The New York herald., 1862-12-12
THE REBEL PREPARATIONS.
Oar Baltimore CORES spondcnce.


BALTIMORE. Dec. Q, 1862.
Nt,cs troa. Riclmond-Miiy Strength NJ The Rosis Ioso
They Hare Bea able to Garry the Jvay Nth Less than
400 900 TioopsThe Principle of Concentration 10 b. Ad
hered TO in This Cdmpd,gn--ChanSc ia Genera, Ls,'s
Plans Consequent Burnside's Adrgacc 10 Ftssi .As
barg-B,rasi1e Could Cross The Roppatdnnock Evcs
Nou,-Geaeral Lees Trap for Buraside IVaai TIC Re
bells Think o5 Oar Picaas, DE.
have some news from Richmond to-day, through tho
indicated in my letter Of November 81
and therefore perfectly reliable The plans Of the rctcs,
as described that letter and in the of November 25,
are being vigorously prosecuted. The intelligence which
have received to-day enables to contradict in tho
most positive terms and authority which direct
from official Sources the statement made days ago
that the rebel leaders had made overtures Of peace
II Is literally true that rebel forces the held
have N no previous time exceeded four hundred and
fifty thousand troops and at this time they only
muster four hundred and ninety five thousand combat
ants with this comparatively small force that they
have Succeeded in battling and Keeping at bay the enor
nous military strength of the North. backed ny the
boundless wealth and mitless Of the nation
Could there be striking commentary on the mode
OF conducting the the part OF the North,
trasted with the military policy Of the Southf The
their part conducted by soldiers according 10 tho
rules military science The part has teen
conducted controlled by politicians for political ends
and by soldiers on military principles Our gene
rails have always been hampered and nterered with,
and the plans have been constantly dsar
ranged and broken up by the politicians who the
ADMINISTRATION while at the South the rebel govern
ment lends iM hearty aid and It's undivided rupi"rt
TO the generals who are leading armies. The result w.
after twenty months Of war, not that saud here
we the beginning Of the contest not that
as far of now successful termination Of tbe
as we at the beginning Of the struggle
The rebels have nearly FIVE hundred Thousand os-
cipined wen armed troops and proiusion m art-
iery. We have eight hundred thousand men in arms
But our troops are 80 scattered and up deL.,b
ments divided into distant expeditions having rea-
on to each other to any general plan Of campaign,
tina, we never bave enough the decisive point
the critical moment They, on the other hand have
arranged their system of warfare, Chat hitherto they
have always succeeded in concentrating troops IN snpe
rior force on points where decisive battles were being
fought and thus though inferior to in total strength,
they always been superior to US ON decis,vs hod
IL was in obedience this principle that Johnston
forced Bcauregard and the battle Of Bull ruD u
Obedience TO this principle that Bcauegatd M nS
turn Cornth. reinforced Johnston az Richmond, and
by 80 doing succeeded repulsing Mcclellan by sheer
force OF superior numbers II disobedlepco to ths
principle which prevented Ice from pehs suIcehty y.
inorced Anctam and so caused his defeat there it
Is this principle therefore which Will govern the move
mon,s the rebels in FUTURE and particularly dursC Tho
present campaign.
The lillry leaders Of the rebels expected that
our troops would advance on Richmond by way OF Ere
deric ksburg. They knew that General lialeck had
military education they supposed that no would not
regardless Of all the rules OF strategy as 70 under
take hat they knew to be military mpossbility.
Hence that in the first dispositions Of General Lecs
army up 20 the 18th OF November there woro
no rebel troops between the Of the Rapdap and
sburg except corps OF observation. Hence
IL that the Richmond Ezdminr, OF tho I'D OF No
vember, said :' We cannot hope that the abontonsts
will make their real advance on Richmond by the Fro
dcrcksburg route. Such an undertaking would oe m-
fortunate for US" But on the 18th OF November,
tftyn nfn rlf
ton 10 the effect that the Union War Department bad
determined q week ago"-whlch was on the 10Th "
Burnside had got his orders from aeck to that effect
the l2th.u On tie 17th the head Of Summers column
appeared at Falmouth and from that moment ~ became
for the whole General Lees dispositions
be changed From the nth to the end OF November,
there was Every u y, rse,r;.tsSn TE p
dent promise the PontooDs should be there by the
18th known to General Lee on the nth me failure
of those pontoons arrive until the 2Jth gave General
Ice ample time concentrate the whole VI his forces
eept forty thousand at or nesr Fredericksburg
Is,s army occupies at fredericksburg exccedusly
strong one and hes able he chseses 70 hold the Union
army at bay there ind prevent their crossing But
such am assured, 10 not bis intention. On the other
hand, 1t is statesthat whenever General Burnside At
eaia y,ssne ressaaee and Aas the re troops Will resrs
b The ssWh bank of the Adopony ricy, or one Of ~
transsss TAvs he graz oaas ''t es tgghs a~d .a %
that the Union troOif may have the lattor stream be-
them and Washington so that while General Lee,
tachment from his army will fall upon the rear " the
Union roojs cut of their retreat and annhbste them
This the trap that set by Genes al Ice ior ga
Burnside, aud which lie still open. II Gessrai Eurssds
the Rappahanuock therefore ne wil nave 70 con
tend with one hundred and seventy hvc Thousand tsoo
not counting those under Jackson or tn SO nj and meas
Richmond. Or these no VIII find one hundrss tnoasand
in his 'front.' on the aspony TO oppose his advance he
might work his wuy through them But while ne " thus
engaged seventy n,e thousand moro WIN ia upon his
mi hv Tho la Of recember II became question with
the rebel leaders whether not the War Department -
Wsn,ean had abandoned the idea of the Fredericks-
hsg rote and whether not the troops there
he transported to the York or James river On these
;nts the rebel leaders have come W the oll0wog
rislous-First that the Union government has ab,n-
dnucd the Of march TO Richmond by way Of Ereds
rsburg for the present second that Burnsdes troope
NOW there will be transported 10 the peninsula but
viii 90 into winter quarters where they third that
he tniou government has other troops to spare for
ucnusua campagu ana therefore, fourth, that there
will he no attack on Richmond this winter.
The idea wsich the rebel leaders have OF the Union
forces as olIowsTha thoys consist Of 100 coo men,
OF whom ljo 900 III hospitals and sick aud disabled