Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-08-17

forced from their homes. they are put into 8 large
vel lighted room, stripped naked. AMI examined
al over By the agents OF the Government. in
order 70 see # they are defective in any respect
Alter this inhgman outrage. which a man of any
deicacy would rather die than submit TO, they
are marched on To the cOnscript camps under a
strong guard. and thence Immediately sent TO the
army. On the way. it requires all the vigilance
OF The guards to prevent their escape. and dozens
OF them have already escaped Eight or ten
cases have occurred where the guards have fred
upon eonscripis thus endeavoring to escape. and
four men have been killed IN this way-fuur men
who, a month ago. were free American citiZens,
and who we're toru fom tier fsmilies nd forced
to light IN a wsr winch they abhorred. because
they believed II to BE- unjust. Such men will not
make the best of soldiers
he regiments OF the Armv Of the Potomac
originally numbered l .00D men each. There Is
not one regiment that now numbers over 300
men. Ii they are filled up to their max mum
strength. therefore. the army will be composed of
one third good soldiers, and one third raw recruits
and discontented men Cali IL half and halt. how
ever, and say the army il raised in this manner TO
l1O,uuU men. Can such an army be depended
OUT The Administrations thinks evidently not.
and therefore Gen. Meade is to spend the summer
and early part of the fol- in holding the line of
the RappahanDock and in drilling his new re
crults. This does not sui. Gen Meade De knows
very well that whatever passes in his camp il
known 10 Gen. Lee in twenty four hours. He
knows that. when Gen Lee is consinced that the
Union army will not move. the rebel army will
move. aud get ia his rear it possible; a. al events,
will make It necessary for him to retreat to W ash
ington. So while Gen. Meade has not been rein
forced, Gen. Lee has been He came back from
Pennsylvania and re occupied The line Of the
kappahannock with Is 900 troops, and with l2.-
UOO fresh horses taken from the PENNSYLVANIA
farmers. He has since been reinforced BY 80
600 troops from the West. making his present
strength not far from l50, 900 men. Included in
this is a body Of %, 900 cavalry: IL, 00O of them
Stuart's veterans. the rest new recruits.
Rather than pass the summer in this manner,
and be compelled to retreat To Washington and
risk the defeat of his army, aud put the capital
IN peril; rather than DO this, Gen. Meade would.
l believe. prefer To- assume the offensive even
now, and advance across the Rippahnnnock and
Try to make Lee fight. True. this woul he ex
actly what Gen Lee wishes him to do. and
what he Is maneuvering To induce him to do
And If Gen. Meade. with 90 900 troops is com
PEELED or allow cd to cross the RaQpahannock and
to fight Lees l25 000 or $50 900 troops. the
country will hold the Administration responsible
for the result.
The true policy of the Government is 10 insti
tute and organize Instantly n Penipsular cam
paign against Richmond. composed OF 300 .001
veteran troops. supported 10y a suitable naval
force, and to make the james River the line OF
operations. That force is available. IL would
only require the CD 600 troops indicated above to
be added to Gen. Meade's present force. and 80,
900 more TO be drawn from the West While the
campaign was in progress. Washington could be
defended by volunteers from New York and
Philadelphia. $1,000 of whom would rush here
for that purpose. And the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad might safely be left to the protection OF
Gov. Curtin, who. for the sake of the safety of
bis own State, would see that it was not uolest
Ell. Y