Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-10-26
From Washington.
A SUNDAY IN THE BELEAGUERED CAPITAL
WHERE LIES ARMY?-"THE CAPITAL Is
SAFE" -RosRcRANs AND MEADE TO BE SAcRI
Special Correspondence Of the Chicago Times.l
WASHINGTON. October 81
:. LINCOLN.

Especial Correspondence of the Chicago Times.l
WASHINGTON October 81.
Since my last letter. affairs relating to the
relative position of the two opposing armies near
this city have been involved in good deal OF
obscurity At the date of that letter Gen Lee
in full possession of the nights OF Cerueville
and the line OF Bull Run. and Gen. Meade sarmy
with Its baggage trains and inppedimenta within
the Washington delenses, was holding line Just
outside and west of those defenses. with his out
posts ut the Chain Bridge, Lewinsvilie. Fairfax
and Annandale On Sunday. iriense excitement
prevailed here. The churches were very thny
attended. and the sermons were cut short. for
peoples minds were far away. and their ears were
strained Ia catch the sound OF distant canDOnad
ing In the morning, several squadrOns of cav
airy who had been newly remOunted and decked
out in new uniforms pranced down the great
avenue and defled over the ricketv old Long
Bridge But Sunday came without any fresh
alarm; aud Monday came, and still Gen. Lee
had m ,de no attempt To get any nearer 20 the
city But there were rumDrs of the appearance
of large bodies OF Confederate troops at many
other points not very far distant Que large body
had been seen moving toward Aldie and Lees
burg Another large body had been seen near
Dumiries. DeSerters and reliable contrabands''
reported large masses Of troops moving back
from Manassas to WanentOn Another large
body reported he Harper's Ferry.
and TO have captured six whole companies of
Union infantry (and this report has proved true
Another large body. cavalry this time.
ported To tie crQssing the Potomac, at Point of
Rocks. INTO Maryland
On Monday. and yesterday Gen Meade sent
out accommodating parties in all directions 10 dis
cover the real DO sition of the enemy. General
Lees army was not found--hls rot been found
sko .l.tn g ha vrtftr Rt,f in,
every direction where the scouting parties pene-
trafed, they came i'm contact with the enemy in
superior numbers. and had to retreat. The strang
ct circumstance is, that whole division. which
went out as tar as Centreville and Manassas
Junction, found no rebels at the former place.
Just be, ond Manassas. however. they met
by the euemv in superior force, and. after sharp
skirmsh, were iorce,. to retreat to the main body
OF their corps at Fairfax.
The Administration papers this morning are
Boosting that the whole rebel army has retreated
tn the Rlpian. and are jubilant over the assumed
fact that Meades army is in hot pursuit But it
looks to M. a. il the whole thing a scheme
on the part of Gen Lee to draw the Union army
into All ambuscade. the relative number of the
two armies were stated with sufficient accuracy
in nv letter of October - As soon as the | lth
and 10Th corps were taken from Meade and sent
to the West. Gen. Lee know that the Union
army was so weak tnat ne COutu asSuuie the Of
fensive, and he did so with an object in
view. That, with his greatly superior force. ne
has not been able TO get in Meades rear, or at
tack him in flank. or route his little army, is sole
" owing to the admirable qualities OF Meade
a General, and TO the courage and steldluesS
with which the Union soldiers fought. But ne
has compelled him to retreat to the capital. and
he will keep him here during the remainder of the
winter As long as Gen. Lee has even 81 900
a -
than that. it will be unsafe for Gen Meades
army in its present condition. to venture further
from the capital than Cenuevile And, If Gen.
Lee can maintain the present status I'LL NOvem
Der. bv that time he will he Joined by hs 40 900
troops now in the Vest Aud then there will be
real danger OF an attack on the capital. Then
1.-The government" will find il necessary to keen
here 900 or 2l0 900 troops, all winter, for
the defense of the capital " A. present how
ever. the cspith j. safe. and the army l. sale.
This zing statement il made by the admins
tration organs and the people expected Ia be
iubilant over the fact Saie Shsme nj. humili-
nting confession. Safe from whttT Siie from
capture by the rebels whom We have bean fighting
for nearly three years! S,fe from capture by the
rebels whose ports We have blockaded; whom
We have deprived of mails and medicines; whose
backbone have broken more than dozen
times: whom we have rdculed as ragged, starry
Z
accord the rights of belligerents: with whom for
long time Ne refused e. exchange prisoners:
whose privateer men loudly boosted We would
hang as pirates, Safe from capture by the
rebels whose military power. ~ Mr. Seward
lately assured the world. bro
ken and entirely exhausted. Safe from capture
by the rebels to conquer whom we are now calle1
upon To raise the pitital number OF three hundred
thousand more men. IN edition To the seventeen
hnn.i,ed thousand whom these pesky rebels have
ALREADY kept actively employed. Safe. safe
indeedl Oh shame. where j. thy hlushr VIII
We ever conquer The rebels at this r,teg Besides.
how are We going TO emanciptte. couh'caie sub
juga,e md amalgamate by remaining safe" 10
piu,lT
Ii j. found impossible to conceal from the PEG
plannv longer the extent 1T the calamity that has
beNlen tne country ~ the failure Of the cam
ptrn N Tennessee. and the Administration y
now irving ta frsten the odium of the disaster
upan Cen R..-ecrabs They have the au!acits
~ Assert nov that Rpsecr,n> had no orders from
Washington tO advance beyond Chattanooga!
Could nnhlushing .ffr"ntery 90 fur'herl Portu-
natelv. the orders themselves exist. and are In
writing. in the po-<es-ien of Gen Rosecrans. 20
whom they were brought by the ex Tribune mtn.
Dana. now of the Var Department Rosecrans.
however. will be sacrificed TO crafty the malig-
nity OF Lincoln and Stanton. a. Mcclellan wNs,
and a. Meade probably will be la the mem
time. Burnside and Milroy. t~n of the most IN
comneteui and worthless officers 10 the service,
u'hrld and advanced Ia high honors. when ,, i
notorious that heir misconduct deserves the Sc
Verest punishment. merely because they are IN
favor OF the var policy Of the Administration.
that - Ia saw in favor OF emancipation, conhsca-
ton. subjugation and smslgamaton. \.