Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-03
HIGHLY IMPORTANT NEWS.
Gen. lees Designs-washingt 10 he
Atfacked-Newb be rn. y a.. to he Cap


rcorrespoDdenos the y Y S-~.-l
WASHINGTON, April y.
II the information which | have received To-
day il correct. and have no doubt that u - 50.
Gen Banks will deserve not oD.y 10 be dismissed
from his command, but also to be court msrtaled
for gross Incompetence The people have not
vet been allowed 70 see a true statement OF the
recent disaster on the Red River. But / have
the facts, and the War Department has them
and, when they are published. they will show that
our losses have been frigbttully severe. that
some of the divisions engaged were literally Cut
TO pieces. that the army has been more than
cmated. and, worse than all. that the whole
calamity might have been averted II Gen Banks
had been possessed OF ordinary prudence and
military ssgacity. The Administration may bio "
and blusteI about another advance towards
Shreveport: but be assured that's an advance
is AL utter imposibllIty The army is utterly de
moraized and dlsorgsnized. The loss of officers
has been heavy, and the loss of guns and small
arms has been so considerable As TO render any
effective operations out of the question. The
whole Red River expedition will have TO be
abandoned until the army can be rt0rganlzed and
recruited. and, as there troops available
for the latter purpose, the expedition Is at all
end
The Confederate forces which defeated Banks
50 sgnaly are known TO number p 900 men
There is strong probability, therefore, that We
have not heard the last OF this affair, but that
Gen. Steeles column. also $1,000 or lb.OOO
strong, which was marching southwark to join
Gen Banks will also fail prey TO the COnted-
crates. which will constitute appropriate finale
TO the military career of Banks.
am satisfied too from what learn To day
from North Carolina. that. bad as our disaster
there has been. vet worse remains behind.
According 10 this authority. New0ern Is now
being. or soon will be. attacked both by land and
naval force in such strength To make all re
sisiance unavailing-
IL it be true. as is generally believed, that
Meade's army. augmented by the addition OF
Burnside's corps. is Ell route for the Rapdan
with the intention of crossing that stream, there
is no doubt there will be bloody conflict there;
but it will not he fought with the bulk OF Gen.
Lees army There was good ground for Gov.
Curtin's hurried trip TO Washington on the 2ith.
Ii NAV not be Gen Lees intention to invade
Pennsylvania at the present time. But II GER
tainly is his intention To draw General Meade :
army across the Rapidan; To engage it there
with part of his force, and with the main body
of his army to get on Meade's flank or rear. and
then either to attack the latter thus placing MIN
between two fires else TO make a bold push
toward W asNlngtOn. Oeh. Lee has up"hiu oi
95.00O troops, including body OF cavalry l6.0OO
strong. and both men and horses are in excellent
condition. His defensive works south OF the
Rapidan, and between that stream and the Cor
dou sville and Richmond Railroad, strong
and extensive and are mounted with so many
guns, that they can be held and defended by =
small proportion of his army while the main body
OF the army will be rapidly moved in another di-
rectiOn
Ii is understood 10 be Gen. Lees design "a
amuse and hold in check Gen Meade's army
with this portion of his force, and perhaps even
to fall back before the latter nearly to Richmond
while Gen. Lee himself, with his main body
strikes blow in a very different direction. To
this end of course, it will he Gen. Lees aim to
give TO the Federal commanded the idea that the
whole Confederate army is maSsed together south
OF the Rapidan.
All the stories sent to the New York press
about Gen Stusrts cavalry being in process OF
reorganization, and being in want of forage. etc.
are utter trash and nonsense. The work OF re-
organizing the cavalry of Gen. Lees army was
completed before the end of the winter, and
they have never been in want OF forage. For
more than week past the horses have lived al
most entirely upon grass, which Is abundant IN
all directions around the Confederate army, ex
cept in the immediate vicinity of the camps. II
i believed at Richmond that the disagreemeni'
at Fortress Monroe, between Gems. Smith anc
Butler. will prevent any harmonious action be-
tween them, aud will also render abortiye any
expedition toward Richmond by way of IN,
Peninsula They have. however no apprehen
sion of any such expedition.