Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-06
Special Correspondence to the Chicago Times.
N Ill

ington, in North Carolina, bv the little band of
soldiers under General John G. Foster, is the
theme of universal praise here. 1t is. indeed,
one of the most brilliant affairs of the war. De
prived Of nearly all Of his troops (who, with
most of his officers, were sent down to reinforce
General Hunter, preparatory to the recent attack
on Charlestoh,) General Foster, with fifteen hun
dred men, was sent by the General in-Chief, and
in pursuance of the incomprehensible strategy of
the War Department, to Washington, in North
Carolina, where. the enemy quickly discovering
his weak condition. he was Immediately surroun
ded by superior numbers, Seventeen thousand
Confederate troops) his communications and
means of retreat cut off. and his gallant little
band in imminent danger of being starved into a
surrender or cut to pieces. Reinforcements sent
to his aid were intercepted and driven back and
it must be csndidly stated, as a matter OF history,
that. Notwithstanding their loud assertions in pub-
lie TO the contrary, il was feared at the War De-
partment and at the Executive Mansion that Gen
eral Foster had surrendered. Surely there would
have been far more justification for him, if he had
surrendered, than there was for the surrender OF
Harper's Ferry.
From this hopeless condition, General Foster
has succes led in extricating himself with a degree
Of skill, GOODNESS and courage which few Generals
in the service possess. There are times when il
becomes the duty of a General to expose his life
to the same dangers as those braved by his sol
diers. This was such an occasion. The alterua-
tive was an act Of cool and determined daring, or
inevitable surrender; and Gen. Foster is not the
man to hesitate. when such an alternative is pre-
sented. Surely, Providence watches over him:
for, in the accomplishment of his perilous feat,
not only was his pilot at the wheel, shot dead by
his side, but a cannon ball passed directly through
the berth that he had left not ten minutes before.
The Judgment Of the General was indicated by
the course of the soldier; for. as the result of his
daring exploit, he brought such forces TO the aid
of his beleaguered command, that the enemy were
compelled to raise the siege and TO retire baffled
and disappointed.
An incident of the siege worthy of commemor-
alton. was the timely arrival with endorsements
of Gen. Fl. NJ. Naglee. Gen. Hickman, and sew
eral other of the officers formerly under General
Foster, and who, il will be remembered by your
readers, were, a few weeks ago, ignominiouslv
sent away from before Charleston by General
Hunter, because they would not countenance him
in his folly of raising regiments of negroes. These
brave men cut their way through the enemy. and
brought to Gen. Foster the aid without which he
might have been driven to surrender after all.
Such are the men whom Hunter in obedience to
the bebests Of the authorities here, sent away in
disgrace. from before Charleston. Could there
be a more striking commentary on the folly of
the Administration
Yes, there is one more: it is this: This affair
at Washington, n. G has no relation to the pro
/ H'tsc u Vic MhI MuiNcN CT II ~ " M SlHnL-
est bearing upon any other part Of the Spring
campaign, or anv other campaign. There was
no reason why Gen. Foster, should have been
sent to Washington, n. G. Aud. besides the
mere saving of his men and the eclaf of the event
(Which Is due entirely TO himself and General
Naglee,) his brilliant exploit is of no service
whatever towards furthering the progress of the
war.
There is a rumor here to the effect that, with
in a few days past, Mr. Lincoln has been strongly
urged to send away from near Vicksbvrg a Dor
ton of Gen. Grants fOaces now idle there, and
send them to reinforce Rosecrans;, and that Mr..
Lincoln. after consulting with Stanton, refused to
do so, saying that the latter General has troops
enough, and that he intends TO keep Gen Grants
troops ''pegging" away at Vicksburg all summer.
| do not know that the rumor is true. but it is
more than likely to be so. 1t would be inst such
an act of folly as might be expected of Mr.. Lin
coin. who has directed all the military and naval
operations of the last six neutrality-suspicious.
which have resulted in such disgracelul failures.
According to the best authorities. the Rebel
forces IN the Vest amount to fully 200 900 troops
Zone half OF their whole army.) who are dis
tributed rs follows: %, nO0 ut Vicksburg, %. 900
at Port Hudson, 10000 at Mobile. and $50, 900
under Gen. JOhnstOn's personal command, on the
strategic line of the Rebels in Tennessee, ex-
tending from Chattanooga to Columbia; the main
body being at Shelbyville and Tullahoma, and
Gen. Johnston's headquarters being at the latter
place. Now, if Gen. Rosecrans has as many
troops as Gen. Johnston, it may reasonably be
expected that he will be able TO withstand Gen.
JOhnston's onset whenever it is made. and to re
tain possession Of N lshvIlle. and to impede the
operations OF the Rebel troops in Kentucky. |
do not know how many troops he has. know
however. that the Confederates believe that his
whole force does not exceed rs, 900 electives. If
this number is anything like an approximation to
his real strength, it is the hight of folly in Mr..
Lincoln to refuse him reintOrcements. The troops
on the Mississippi river. under Gen. Grant, Gen.
McClernand. Gen. Sherman, and Gen. Banks.
cannnt be less than 2O0, 1000 in number. They
can accomplish nothing there-positively moth
ing-during the whole summer. Ii they are kept
there. the probability is that one half the entire
force will fall victims to the climate before the
cool weather of the fall, which will not be till the
end of October; while, in the meantime, Rose
Grams runs great danger of being overwhelmed by
superior numbers Aud vet how easy it would
be TO bring about a different result. We have
275 900 troops against us 900 or 300. 900 OF the
enemy. Yet for want of capacity here to direct
the campaign, it will result as all of Lincoln's
campaigns hitherto have resulted.
Ii is rather to be regretted now that the radi-
Gals aud fanatics who were crashing their teeth
over our repulse at Charleston, and bowling for
the removal of Admiral Dupont, did not contin-
ne their assaults on that gallant officer after the
recent visit of Capt WOrden 10 this city. They
would have been met with a rebuff that would
have silenced them during the remainder of the
war. Some of the friends of the Admiral. un-
known 70 him of course, had prepared for publ
cation a statement that, at any time during the
period between the middle of November, 1861
and the middle of November. 1862. but particu-
Iarly during the first six months after the date
first named, the city of Charleston was absolute
" at our mercy and in our power. in consequence
of the brilliant achievement Of Admiral Dupont
in taking possession Of Port ROYAL, Hilton Head
and Fort Walker, early in November, 1861. At
the harbOr. Charleston was comparatively de-
~lenceless. Admiral Dupont wished at that time
TO follow up his advantage Immediately. His
plan was 20 attack the city at once. by a strong
naval and land force acting in CO operation; and
he urged the matter both ON the President and
at the Navy Department. The President hesita-
ted, and said he would consider the matter. The
Admiral urged the necessity Of instant action,
but the President put off the matter from month
to month. In the meantime, he had got into his
head the crotchet of opening schools for the ne
groes on Hilton Heed and ST. Helena Islands.
and for months ne devoted all his energies to this
ridiculous object. In the meantime the Confed
crates saw the danger OF Charleston, and like
men. prepared To meet il. They worked day
and night at the defenses OF the city, and at the
distractions in the harbor. In the latter work
they were assisted by the Administration here,
who. in December, 1861, at a vast expense. pur-
chased fifty vessels. filed them with stone, and
sunk them Just where they wanted to obstruct the
channell Then Beauregard was pl.ced in com
mand ut Charleston, and in a few months more
that city had been made impregnable. The gold