The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-02-06
Il, TEr7NEssEE SATURDAY. FEBRUARY g. 1864
THE REBEL PLANS.
WHAT TIE REBELS PROPOSE TO DO.

/ upon the aHalFa OF the rebel w ar DEPART
ment; and, having given me the benefit
Of his information, I lay it before the pub
lilo. In regard TO the degree ofreliabili-
" TO be attached 70 his account I can
only say that know he occupied = DO
sition ct Richmond, until very recently,
which afforded him good opportunity TO
become correctly posted upon the sub
jeets referred to, and further, that have
the best reason 10 believe his informa-
ton has been communicated to the War
| Department, where il received that mark
ed consideration showing its Importance
From him learn that tie news Of the
powerful and successful eff lFts Of the
rebel leaders TO largely increase their
armies, heretofore received By me and
published in this correspondence, is
strictly true. A sweeping CONSUMPTION
has already commenced in South Csroli-
na, g orgis, AlAbsma and Mississippi,
and viii soon be enforced in North Caro-
| lima and Virgins, which places 10 the
army every male between the ages of
sixteen and fifty five, capable OfmilitarV
service. In the first four States the State
authorities sre CO operating with tie
Richmond officials in advance of the fnal
aotion Of the Confederate Congress. To
n rlh Carolina the c0nscrip'iou has not
commenced. and viii not be until The ex-
isting d .ficuliies between the State and
| Confederate Governments are amicablv
adjusted; strong efforts to that end are
nov being iHauguFated while in Vir-
| GINA the operations of raising new levies
will not be commenced until 10 is asoer
tanned how many fighting males are left,
/ The object being not 70 enforce The con-
scriptiOn 50 swespiDgly within her boun-
\ dsTies, in consideration Of tue large lev
| les she has already devoted to the war,
and the sacrifices she has made to the
cause.
The CONSUMPTION, though exhaustive TO
the very last, and minifestly an admis-
sion that the prospects of the COnfederacy
| are now in q door die condition, is not
as unpopular with those whom it aft cts,
as represented. While 3 spirit Of dis
satisfaction is often displayed, and in 3
| few instances open resistance, "a atti-
tude of opposition is By no means gen
eral among the masses. The rebel leader,
| have not concealed the desperate oondi-
ton Of their cause from the people, and
| the lstter, though their cOnfidence Of
final success is much shaken, refuse 20
admit the time has come to despair.
| They admit the necessity Of q last aud
desperate effort, and the msi rrity are de-
termined 20 stand by the Confederate
Government to the end.
In a recent letter, | stated it was ex-
| pectsd this CONSUMPTION will raise one
hundred thousand new recruits. Nv in
/ formant states the increase Of the rebel
armies thereby will be much greater-et
| least one hundred and twenty-five thou
sand, perhsDs one hundred and fifty
thousand. O1s hundred and twenty five
| thousand Wil maze the total forces Of
the rebellion on this side Of the Missis-
sippi IN aggregate Of two hundred and
seventy five thousand trOops-an extra
ordinary number under. the Circum-
stances; bat the following estimats of |
troops IN the field At this time will show |
IL is not exaggerstion, provided the ulti- !
mate results of the CONSUMPTION ere cor
rect. Gen. Lee hss forty FIVE thousand |
troops IN the army Of Northern Viz !
ginia, 10 which must b added ten thou /
sand scattered throughout the State. II /
North Carolina, there are Fl % thousand /
State troops, ard few thousand Con-
federate. Bsauregard has fourteen thou
sand at Charleston and Savannah. At
Mobile, there is force Of three thousand. /
All the commands in Mississippi and /
Alabama amount 70 fifteen thousand
johnson has thirty thousand in Northern
Georgia, and LOngstreet twenty eight
thousand il East Tennessee-the whole
amounting TO about one hundred and
fifty thousand veteran troops.
This force Of one hundred sud fifty
thousand veterans ara relied upon IS the
last resource Of the rebels in their des-
psrate extremity, and it alone will be
employed in fghtiPg the spring cam
paign All detached c'mmsnds Of vet
erans will ba sent TO the main armies,
and the weakest regiments alone will be
held back and filled up with conscTipts
TO guard the forts, railroads, &c, and to
occupy positions in the rear Of the
troops engaged in active warfare.
Gen. Lee arrived in Richmond on the
21d day Of this month, and remained
there nice days, during which time be
was In constant consultation with JEFF
Davis and the rebel War DEPARTMENT in
regard 10 ihs military condition and
prospects Of the Conis d-rscy, aud 70
the D ans for fa'uFe opera'ions-i 9, the
spring caDpaigns.
Il was admitted by al tbs parties 20
these consultations that tho prospect Of
sacceas was gloomy ia toe extreme; that
the affairs Of the OonfederaoV hsd reach
ed desperate crisis, which could Only
be passed in safety By the successful
adoption Of the most desperate measures;
that another year Of such war as had
been wsged against them would end In
their complete defeaf; and that the quss-
ton Of the hour vas, whether they should
surrender nov, or, gathering up ali their
resources and concentrating them ia .
last and finAl effort, continue the WaF
add trust to fortune and their own des
peration for success. They choose tho
latter courGe.
ia tbs course Of their interviews ths
frllowiBg plans were developed. JEFF
Oasis vas in favor Of employing two I
hundred thousand troops, ss follows:
al army Of seveniy-five Thousand un-
der Johnston 70 hold Grant ia check
another column Of ffiy thousand to op-
Dose the Army Of IRE Potomac, protect
Richmond, and hold Virginia; while Al
army Of one hundred thousand veterans
should be concentrated in South western |
Virginia, Of which L0nesirsePs present
force should Be TIE nucleus, snd the
whole, under Lee, 70 maroh 20 the OHIO,
70 ascend The right bank Of the river, aud
crossing above Wheeling to occupy lice
stretching from TIE 1Psn-hsndls' 70
Lake Ede, thus bisseciiBg ths territory .
Of the loyal States, aud holding or de-
sfrovi1g sll tie railr ads, 70 seParate
the East from the West De admitted
this could not be done without encoun-
ieFinz great difficulties. and. Perhap9
fighting . great battle % The start some
where on the Ohio river. "Bu'," said be !
70 General Lee, sail ordinary difficulties {
I know you can surmounts the enemy ,
cannot concentrate an army 10 oppose
vour one hundred thousand veterans be-
fore you fy our flag in the face Of British
subjects on the hitherto shore Of Lake
Eie, and believe the Circumstance wall J
insure our immediate recognition by the