Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-25

Special Correspondence OF he Chicago Tines
WAsHISGToS. Nay 10
There has been no change in the position Of the
Army Of the Potomac since my letter of May l3
nor IL there snv indication whatever that a move
merit viii be made before the end of this month
Hundreds Of oficers Of MI grades. have passed
through tins city their North. bret
furl0ughs, during the last week, and this fact
alone WOULD ne sufficient To shJw that move
ment is at present contemplated. Indeed, the
army il in no condition To assume the offensive
The Administration organs-the same papers
who asserted 80 positively. on the 9th and llth
Of Nav. that "Hooker's army has again crossed
the river"-an assertion which WAS proved 10 be
falsehood on the l2th-these same papers now
say that the army i IN fine spirits, and eager 10
be led against the enemy again. But | am war
ranied by the best testmony-the testimony of
dozens OF officers and men from each army
corps-iu saying that this Is not 30: that there i
no heart lett in the army, as long a. Hooker
commands il: and more than that that the losses
in the late battle 30 far from having been over
estimated, are much greater than was stated and
will reach 90 900 men OF Gen. Socum's army
corps alone, the 18TH there are now LOO
wounded lying IN one hospital, besides those that
still remain in the enemy's hands The fearful
account OF those who we're left to linger in agony
for three days. and then 10 die at last has not vet
been rendered. and probably never will be.
The loss sustained bv the army too. in the re
turn home of thirty eight regiments of veteran
troops. is very great They are by far the best
regiments in the army. fully equal in every
spect 10 regular troops. and their loss cannot be
replaced. IL the Administration had had any
foresight at all, IL would have provided long ago
for this emergency There are several States
where the draft ordered last wear has never been
enforced, and in these States the administration
could easily have raised 80 900 troops three
months ago, and had them now in toerable
state of efiicency-at least enough so to fill up
the depleted corps of Hooker's army. The con
sequence of failing to do this will be that Hook
er's army will now be unable to DO ANYTHING more
than TO act the defensive until the conscrip-
ton act il enforced. unless it is joined by troops
now employed elsewhere
The ftcts that have come to light during the
last week show that the work accomplished by
Gen Stoneman's cavalry. in their recent expedi-
ton ards Richmond, really amounted 10 moth
ing At all 30 far as anv real damage to the enc
nv was concerned. or any interruption to his rail
road communications This, however was no
fault OF Gen Stoneman's The blame lies with
either Halleck or Hooker, for not sending Stone
man oh on this expedition on the 9th, 80 that he
could have accomplished that for which he was
sent and have returned TO Hooker's army in time
To nave participated IN the battles ol the ~ Ou.
and 18th Of MAY. All the damage that was done
90 the southern railroads has been repaired long
before
Joe Hooker is being badly abused now, by
most of the Abolition papers. rs he was formerly
nnduly praised The New York Post the New
York Tribune. and even the North American and
the Press of Philadelphia are now suarng at and
abusing him for his ridiculous mistakes and eyre
grious builders | hope YOU can find room for
some of these "Disloyal Gems" That in the
Press is particularly rich
When our combined fleet and army were de
feated at Charleston the 9TH of March. Mr..
Lincoln fastened To- assure the world that il was
not even a repuse, but only check and that the
attack should be Immediately resumed. Ten
weeks have now elapsed. and Immediately" has
not vet come When Hooker was so shamefulIy
defeated on the LIST and 2d inst, Mr. Stanton has
tened to assure the world that serious disaster
to the army 'had taken place. and that the army
would speedily resume offensive operations.
Fifteen days have since elapsed Hooker lies
still, and makes no sign of moving; and il is ut
terly impossible that his army can move for =
month Queer men-these Administration peo-
Pile. What do they mean by Immediately" and
speedily And does Stanton mean to saw that
the loss of % 900 troops. put hors du combat, is
no 'sserious disaster? Ii il "A loss that so Grip
Piles the army that il cannot move. Is that no
serious diasteri" That loss and the loss of
confidence in Hooker have demoralized the army.
Is that no SERIOUS disasterf" Is it not time that
the Administration should cease to deceive the
people by declarations utterly at variance with
the TRUTH
The work of enlisting negro soldiers proceeds
very slowly. The negroes. as a general thing,
all over the country. are averse to entering the
armv-not so msch for fear of getting killed as
because they fear falling into the hands of their
old masters. and being sold again into slavery
Thew are well satisfied Of the inability of the Adj
minsration TO prevent the latter fate in case they
are captured; and this. too. notwithstanding the
assertion of Mr.. Stanton THAT negro soldiers
shall stand upon the same footing. in all respects
as white soldiers" The Americans OF African
descent are wiser in their generation than the
Americans of European descent: for. while the
latter have been prone 10 swallow all the Nun
chausen stories that it has pleased the Admins
tration To send 10 them. the latter. with cunning
sagacity which Is Of their traits have steadily
refused to be duped, either by Mr. Lincon's Wis
ionary schemes of Central American colonial
ton. or nv the glitrering and meaningless gener
alities uf Mr. Stantons promises. Still. bs the
use Of instrumentalities 10y means creditnbe to
the Administration. including the expenditure of
money in lavish Droiusion, the War Department
calculates on having under arms. by the eud of
August. $4,000 Of these black fellows under Abo
lition white officers. Y