Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-02-23
Especial Correspondence of the Chicago rimes.l

Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Times
WAsHINGroS, February L.
General Foster. whom | mentioned in my let
ter OF February To- as being here in consultation
at the War Department-the officer late in com
mand in North Carolina. but now sharing the
command with General Hunter in South Caro-
lina-leit here yesterday tor his command near
Charleston | mentioned in that letter the vast
preparations made by the Administration for this
expedition against Charleston, but stated that it
would prove failure. The expedition was in
tended to be surprise to the enemy, and, up to
the time Of the arrival of the feet there it was so
Ii was then found, however, that the preparations
that bad been made for the reduction of Charles
ton, great as they were. were wholly inadequate.
This ought to have been ascertained before, and
would have been but for the fact that General
Hunter had been kept here all winter. much
against his will. During the last four months the
efforts of General Beauregard have been directed
10 such changes, notifications and improve
ments in the deienses of Charleston, that, when
the expedition arrived, the task for both the army
and navy to perform was found to be essentially
different from what had been supposed. In
word, if the efforts of engineers can make any
place impregnable, Charleston is'so.
1t has been stated by the friends of the Admin
istratiOn that there is no disagreement between
Gen Foster and Gen. Hunter. But this is not
true Gen Foster is a good soldier, and, having
been placed under the orders of Gen. Hunter. he
will obey the orders of the latter to the best OF
his ability. But there is reason TO believe that
the main object of his visit here was to protest
theoretically against the employment in the ex-
petition Of negro soldiers. He has seen the con
sequences Of that folly already The disalfection
in the army there, on account of the soldiers be-
ing compelled to serve with the negroes and to
salute negro officers, amounts nearly 10 mutinv
Where it does not break out in open demonstra-
tons. the feeling the part of the soldiers is so
strong and deep that it has greatly destroyed
their efficiency | do not know positively, but
believe Gen. Foster warned the President that, if
he did not desiSt from this employment OF negroes
the efficiency of the army would be so impaired
as to render it almost entirely useless. Whether
these representations will do any good or not,
am unable to saw 1t is probable that tins within
has taken So firm bold of the Presidential mind
that Mr. Lincoln is determined TO proceed with
the experiment, even it, by doing so, he causes
the failure of the whole expedition.
lt intended that the expedition should
commence operations Immediately ON its arrival.
Bnt, instead of doing so, all operations were sus-
pended while Gen. Foster came on TO Washing
tor, and they will not be commenced till after
his return In the meantime the enemy has taken
advantage of this delay and hesitation on our
part. Il SllDlE tADtutliOI UlS Dt6ll ubteu out 70
recapture Roanoke Island, and it is probable
that the scenes Of Galveston and Texas viii be
re-enacted ut Roanoke Island and North Caro-
lima.
Since my letter of February 10, in regard to the
conscripton bill, that projected measure has been
submitted to such radical changes and modifca-
tions, that it is 30 longer the same bill. In its
present shape, have not single word OF an.
prova for il, and every true lover of his country
must wish for its defeat. The bill now provides
for the creation by the President of swarm of
officials, to be called Provost Marshals, to have
the rank and pay of Captains of Cavalry These
creatures will be, in fact spies upon their fellow
citizens. There will be one in each county, and
each one will have gangs of pimps, spies and
sneaks. to nose and smell around the houses of
honest men, and to- cause the arrest OF all whom
their malice may denOunee as dIslOyal.
Ii the bill was confined to those features which
are copied from the French CONSUMPTION law. il
would be cOmparsl lively "A wise and Just measure,
but the features which now distinguish it render
it OdiOus, abomiiable and unjust.
While part Ofthe Army of the Potomac is kept
idle on the Rappahannock. and another part is
sent down to South Carolina. Gen Lees army,
near Frederick burg, has been on the alert
have stated before that the enemy was in virtual
occupation of large portion of the territory be-
tween here and HOOkers army; and they seem
determined to keep that fact prominently before
the public. IL was only on the night between
the 18th and 18th inst, that strong body of
Confederate cavalry attacked considerable
force of our troops at Annandale, and completely
surprised and routed them with loss on our side
of twenty-five killed and wounded, and over
thirty prisoners ADnandale is only thirteen
miles west of the room in which write; indeed
Just past the famous Munson's Hill. So that you
see the enemy is still almost in sight of Washing
ton.
If this affair at Ani,andale and another which
is reported to-day as having taken place near the
Chain Bridge, should turn out 70 be rec0nnois.
sances it will imply that the enemy are keeling a
watchfu eye on this city. Would IL be strange
il. while the peculiar strategy of Halleck is keep
ing all of our troops at = distance from the Capt.
tai, the enemy should make a bold push for its
capture2 Stranger things than this have hap
pened in war; and, if this very thing does not
happen. it will not be owing to any measures that
Gen Halleck has taken 10 avert H.
The enemy continues to be enlightened by va
rious members of Congress in regard 10 our mill
tary strength &c The Richmond papers are
now making glad the hearts OF the Confederate
Generals and soldiers by quoting the official state
ments of Mr. Stevens recently made in the
House, that we nave only 100000 troops left. and
that Of these the time OF 300 900 will expire in
May As III tnat was DOT explicit enough, oeba-
tor Wilson, chairman of the Committee on Mill
tsry Affairs, announced in his place Yesterday
that the regiments Of our army. originally con-
tanning 900 men, had now become reduced tc
an average OF four hundred men each. was
perfectly we'll aware Of the fact weeks ago. Nc
sight that ever witnessed gave rise to saddeI
feelings than ] experienced in riding along the
thinned ranks Of the regiments Of the Army O.
the Potomac, about a week before B1rnsde's
resignation--regimeuts that | had seen ,OOt