Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-11-02
Especial Correspondence of the Chicago Tines
WASHINGTON, October 81.

WAsHrNGTON, October 81.
Since my last letter. affairs relating to the
relative position Of the two opposing armies near
this city have been involved in "A good deal of
obscurity. At the date of that letter. Gen. Lee
in full possession of the nights of Centreville
and the line OF Bull Run, and Gen. Meade's army
with its baggage trains aud impedimenta, within
the Washington deienses, was holding line just
outside and west OF those defenses, with his out
posts at the Chain Bridge, Lewinsville, Fairfax
aud Annandale. On Sunday, intense excitement
prevailed here. The churches were very thiniy
attended. and the sermons were cut short for
peoples minds were far away, and their ears were
strained to catch the sound of distant cannOnad
ing In the morning, several squadTons of cav
airy who had been newly remOunted and decked
out in uniforms. pranced down the great
avenue and dehled over the ricketv old Long
Bridge But Sunday came without any fresh
alarm; and Monday came, and still Gen. Lee
had made no attempt to get any nearer 20 the
city But there were rumOrS OF the appearance
of large bodies of Confederate troops at many
other points not far distant. One large body
had been seen moving toward Ads and Lees
burg. Another large body had been seen near
Duniries. DeserleFs and reliable contrabands"
reported large masses of troops moving back
from Manassas to Warrenton. Another large
BODY was reported to be near Harper's Ferry,
and to have captured six whole companies of
Union infantry (and this report has proved true.)
Another large body, cavalry this time, was re-
ported to be crossing the Potomac, at Point of
Rocks. into Maryland
On Monday and yesterday Gen Meade sent
out accommodating parties in all directions to dis
cover the real position Of the enemy. General
Lees army was not found--has not been found
up to the date Of the present writing. But, in
every direction where the scouting parties pene
trated, they came in contact with the enemy in
superior numbers and had To retreat. The strang
est circumstance is, that whole division, which
went out as far as CenHevlle and Manassas
Junction, found no rebels the former place
just bevond Manassas, however, they we're met
bv the enemy in superior iOrce, and, after sharp
skirmish, torce,. to retreat to the main body
OF their corps at Fairfax.
The Administration papers this morning are
boasting that the whole rebel army has retreated
to the Rapidan and are iubilant over the assumed
fact that Meades army is in hot pursuit. But it
looks to me as il the whole thing was a scheme
on the part of Gen. Lee to draw the Union army
into an ambuscade. The relative number of the
two armies we're stated with sufficient accuracy
in my letter of October H. AS soon the llth
and 18th corps were taken from Meade and sent
to the West. Gen. Lee knew that the Union
army weak that he could assume the Of
fensive, and he did so with an object in
view. That, with his greatly superior force. he
has not been able to get in Meade's rear, or at
tack him i'm flank route his little army, is sole
ly owing.to the admirable qualities OF Meade as
General, and to the courage and steidiness
with which the Union soldiers fought. But he
has compelled him to retreat 10 the capital, and
he will keep him here during the remainder ofthe
winter. As long as Gen. Lee has even 50 QUO
troops (and il is certain that he has 20 00U more
than that, it will be unsafe for Gen. Meade's
army, in its present condition, to venture further
from the capital than Centreville. And, If Gen.
Lee eau maintain the present status till Novem
Der. by that time he will be Joined by his 40, 900
troops now in the West. And then there will be
real danger OF an attack on the capital Then
"the government" will find il necessary to keep
here 900 200, 900 troops, all winter, "for
the defense of the capital" At present. how
ever, the capital is safe, and the army is safe.
This amazing statement is made by the admins
tration organs. and the people are expected to be
iubilant over the fact. Safel Shameful humil-
ating confession. Safe from whati Safe from
capture by the rebels whom we have been fighting
| for nearly three years Safe from capture by the
rebels, whose ports we have blockaded; whom
we have deprived of mails and medicines; whose
backbone we have broken more than a dozen
times; whom we have ridiculed as ragged. starv
| ing, and dirty; to whom at first refused to
| accord the rights of beIigerents; with whom for
~
whose privateersmen loudly boasted we would
hang as piratesl Safe from capture by the
rebels whose military power, as Mr. Seward
/ lately assured the world, was bro
ken and entirely exhausted Safe from capture
by the rebels, to conquer whom We are now called
upon to raise the pitiful number Of three hundred
thousand more men, in addition to the seventeen
hundred thousand whom these pesay rebels have
already kept so actively employed Safel safe
indeed Oh, shame, where is thy blushf Will
we ever conquer the rebels at this ratei Besides,
how are going to emancipate. con6scate, sub
jugate and amalgamate by remaining "safe" in
our capitalf
II is found impossible to conceal from the peo-
pie any longer the extent of the calamity that has
befalen the country in the failure of the cam
| paign IN Tennessee; and the Administration is
now trying to fasten the odium of the disaster
upon Gen. Rosecrans They have the audacity
| 20 assert now that Rosecrans bad no orders from
Washington to advance beyond Chattanooga
| Could unblushing effrontery 60 further3 Fortu-