Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-07-24
Special corrs.poudsDcs of the Chicago Times.

Special cOrrespoDdsDce Of the Chicago Times.
WAsHISGToS, July ls.
A strong attempt is being made here to get rid
OF ten. Meade, and to dismiss him from his
command. on the pretext that he failed to ami.
hilate or capture Gen. Lees army, aud. instead
OF that. permitted the escape of The whole body
of the Confederate forces That is the pretext.
The real reason for the enmty against him Is.
that II has been found that he is man of the
Mcclellan stamp; indeed. that he is entirely too
much like Mcclellan, both as a man ADD as 4
soldier And. candidly. it was never the inten-
ton of the Administration to make his present
appointment permanent one. The removal of
Hooker was forced upon the Administration.
They want a just like Hooker to succeed
Hooker, and. while looking for the man. they
gave the command temporarily to Gen. Meade
The subsequent conduct of that officer astounded
them as much as it has agreeably surprised the
whole country. So much military sagacity. such
accurate judgment, such profound penetration.
such GOODNESS and decision in action-whO could
have believed all these qualities to exist in man
who had always occupied a subordinate position.
and who was only Captain at the beginning OF
the WARP The Administration became actually
alarmed Gen Meade was in fair way to finish
up the war in the East At thebattle of Gettys-
burg he positively defeated Lees veteran army.
Here sprngng up a formidable candidate
for the next Presidency. This would never do.
lt must be stopped, or Spain itself could not
keep Gen. Meade out Of Abraham's scat But
the utmost caution was requisite The people
had recognized Gen. Meades merit They saw,
too, that the danger from Gen. Lee was not yet
over. They insisted that Gen Meade should be
promptly and strongly reinforced. in order that
the humiliation of Lees army might he put be
yond all donbt And "the Government" did not
dare 10 disregard the appeal
Gen Meade, therefore, reinforced. But
"the Government" 50 contrived m alters that the
reinforcements which we're most desired by Gen
Meade-that is to say, the veteran troops that
were down on the Penin> ua-did not reach him
till it was day too late Gen Lee would have
been a bungler, indeed, if he filled to compre-
bend and to take advantage OF this culpapble de
lay ON the part of the Administration Up to the
10Th inst. he still held his strong position the
west side of Antietam Creek On the lth he
fell back TO a new line and even a stronger posi-
ton, stretching from Funkstown to Falling Wa
lie ., with his headquarters ut Hagerstown. al
which place he issued his General Order No l6
On the 10Th he formed line of battle in front oil
WiliamspOrt, close 10 the Potomac covering,
with his three corps, the three roads leading re
spectvely from the old Antietam battle field
from Boonsboro, and from Hagerstown Th,
lire OF battle he maintained during the whole o.
Sunday, as Gen Meade found by actlal recon
nOissance. During all these DAYS Gen. Lee Ia,
kept himself constantly informed of Gen Meade
condition regards renforcements. He knew
Gen. Meade's actual strength. and he felt conf
dent that, as long certain troops had not joneC
the Army OF the Potomac, so long he could sue
cessfuly withstand any attack that Meade nigh
make upon him. But, OF Sunday, he ascertanet
that those troops. so much desired by Gen
Meade, had at length arrived, and il was then th'
part o. good Generalship to put the river between
Gen. Meades 100 600 troops and his own 10 900
The dsproportion which had existed before bu
which Gen Lee trusted to the discipline Of hi
troops to overcome. had now become too great
and Gen. Lee Withdrew his army into Virginia OF
Monday and Monday night; indeed. the crossin,
was not quite concluded by Tuesday morning
for it was on that morning, the 18th inst. thu
Gen Meade attacked his rear guard, took tn,
500 prisoners. and killed Gen Pettigrew
During all these DAYS that | have mentioned
Gen Meade had been closely following the Rebe
army On the 10Th, by extraordinary cxer
tons and long marches, he had got his Who'll,
army across and west of the South Mountain
and had re .occupied the Maryland Nights a
Harper's Ferry. On the llth, he had u series o
sharp skirmishes with the enemy NJ Anteian
creek. On the 18th he had forced the passag
of that stream. and occupied Funkstown an,
Hagerstown. On the 18th he was ready 10 NJ
tack Gen. Lee at Wilamsport, and he woul,
have done Il but for bis orders from the Wa
Department. He had. even then. nearly. if no
quite 100 900 men, including the Penpsyvanii
militia Lee, he believed had not GO 900 Blu
il is said-and | believe IL To be true--that OF
Sunday he received positive orders from Stanton
aud Halleck not to attack yet. for that NOR,
troops were on the way TO join him. and that, il
the meantime, il WAS utterly impossible for Lee
army TO get across 1.-The loyal Potomac 4" Thes.
"more troops" were those recently under Genera
Dix. down on the Peninsula. which did subse
quently join Gen Meade.
And now the country ought to ask in tones Of
thunder, why was il that these troops were no
ordered TO join Gen. Meade when he was frs
appointed to the commando WHY were they
kept idle on the Peninsula tor ten days. at time
when much depended on their presence
on the Potomac2 Above all. why does III,
President keep IN Office two men who seem "a
have been fashioned nv Providence for the ex
press purpose of showing in what extremes imbe
clity and malienity can existg IL there was any
necessity for these troops being here nc all. that
necessity existed before the end of June. and
Stanton and Halleck knew it. If there WIS nc
necessity for their presence. Gen Meade ought
not TO have been hampered by orders to await
their arrival
Indeed. the council OF war which Meade called
on Sunday night, was designed expressly TO cen.
slider that very point. He knew that Gen. Lee
during the whole Of the past week, had beer
making Preparations To cross his army. and he
believed that il was N Lees power 10 eros.
whenever the latter pleased Hebelieved that, il
vigorously attacked on Monday. Lee could be
defeated. (which was undoubtedly true) and h,
wished To Nuke the attack. And il j. said that il
the positive orders from Washington and no,
the advice of his Generals which induced him d
abstain from making the attack ON Monday
Upon Stanton and Hhleck therefore. and above
all upon Mr. Lincoln himself, rests the response
blty for the escape of Lees army That re
spon-ibiiiiy they will now seek To evade by bam
inc Gen Meade. and. it may be. by dismis>ing
him from las command. But history will fas,er
the responsibility upon them. and they cannot
elude II. X
Accession to the Democratic Party.
Judge Rankin OF Columbus, who. two year.
ago. was on the Todd ticket tor the Legislature
i now ont for Vallnniigham and puch 81 /,