Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-14

WASHINGTON, Mag 3.

Special Cores pouceuce o. the Chicago Tines
WAsRISeroS. MAJ 9.
On the day that our receut fepulse At Charles
ton took place. while the keokuk wa being rd-
cei with the euemy's shot. and while our beet
OF iron clad vessels were retiring iiiei from a
useless attack against an impenetrabe tortre-s--
on that day President Lincoln WAS observed 20 be
ia high spirits. 70 ruth his hands ia Gee. aud To
declare that nov Charleston was ouss. and TIE
war vas substantially over On the day that
Burnside sent his devoted troops 10 the useless
slaughter at Fredericksburg, tie President vas
observed 10 rub his hands Ia gee. and 10 declare
THAI Rich was then "a good "a taken, and
thitthe war was substantially over. On the day
that the country WIS beng delGded by the ridcu
lou- stories about 1.-THE success OF the azoo ex
pelition;' The success Of the VIckshurg c'nai,
the success Of the Coldsater expeItion;' the
"succes, OF the attack on Fort Pembertou, (al
OF which successes proved 70 be ridiculous tail
ures,) aud ''the evacuation of Ncksburg -on
those DAYS President Lincoln was observed 70 rub
his hands in gee. and 10 declare that the back
bone OF the rebellion was broken, and that The
war vas substantially over. So now. although
Hooker observes most ominous silence the
Presideuet j. observed to Iub his hands in glee,
and 20 declare that great victory h been won.
and that tie end OF the war is az hand.
The circumstance is ominous Whenever our
arms nave suffered their most disgracelul CT most
serious defeats. President Lincoln has been most
ubant Can Il be that this is the most crush
ing defeat lalig For certainly the President u
more iubilant now than ever The reasons put
forth 10y tie administration organs Tor Hooker's
silence are most puerlle and ridiculous. anu iail
90 satisfy any reasonable mind Whatever he
has done he hts done 90 the enemy aud is there
fore. known to them Whatever he has suffered
has been suffered in the presence OF the enemy,
aud is, therefore. known Ia them. The enemy
therefore. are permitted % know all. But the
people the LOYAL people whose s0uS and brothers
and fathers ARE being shot down by hundreds, e.
by thousands. are kept IN total ignorance OF ala
that il going Oh, aud and are expected 10 be sat
ished. like good children. with the vague asser.
ton that 'ai Is going ON well " The people
don't believe that assertion. They see no cvi
dcuce OF IL On the contrary, they see much that
indicates that We are defeated. Ca Sunday. May
3. Gen Sedgwck with the 9th army corps. IN
obedience 20 Hookers Instructions, stormei the
flights of Fredericksburg. and captured them.
driving theleiinm the Rebel rear guard who had
been lett there by Gen, Lee when he had evacu
ated the place Two days before. On the itn
Cen Loug.reet had brought up the great bulk OF
his troops from SulfOik. and. thus reinforced
the Conledefates retook Fredericksburg drove
Cen Sedgwiok's corps across the ktppthan
mock aud again occupy their strong nIrench
menis Late ut uighl. ON the 9th, the Pte.ldcut
telcgrap hed 10 Hooker: q" am informed that the
enemy are in possession OF Fredericksburg Can
that be pos.beg" Early the next morning
Hooker teeglaphed back, 1T Is 20 reported to
me: but It Is OF no consequence
Metclful Heaven, "Of no consequence =
Hooker orders Gen. Sedewick to- storm the eta
trepchmcri, ot Fredericksburg. The adminis
traton account says. " Hooker expected Sedg-
wick's corps To carry the Hights OF Freleriek~-
hal HIvi obt hen IA
march immediate down the plank road. aud
fall upon the enemy's rear. southeast OF Chaucei
lur,ile But the Hghts were found TO Ice q
greater obstacle than Hooker thought Yes,
Sedswick carried the Nights but the loss he
suffered in doing So WIS iughuul. His men had
had no sleep the night before, for they were
obliged 10 march all saturday evening until md
night. and had no supper, and were only allowed
half an hour To rest At half past twelve that
night (it was then. Sunday mornnE.) they were
again in motion. and marched ill dawn They
had occupied the town 10y daylight. but of that,
the hard work had % be done. The enemys Ell
trenchments had to be stormed. This was done
and, in the terrific charges made on the nights
tie 5lh Wisconsin regiment greitly distinguished
themselves The nights were carried But.
when our victorious troops entered tie enemy >
works they had left twelve hundred OF their
brave comrades dead or wounded on the slope
RED Yet when, on the ith. Sedwlck's corps
WAS driven out ol che intrenchments by superior
numbers and compelled 10 re cross the river
General Hooker cooy tells The President that il
was matter OF no consequence Ii IL was oil no
Consequence whether he held Fredericksburg. why
then dId he order him to take IN Why. indeed
did Hooker order Sedgw OK To take Fredericks
burg al all. if he had not provided against beng
sssailed there by overwhel ming numbersY On
hnt AZ hail
the enemy's works. General Sedg~ick's victor
Gus troops were already moving out Oh the plank
road towards Charlottesville, in pursuit OF the
retrea ting enemy. And what heroes must they
be TO 10 this after what they had doue and SUI
iered during the proceeding two days and nights }
But they had not advanced five miles before the,
were met by Longsueets fresh troops. Why
were these troops allowed to come upY 1t was
Hookers' business To have pre-, ented it.
The Administration papers are Boosting that
owing 10 the silence on the part OF Hooker. no
one can tell what his plans are, aud in what his
strategy consists. So far from this being the
cise, however il must he very obtuse intellect
that does lot comprehend what his plan is; and
rs tn his strategy 1t consists IN headlohs. bull
dog fighting without any regard 10 those piincl
piles of the, art OF war without the observance OF
which military success l. impossible. hs plan
Wa easily penetrated hy Gen Lee; and II looks
to day. very much a. though Tic later bad
taken such measures rs have defeated H. HIS
plan WIS Tn com Je, Gen. Lees amy To come out
of their entertainments 81 Frederir k>burg. and TO
fghl him near Charlottesville, on what he called
''hi- own ptouud.' But thi- plan VAS deiecti, e
~ three important particulars.
First--l he man body ot Gen. Lees army was
not at Fredericksburg. and has not been there
since last Dec. nher Bat it has been much
nearer Richnond. on the line extending from
Gordpnsvilie Oh the eft TO the Matapony River
on he right
Second The topo. rAuhicni features OF the pO-
sitou occupied bv Hooker ut Chauce.iorvile.
were pegiectA familiar to Lee. and that position
could not ice called. therefore. Hooker's Gown
ground la the military sense IN waicb That phrase
j, used Gen Lee kuo~ledge OF Il enabled
him 10 perceive that ne could drive Hooker from
il, which NE did on the 81 inst.
Gen Hooker plan was deficient. in thar il un
derrtted The sttengiA OF the enemy. and General
Lees ability ofbrii gng up reinforcements For
some DAYS before Hooker began hi> movement
Gen Lee was appTised OF hs iutentions. anu on
the 18th ut April the latter telegrapbed TO Rich
moni for reiaIOrcemeuts from suffolk Ga the
18th zen L0ugsreei s-trO0ps began 70 leave the
latter place by railroad. md they have been
irving, by way OF Petersburg and Richmond, ever
since. Other troops have also arri, Ell TO rein
force Gen. Lee. - the probability l.. that Al
though. when Hooker began his movement. his
numerical force Was quite equnl 10 that oi the
enemy. yet nov. owing 20 the arrival OF these re-
Inducements. Gen Lees forces are vastly superb
or m number.
III -. -.