New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-02-17

apponed as the leaders Of the expedition, leaving
Iongstreet ON the other side of the Cumberland Gap
for the purpose Of protecting their rear ana OF prevent
ing NJ he same time Gen. Schofeld from injuring the
Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, upon which they In
tended to fall back in case Of reverse.
Such are the plans of the Rebel leaders as they
currently reported in Richmond among military men,
Tie aim Of the expedition is obvious. The Rebel
ermie are becoming less effective every day account
ofthe scarcity of the recruiting element and they
10 CLEAN in comparatively fresh field. Kentucky they
think is admirably situated for such operation.
They assert that it has more able bodied attached
10 the South than any other Border State, Tennessee
excepted-rnole people inclined to counenanee an inva
sion than either Maryland on Missouri, and far more
provisions and cattle In store than these two States
They say that all the Kenuokaus now wanting is
nucleus around which Southern sympathizers may
congregate with the certainty that they will not be
abandoned aitervard Breckenridge and Buekners
army will be strong enough TO give the sympa'hzing
Kentuckans ell the protection they require. They VIII
not enter Kentucky without being provided with the
Of attack and resistance adequate 10 the dangers
they have TO encounter and 10 the highly prohtaDie
result which they expect from their audacious under
taking.
We are far as you see very far from tho plan wnicD
was presenting LongstIeet as completely absorbed IN
bis attack upon Knoxville and moving HE columns ny
way Scvierve in the rear OF that city This change
in the Rebel programme which according to the nfor-
nation 1 received somo time ago, formerly eoniem'
plated movement on Grants flank by that route Is
attributed by Southren military men to the following
causes II has been since discovered that the posses
sion Of Knoxville could be of value whatever, in
strategic point Of view 10 the Rebel long
Chattanooga was in possession Of the Union armies,
because Knoxville is situated between ;bree Union
armies one ut Chattanooga in the front az Kings
ton in the flank, and one az Cumberland Gap in the
rear If Gen. Longsireet had taken the town he would
have had 10 post an army in each of these three droc
tons each one sufficient 10 withstand assault, in any
force the enemy might b-ng from that quarters but az
he had not the means 10 do IT, be contented himself
with occupying line which secured 10 his army the
control Of the Cumberland Mountains and an undls.
puted sway the best portion Of East Tennessee and
Southern Virginia
Whether Longstreet win 60 10 Kentucky OF remain
reserve TO Breckenridge at Bulls Gap, or advance
in center Tennessee and attempt a movement in the
rear Of Grant. has not Yet been decided upon. The
impression is that for the present 1T least he VIII not
20 into active operations much account Of the IN
certainty Of the weather from the incomplete state
OF The Virginia Railroad, upon which he 10 compelled
TO rely for supplies and ammunition As TO a move.
ment on Grants flank, il is out Of the question. Nei-
Their LongstIeet Johnston is in position TO make IN
attack on his line and they they would hesitate
to do IL for this reason that they believe him unable 10
make successful movement in the interior Of Georgia
not for any efficiency Of forces but account Of an
inadequate supply Of trains and provisions Wrong or
right the Rebels have for the last tv9 months enter
tanned the belief that the Nashville and Chattanooga
Railroad, his only line Of comunicatonwith The North
was hardly sufficient TO bring daily supplies 10 his
soldiers and that be had hitherto been unable TO rans
form the latter city into safe basls Of operations foT
that reason. - - .l'
This o. course, is merely aoonjecture, without any
importance whatever. except in the minds OF The Rebel
leaders, Still Johnston, am informed ls acting as
be entertained the same views He las II seems, re-
treated somewhere into the interior Of Georgia, b.
tween Dalton and Atlanta, waiting for Grants ad'
vance and instead OF concentrating his forces on
single point in that provision he las sent portion OF
them in a southwark direction, some say 10 Mobile
others to Saline against Which Gen sherman is nc"
marching.