Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-08-26
Correspondence of the New York Daily News.


WASHINGTON, August %
The position of affairs in the Shenandoah Val
ley, and on the Potomac river, this morning is
a. follows:
General Sheridans army is posted in such
position, with Harper's Ferry for bis base, as to
cover and hold all the fords on the Potomac riv er
from Point of Rocks to Wi;lismsport. l have
spoken before OF the large number of troops IN
der his orders. To say nothing of the other
bodies of troops which he commands, it may rea-
sonably be hoped that the 9th, 9Th and 18th army
corps will be amply sufficient to hold these fords
securely, and TO prevent any attempt of the enc
my to cross over to the north side of the stream.
Their efforts in doing so, will. OF course. be aid
ed by the presence of the 10000 cavalry under
Gems Torbert, Custer, Wilson aud Averill and
also, perhaps, by the rains which have fallen du-
rim. tho last three days, and which may raise the
river somewhat. Ii is right 10 state, however,
that during the recent protracted period of hot
and dry weather, the river had got To be extreme
ly low, and that II will take large volume of
water to raise It.
The accounts which have received, from par
Elephants in il, Of the retreat of Gen. Sheridan
from Strasburg to Winchester, and from Win
chester to Harper's Ferry indicate that the move
ment itself well conducted, although it was
executed in haste, out that it had become abso-
lutely necessary, as the only means of saving
the army from destruction. The indications
were too evident that even at Strasburg the Con
federates bad received large reinforcements; and
the defeat and rout of Sheridan's rear guard at
Winchester were accomplished by these, and not
by any troops who came through any of The
gaps in the mountains. The troops from Long
streets cOrps, which joined Early at Winchester
after Sheridan had retreated therefrom, consisted
of two divisions of infantry and two squadrons
OF cavalry, one of them said to be commanded
by Gen. William F. Lee, in all not over 1900
men. These troops came up from Richmond to
the Rapdan river in the cars, by way of Cor
louisville, and marched from Cupepper 20 War
renton, and thence, passing through Ashby's
Gap, crossed the Shenandoah river at Berry's
Ferry.
Gen Lee has direct railroad communication
from Richmond to the Rappahannock river, and
1t Is said that the cars run regular even as far as
to Warrenton Junction. II is certain, at all
events, that he has the means of transporting
rapidly large bodies of troops from Richmond to
Winchester. even if he has not done so already
For, whatever may be said to the contrary, moth
ing is positively known vet to what bodies of
troops constitute Early's reinforcements, except
those mentioned above. Ii is said that Grant
still maintains that the main body of Lees army
Is yet in his immediate front. In this / know
Gen. Grant is mistaken. There are not over
$4,000 Confederate troops at Petersburg. and
not more than 20 QUO at Richmond To say
nothing of Eary's 30, 900 troops. 81 900 of Gen.
Lees soldiers have been sent away from Rich
mond between the lst and 18th of August, in
Guiding these of Longstreet's above named
The only question is. where have they gone to 7
and the answer to this question will determine
the character of the rebel movements in the
Valley during the present week.
Ii the greater part of them have gone To
Gorgla to reinforce Hood then Gen. Early may
conhne himself to keeping Sheridan on the Pc
tomac river. But if the greater part of them
have been sent to reinforce Early. it will indicate
plainly enough that offensive operations against
the y orth, on large scale, have been determined
Oh By the Confederate leaders, AMI that they are
TO be inauguTsted at once.
AT present the Confederstes occupy Martins
burg in strong force. and are pushing rec0nnois-
sances toward the Potomac river in all direc-
tons Most of these Reconnaissance are made
between harpeTs Ferry and Falling Waters, and
AT all these points they find, of course, strong
bodies OF Union troops. But they have also,
during the last twenty four hours, reconnOitered
points on the Potomac river below Point of
Rocks. Indeed one strong detachment of cav
airy came down as far as Leesburg and Ell " ards
Ferry. Other parties have pushed as far up
the river az 10 Hancock and even to Cumber-
land
Now, if the Coniederates really intend TO cross
the Potomac river, it is idle 10 suppose that a
line 50 long in extent can be guarded 10
prevent it. The danger at present does not lie
where the main body of Sheridan's army is
posted, but il lies west OF Williamsport, and
south OF Edwards Ferry. Ii is idle to deny that
the Coufederates are IN full possession of the
whole of the valley between the Bull Run noun
tsns and the Shenandoah river, and that they
can. II they wish, march an army from Warren
ton To- Leesburg and Edwards Ferry.
MALCOLM
CoLFAx-The Gazette and Commercial. being
seized with st of enterprise, published simults-
neously, the other day. seven or eight columns of
words. which was entitled speech OF Schuyler
COlfax, of Indiana We don't suppose q single
reader Of either paper perused it, or even attempt
ed to nibble about the edge of ts contents. Col
fax Is a man of no force, ability or character,
and 10 one cares for his opinions. He earned a
notoriety which will ever render him infamous,
BY proposing the expulsion of brother member
of Congress because be enunciated political senti-
ments different from bis own. This scandalous
&C, of ignorance. tyranny and presumption car
ried his name TO Europe. where it was received
BY every liberal man with general burst Of de
testation. Men wondered II such being could
really be the Speaker of the House of Congress
Gin. Enquirer