The Goodhue volunteer., 1863-08-05
ii
The Triple Plot.

The Triple Plot.
q We learn from an authentic quarter tha
J our Government is in possession of some
3 1curious and interesting information in re-
/ gard to the late invasion Of Pennsylvania by
| Lee. The plot devised by that commando,
and his accomplices in treason was an ex
{ t|cellent plot but, unfortunately for the rebe
ticause, it failed in all its parts.
81 A messenger of the rebel Government re
,Icently captured, was found in possession o.
rIa correspondence between four of the prin.
,fcipa) military chiefs of the rebellion-Beau.
regard, Lee, Bragg and Adjutant General
Cooper: According to the. plan as at first
formed, Lee was to enter Pennsylvania with
~ strong force and keep the army of Hooker
fully occupied. Lees troops were composed
of the Southern army. The most gallant
and we'll trained regiments, those bodies
of men on which their commanders could
place the greatest reliance, were all sent
to Lee, and those who were less likely to
distinguish themselves or comprised great
er portion Of unwilling conscripts were kept
for service nearer home. With the force as
sig ned him, Lee was thought able to give
the Army Of the Potomac more than enough
to do.
Meantime Beauregard at Charleston and
Bragg in tho Southwest were to detach i.
body of chosen troops from the forces under
their command, who were to march upon
Washington, and make an attempt to uaseat
the Government in that quarter. 1t was
thought that tho Government divided BE-
tween tho fear Of leaving Pennsylvani. de.
fenseless and the necessity Of protecting the
seat Of Government, would he obliged to fail
signally in one quarter or the other-that
either Washington would fall or the chief
towns of Pennsylvania, and all the rich re-.
gions surrounding them would come into
possession OF the insurgent army.
When the time arrived, however, for
putting their plans into execution, Beaure-
gard wrote that the federal forces were not
at all diminished in the neiahborhood of
Charleston, and that he could spare no men
ior the Northern campaign. Bragg wrote
that he had just sent ten thousand of his
troops to the support Of Joe Johnston, and
that the force under Rosencrans was too
strong to allow him to part with anothc r
man. The result showed that even in re-
gard to the invading force, Lees expecta-
lions had been greatly too high. In the
battles which followed, moro than third
o:the army on which he placed his depen.
dence were killed, disabled by wounds or
taken prisoners, and the rest forced to make
a sudden s'eal:hy and inglorious retreat into
Virginia, while the seat of Cover nmant was
not even mepaced.
There was third branch Of this plot
which has failed in an equally signal man
ner. Events have shown that while Lee
was to invade Pennsylvania, and an army
gathered from the Southern camps was to
attack Washington, the agents OF the rebel
lion in this city were to get up an armed
riot, stop the progress Of the draft on which
we relied to keep our armies full in point OF
numbers, and, ii practicable, revolutionize
the city. The three operations Of the great
plot were to be simultaneous. The invasion
of Pennsylvania ended prernaturely: Lee
was forced to flee from the soil Of Pennsyl-
vapia before the riot in New York was be .
gun the attack on Washington could not
be made for want of troops !; and the riot,
which It's plotters hoped to nurse into a
revolution, was snmmarily put down by the
loyal population.-Neu York Post, Julv 20.
1 T. 49, The, Way to do IT. a:EJ p zt.s
The opposition to The draft has been al
/ most wholly confined to the cnnn;Xe of New