Who is attending to our interests now at the
Court cf Spainf Those interests are of the
very gravest Importance, but the individual APP
pointed by Mr. Lincoln to attend TO them has
been in this city for weeks past lingering for
Generals starsl--an individual who has not the
slightest military knowledge. He aspires to ill
Gen. Blenker's position. He is a radical of the
EXTREMIST type, and is supported in his claims
and pretensions by the whole pack OF radicals, in
and out of Congress