Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-03-16

AND ALL HIS Or. oERs-GREAr Loss Or Gov
kRSHESr sToRrs, 4c
Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago nmes.l
-WAsHrxoroS. March 10
In every letter that have written for several
weeks past Fhave been compelled 70 record some
daring reconnOitering expeiit1n OF the Confed
crate troops IA the negbborhoOd OF THIS city, each
one surprising the fosper one "a andaeiiy. ms
letter forms no exception. | have the account OF
Pnother one for YOU to-day, the scene of which
Fairfax Court House, only eighteen miles
from this city. The troops for the defeIse OF
Washington are encamped at various places be.
tween here and Fairfax (as the enemy has well
ascertained.) and We had a strong detachment at
the later place II was the headquarters. IN
deed. of General of brigade Gen. Stoughton.
commanding brigade of Vermont troops, mum
bering about coo men, On the night OF the
sth INST. party OF Confederate cavalry and light
artillery marched from Aide TO Fairfax, twenty
miles distant. They made half the march on
Sunday. 80 that their horses were fresh. On ar
irving at our OutpOsts at Fairfax, our piekets we're
surprised aud taken prisoners, that the enemy
entered the town without opposition. aud without
creating any alarm. Before Gen. Stoughton or
any OF his officers knew that anything was the
matter, tie town was com pletely surrounded on
ali sues, and escape was almost impossible. In
a former expedition of this kind the Coniederates
hid come after forage. or horses. or Information.
This time ttey had come after General,
aud they knew exactly where to lay their hands
on him TIE General taken in his bed, and
in his night clothes All OF his staff officers and
the officers of his household were taken m the
same manner. There was TO resistance made
All Of the patrols and pickets on duty were also
taken prisoners, and all the troops in The place,
several hundred in number. The bulk OF the
detachment absent at the time on special
duty, but there was enough lett To nave de
feated the enterprise. IT proper vigilance had
been exercised.
Having seat off their prisoners under strong
guard, the Coulederdtes set about plundeilng the
town. All the ambulance Wagons and Govern
ment baggage wagons were assembled, ana
crammed full OF the valuable Government stores
with which the warehouses were filled Bales OF
blankets piles of uniforms, boxes and barrels OF
all kinds OF provisions were rolled out and slowed
away in the wagons When a clean sweep had
been made ot ali these things, two hundred and
fifty Government horses we're collected. and. with
the first gray light of yesterday morning. the cor
tege moved out of Fairfax town. and began to
wind over the hills toward the Shenandoah Val
lev. The cavalry went first, then came the loaded
wagons; the $50 horses followed; and the artillery
brought up the rear. Before dark yesterday the
plumber had reached Aide. and 10y this time it Is
TO Front ROYAL and Luray
Among the officers captured were all the Aids
de Camp Of Sir Percy Wyndham, who only es
capped capture himself by beng at Washington az
the time All his horses and baggage. and th0sc
ofhis staff, tell into the hands OF the enemy Col
Johnston ouly escaped 10y running away through
the rain in his shirt. and barefoot. Gen. Slough
tons wife and 10 other ladies' were ~ the house
when the General VAS captured The Conieder
ntp opIV off hon m lest cd Inn trps fpl
them with great respect, LETT cIriage and horses
for their use. and took rovsions from the
house. The Generals private baggage was also
LETT unmoested The ladies' came IN hot haste to
the city erdav morning How nobly this con
duct contrasts " Ga that oi Iurchin toward the
women in Northern Alabama.
Stanton alresdy pooh pools over this occur
renee, rs IL it, like I'LL the Confederate raids that
have preceded II, is an affair of no matter what
But | saw Mr. Lincoln this morning, aud
he looks pale. | doubt whether he slept sound
ly last night. | observed that the guards ut the
Long Bridge were doubled last evening (rrobabl '
an accidental circumstance). aud that patrols OF
cavalry were riding past the White House nearly
all night. Does the Kpg's conscience trouble
him for the havoc and blovdsl ell that he and hi,
party have needlesSly br9nsht upon the iardl
Or does he fear that some uight General Lee
will swoop down upon Washington and car,
him off TO VISIT his brother in law, the Richmond
jailOrg
You will have received. ere this, by telegraph
the list OF Major Generals and Brigadiei
Generals, confirmed by the Senate. Among
the long list of names are "A lew of men eminent
~ fitted to be Generals But mark how mlny
unworthy men hive been appointed, and how
many deserving Colonies who have been PER
forming worthy the duties OF Brgadier Gener
ais Tor months, are left Colonies VI ark. too,
how politics and iavoritism have controlled the
appointments There are az least dozen mes
made Generals. who have never seen the color oi
the Rebel uniform, except il was on "A prisoner
have never seen 4 Union and Rebel army
drawn up in order of battle have never been Ia
a skrmish. much less u battle; have never even
heard voley fired in battle. and know nothing
about military mineuvers Heavens il this the
kind of men to make Generals Off So Mr.. Lin
coin thinks.
Ia the list. however are the names of Genera
Hiram G Berry, General Daniel f Sickle. and
General Sykes. tn be Mtor Generals, Colonel
Warren, 5th New York Zoua,e s and Colonel j
Hobart Ward. 3Sth New York, 10 he Brigadei
Generals These, and a number Of others in the
list, will do honor To their new rank X