Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-13
From Washington.
HooKER's ARMY IN Morton AT LAsr-PARr OF
LEES ARMY IN HooKER's REAR-DEATH OF
CAPT. ALEXANDER GORDON, OF WISCONSIN,
PLoTs AGAINST GENERAL GRASr-TREAsuRY
NoTEs CoUNTRRFEIrED IN ENGLAND.
Special Correspondence of the Chicago Times.
WASHINGTON Nav

OpcNAaAO oiACopohuchNC VI AnO ~ Ahuico.
WASHINGTON, May 3.
General Joe. Hooker has gone and done it
at last. He has taken his entire army across
the Rapahanuock, anu is now between that
stream and the Matapony. In accordance
with what l have intimated in previous letters.
the crossing OF the river was attended by no seri-
Gus opposition on the part of Gen. Lee. 1t is
evidently Gen. Lees design to draw Rockers
army to som point on the Matapony that he has
chosen for that purpose, and there to give him
battle on ground of Lees selection; attacking
him. too, no doubt, both in front and rear.
The crossing of the Rappahaanock by Hook
er's army was commenced on the 9th ult.. and
was not completed until the LIST inst. Four
whole daysand nights were thus occupied in that
movement alone. The crossing was effected at
two points widely separated, namely: at Port
Royal, fifteen miles below fredericksburg and
at Kelly's Ford, twenty miles above Fredericks
burg. Thus, at the commencement, Hooker has
committed the great blunder of dividing his
forces, his two columns having been set in mo
ton thirty miles apart, and moving with that dis
lance between them. The troops that crossed ut
Kelly's ford were the ID army corps, General
Couch; the Sd corps, Gen. Mead; the llth corps,
Gen. Howard, and the 18th corps, Gen. SIocum.
The troops that crossed Mt Port Royal were the
LIST corps, Gen. Reynolds; the Sd corps, General
Sickles, and the 9th CORPS. Gen. S~edgwick. The
cavalry of the army constituted a separate corps,
under Gen. Stoneman. They also crossed at
Kellv's Ford. The whole force, as the enemy
have been obligingly informed by the officials
here, amounts to 400 0 men. after deducting
thirty four regiments OF veterans, whose time
now expires. This would give an average of
Ia, 900 men to each of the seven corps, and allow
Stoneman Ia. 900 cavalry.
Intelligence was received here Yesterday to the
effect that a large portion Of Gen. Lees army had
made their appearance in HOoker's immediate
rear, and between his army and the Rappahan-
mock. As be committed the imprudence OF des
troying the pontoon bridges, after he had crossed
the Rappahannock, there is nothing for him to
do but TO fight hard. 1t looks very much as if
he had walked INTO a trap, but on this point the
telegraph will have informed you before this
reaches you.
Although there was no serious opposition
made to the passage of the Rappahannock. there
was some sharp skirmishing all along the line
Just sufficient to keep our troops on the alert,
and let them know that the enemy knew what we
we're about. In these skirmishes, we lost be
tween one hundred and two hundred men in killed
and wounded. Your readers in Wisconsin will
be panied and greatly shocked TO learn that
among the killed was Capt. Alexander Gordon
of the 7th Wisconsin regiment-one Of the BRAY
est and most valuable officers in the service.
IL has been observed that the enemies of Gen.
Grant have been importnning the President to re.
move him, for some DAYS past. These men are
all radicals of the most intense degree. and some
of them are the same ones who were engineering
for the removal of Admiral Dupont, a week or
ten days ago. Thus far, in the case of General
Grant, no success has attended their application
The President saws he is satisfied that Gen.
Grant has done all that was in his power to do
toward the reduction of Vicksburg. and that he
can certainly do more toward the accomplish
ment of that object than any other General who
might be sent there to take bis place. But the
radicals are complaining that he has been com
pIetely out generated by Gen. johnson, and that,
as long as he remains in command, no results
can be looked for. You NAV be assured that
notwithstanding all the reports to the contrary,
the President has as vet given no heed to these
representations. What he will do under increased
pressure, . no one can tell; and it is possible
that Gen. Grant, ere many weeks, will be sent to
Join company with Gen. Mcclellan. Gen. Porter,
Gen. Franklin and others who have refused to
bow the knee TO Baal.
Measures have been instituted by the Treasury
Department here, la order TO find out to what
extent the u. 5. Treasury notes. ~vulgarly called
"greenbacks." have been counterfeited in Eng
land and put into circulation here. A special
agent Of the Department has been sent over TO
England for that purpose, and FIVE more are at
present in New York. Philadelphia and Boston,
hunting up evidence. All Chat is known at pres
ent, is that the entire resources Of one of the
largest engraving houses in England have for a
long time been employed in the business, on the
J same principle that the engrayers in this country