Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-16

WssuISGroS. April 81 I
The information received here Dy the War De 1
partmeat 10 regard 70 affairs in the Mississippi 1
Valley i of such nature 10 make il evident 4
that the spring campaign on the Mississippi l. /
over. aud that roshng msre &c done there /
until next fall The ~hae cansPaign has proved /
wretched failure and The failure j. eatrcly /
owing - NJ Lincoln and Mr 81 They /
panueI the whole ALTAR atri arranged all the de /
tails aud all The c0mbinsiious OF the expedition /
wese made by them. IL from the ESecu i
tive Mansion ami from the War Department. too,
that tlese delusive telegraphic dispatches ema
mated. stating that The President Was never 20
hopeful Of speedy suppression of the rebellion
as At present." thai Vlcksburg was evacuated
that the Yazoo Pas expedition successful |
and that the Mississippi was on the point Of being
opened.
IL is now evident that the task OF opening the
Mississippi Is much more gigantic undertaking
than Mr. Lincoln supposed. that Gen JJhnston's
measures for tie defence OF Nicksburg, Port
Hudson. and the line Of the Yazoo River are OF
such nature that our forces nov there are Ell
trely inadequate 10 accomplish the reduction OF
those places; that the heat of summer. which has
already commenced at New Orleans. and the
spring fevefs At Wick sburg. will 80 eneryate our
soldiers and decima,e their ranks that IL viii be
cruelty % keep them there; that Gen BInks l.
now, soon will be. acting on the defensive;
and that the question will soon become pertinent.
whether il will not be better to Withdraw all our
troops to Cairo md New Ofleans, employ them
elsewherel A. regards Vicksburg. no one here
who knows the facts about It's delences expects
To- IL REDUCED. All the attempts To reach his
rear or to gain IT'S flank have proved abortive.
and to take such place by storm IS simply i'm
possible. Such. then. are the results of cam
paign planned by Lincoln and Stanton Such
have been the results of every campaign planned
by Lincoln and Stanton or by either OF them
And such will be the results OF every camp tign
planned by either or both OF them. until the peo-
pie rise in Their might, and declare that the use
less. tTuitle>S strife shall cease.
The news OF these Union defeats on the Miss
issippi will have powerful effect in Europe
Already the Confederate loan had been success
fully negotiated This new. will greatly ficili
tate all the financial schemes of the Con ederltes
in Europe. and prob.b W II lead 10 immediate
action on the part Of Napoleon in favor OF the
South. la all probability, Mr.. Stewards bland
assurances that our foreign relations were never
on a more satisfactory footing will he falsihei la
thirty DAYS. Aud. whatever action Napoleon
takes i'm the matter he will be followed and sus
tanned bv England Pretexts on the part OF Eng
land will not be wanting. The valuable aid and
assistance which she has already afforded to the
COnfeleTateS i notorious, and matters look very
much now a. If we would have foreign war on
our hands IN less than sixty days. Ii we are lie
fcated 1t Charleston, this result may be cousd
cred certain
The Administration has authorized the state
meIt to be made that Charleston will certainly
be in our possession in les ihan week. | know
too well, however. the strength and extent OF the
deences at Charleston to believe that. The de
fences OF Charleston are twice "a strong and for
midable those vi Wick sburg; and. although |
know that Admiral Dupont aud Gen Hunter will
81. a a.
candor compes me say that there is 9roba
bility whatever OF their success.
The publication of the = Report of the Com
mittee on the Conduct of the War" having given
new weapons to the enemies of Gen. Mcclellan.
which they are welding against hi IN with all their
former lerOcity, deem it proper to add the fol
lowing to the statements in my last letter:
Ii part OF Gen. McClellan's plans to
fight battle at Williamsburg Oh Monday the 5th
of May. On Sunday morning. soon as it was
known that Yorktown Was evacuated, Gen. Nc
Clellan sent the cavalry under Gen Stoneman.
and the light artillery IN pursuit Ii was known
that the enemy would take post at Williamsburg,
which we knew was fortified. But nothing was
known OF the strength of the position, of the
topography OF the approaches TO il. / remember
distinctly that Gen. McClelans order TO Gen
Stoneman were simply to watch the movements
Of the enemy aud To reconnoitre his position AMI
the approaches To it. aud report 10 him; but not
to bring general engagement. Gen Stone
executed this order In the meantime the
troops of the corps OF Gen Heintzemln and Gen
Sumner ordered forward. aud. when | rode
from Yorktown towards Williamsburg on Mon
day morning. found the road to within two
miles of the battle field. crowded with artillery
ammunition wagons aud nttntry Gen McClel
lan's orders were for these troops TO select and
take up positions. and await further orders But
the impetuosty and rashness OF Gen. Hooker
preciptated battle. the result OF which was j,
victory indeed, but u barren victory. since it was
apOsluve hindrance to the campaign
In the meantime. Gen McCiell IN IA ID sent the
division OF Gen Franklin up the York River in
transports He intended them TO land AZ West
Point. and to- IN ,rch towards Williamsburg ~
u attack the rear OF the Confederate position
there. while he. with the nlain body OF the army.
sailed il IN front Hooker. rsshness prevent
eli this Without reconnaissance, without know
ing anything of the nature of the grourli. he
ordered his batteries of artillery forward, aud
made them open on the enemy's works. The
enemy im;nelittely made Sprtie. aud captured
some OF these guns, ~ they were without infant
~ supports The whole plrk Of artillery WIS ii,
imminent peril of being captured. when the
timely arrival of { en-. keuney, with part OF the
troops ct his gallant division cot Hemzelm IN :
corps. and accomp suie by Gen Heintzel m "a
himself. saved them | know these TO be the
facts, a / witnessed them Being thus engaged
in n general action. there n,Ihing Tor our
brave troops to DO except to fight il out, which
they did most snllsntly and successfully The
action, however. ctme near proving fatal tu
Hooker ana his whole division ASsliled in his
turn bv superior numbers. he was compelled to re
treat. leaving the bodies of two thousM q of hi.
brave fellows living among the fallen timber and
closely pursued by the ContederateS. Tn
reireit OF HO ker continued I'LL Gen kearney'
division. ] have mentioned, came up to hi.
support.
But the effect Of this furious attack on the reb.
els VAS to cause them t. evacuate Williamsburg
at once. aud before ten Frank hns troop, could
land at West Point Ii our troops had gone no
further than within three miles of Wllsms5urs
on Monday, a Gen Mcclellan intended the Ar
my would have been missed in proper line OF
battle on TUESDAY. Nav 8. aud effective positions
would have been assigned 10 each division On
that day the battle wolii have been fought with
the same result. with tbs difference that the los,
on side would have been infinitely less; that
the enemy would NOT haze left Williamsburg un
Ill W ednesday, when their Il ght would have been
intercented before they reached New Kent bv
Gen FIR inklin. by whom they would have teen
attacked Gen. Mcclellan would then have
pressed on Immediately in the rear Of the retreat
in foe Assiiled thus IN front and rear. they
might have cut :hcir way through Frankin's di
vision and rot TO Richmond; but the probability
would be that they would be cut TO pieces or
forced TO surrender Richmond would thus have