Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-04-06
special Correspondence Of the Chicago Times.l


Special Correspondence Of the Chicago Tines
" AsHiSoToS. March 81.
The movement of General Lees troops IN the
oeishborhood Of this city, taken in connection
with the near approach Of the oDeniHg OF the
spring campaign. are such As ought TO exercise
the utmost soi'eitusie, the part at the author-
ties here, Tor the actual safety of the Capital On
The 18th last strong party OF Confederate troops
marched deliberately along the Warrenton turn
pike from WarrentOn 10 Bull Run, driving in our
pockets at the latter point. Who tell back IN Cen
tre'ihe The Conieiersies then procee'ied O. burn
the bridges over Bull Run: and. while a small
party were thus engaged. the main BODY secured
the country for some distance around, and picked
mp all the Information and siragger- in their Wv.
The whole party then returned TO Warrenton,
sound IN wind and limb. and undisturbed by our
forces. On the 29;h there were indications that
the enemy contemplated another raid ON Vienna,
which IS only fourteen miles from this city And.
to-day, it is ascertsined that General jackson.
with part OF his corps. aud General Ftz hugh
Lee. with the LIST, 9th ond 1th regiments of Vr-
GINA cavalry, are at Trout ROYAL
After carefully watching General Lees move
ments during The last six weeks. il seems 10 me
that his plan for the spring campaign is some
thing as follows: BY means OF the constant
cOnnoissances which h we described in former
letters, and from prisoners and deserters he has
correctly informed himself a. TO the military
status in aud near this city. The time il now
approaching when Fighting Joe Hooker must
Indicate his claims 20 that soubruuet He must
do one of two things He must either Try TO reach
Richmond by the overland route. or else he must
embark his troops at Aqua Greek. transport them
To the james river, and commence there another
Pennsular campaign. The impedments in the
way Of march overland to Richmond are too
great, and the fortifc tons the line OF the
RdppahannOck and the Maiapony are so extern
sive. that General Lee believes that only small
number of troops will he required on those lines;
while the deIenses of Richmond itself 40
strong that a still less number would be required
there.
If. therefore, when the spring opens, Hooker
attempts 20 march on Richmond either by way Of
Frederick sburg Gorl,nsville, or Urbana, Gen
Lee will probably leave about 81 .uOO troops To
defend the lines OF the R1pps,hannock and Mat
apony, or to fall back ard draw the Union army
into the swamps of the Pamunky. while. with
l25 COO troops under his own command. he as
sumeS the offensive against Washington H. on
the other hand, Hooker adopts the wiser plan of
a Pennsular campaign the 30 600 troa pS viii be
sent 90 act a corps OF observation the Pen
in>ula, while Lee is employing his % 00D troops
against this city Whatever Gen. Lee does. he
will do quickly II he finds the attack on Wash
ington hopeless. he will retrace his steps: and, if
Hooker is m king an overland camping: against
Richmond. lie will fall upon his rear II he is
making Peninsular campaign. Gen. Lee will
mass the whole of his forces before thar civ
Why Is it. bv the WAY. that we hear nothing OF
the cry con tn Richmond - this spring. We
heard it in the spring of 1851 We heard moth
ing else in the winter and spring of 1862 But
now. in the spring OF 1863. nobody hears the cry
of "On TO Richmond - raised Why IS thsg Is
the possession of Richmond less desirable now
than il was year ago, or two years ago? Or
does the administration believe. with the Rebels,
that Richmond is impregnable, and cannot be
taken ! know it i the fashion now, in admin
istration circles, tn decry the idea of taking
Richmond at all Ii YOU want To he i'm high ia
at the White House, or M the War Depart
ment. all YOU have to DO is to ridicule the policy
OF sending al army To capture Richmond The
tone assumed by those waO thus wish To curry
favor with the administration is something like
this:
why should we seek to take Richmond? Its
possession would he of no value to us The siege
and capture oil Richmond would occupy several
months and 1t would require an army ot 2hD ono
men and naval force quite equal to that now in
the Mississippi In the meantime. that force
could ne much more protit,bly employees in in
vadng the South at other points in opening the
Mississippi, and in capturing Charleston, Stvan
nah aud Mobile. Richmond is mere country
village Ii let alone. the Rebels will evacuate
il themselves They ace doing now"
There could not be more apt Illustration OF
the fable of the fox and the ripe grapes which
he declared were sour than this language The
persons who use such lauguage virtually admit
that 1t is not in power to take Richmond.
Such however, is not the case Richmond is
improbable. 1t is strongly fortified but il is
ours Just soon attack il in the proper
manner
A year ago the whole puck Of Abolition ours
kept yelring and snarng at McClellan's heels
all winter. and at the President. too, urging him
10 send Mcclellan ION to Richmond" They
compelled him to set his columns in motion on
the 5th or March! On the 9th. 9Th 9Th and 9Th
of March the Con ederateS ut VI ,nassas saw with
dsmay McCiel.an's army getting around their
left fl INK, and on the 10Th of March they evacu
aied Manassas and retired TO Richmond By
this time last year Gen Mcclellan had transported
his whole army To the Peninsula, and had com
menced the siege Of Yorktown Yes il i now a
full month after the time that McC!ellan's army
began to move. Yet Fighting Joe" remains
quiescent: he makes no sign; AMI stranger still.
no one Is heard 10 urge him ION to Richmond >
When he does move, if lie is wise. he viii dis
card the advice of those t,ros who would have
him march TO Richmond overland and will trans
port his troops TO the PennSulAr a. Mcclellan
did, ami inaugurate new Pennsular campaign.
If he does this. he will have an immense adyan-
tagc over Mcclellan. He will have rebel
steamer Merrimac blocking up the james River
He will have Ia Yorktown 10 be>ese He will
a. no Gloucester Point hittereS 20 reduce. He
viii have % ra-ile 60 Will trs',nr y. hyht He
vi have ua 'e ou~ mirch ni evenly miles
through the P,niasul.r To- IA Ike al this has
been done tor h.niby " c elm He en- begin
where Mcclellan was compelled "a leave Off last
July McClclin. the lstche;s at whose shoes
he i not worthv u Sipol down sn.i unloose. has
gone before. anl has prepared the way before
him he can transport his troops mp the Jlmes
River and land them under protection of his
guuboa'-. Opposite CITY PD:nt within twenty
miles of RI. hm"sd AMI Within tWen'y four hours
sal of illi> city lie, Hooker. then Z, ION to
Richmond The war vii! never be till
Redmond j. AIKEN The cirfpre 81 the Rebel
capitd WI. give us more prestige ia Europe than
the rsp'ure of Charleston. NIck-barg, Savannah
AMI Mobile. altogether y
Case Of Judge Constable.
Hon. Charles II Constable WAS this day brought
to this city from la llama polls. hy Capt F.,rqnhar.
OF the l. 5. Amy. An affidavit was filed be-
fore ). A C1rneAn, L Commissioners tor this
district charging j udge Constable with inducin :
deSeriers To refuse 10 return 10 duty. and upon
TINS affidavit warrant was issued directed TO
the m irshal and executed by that officer ~ tax
M judge and Bringing him before Mr Corn
eau. The judge having been delivered by the
military officers ro the custody of the civil aul
thOrities. the ca-e j. by agreement set for heal
ing on Tuesday next NesSrs Stuart. Edwards.
ami Brown appeared as counsel for Judge Con
stable
The naroe of Jndga C,nst hla heinO taken he