Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-11-30
special correspondence Of the View York World
BALTIMORE. November d.

he following intelligence ia regard TO Gen.
Sherman's operations NAV be regarded as au-
thentic, and worthy Of credence II comes,
through Southern sources, from persons who are
perfectly cognizant Of the facts which they re
late Your readers will bear in mind that the
general impression at the North has been, that
in this whole affair the Confederates have been
surprised and out witted: and that what General
Sherman has done, has been of all things. lust
what they did no. expect that he would 10; that
they had expected him to move 10 an entirely
different direction; and that no provision has
been made, by the rebel leaders, for meeting or
frustrating the designs of General Sherman ip
this particular direction. A moments reflection
will convince any reasonable person that this
view OF the case is necessarily erroneous If
such view of the case were correct, il would be
tantamount to saying that the Confederate mill
tary leaders had lost that acumen. and that fac
ulty OF penetrating the designs OF their antagon-
lists. which has so remarkably distinguished them
during the war; and that they were, in a word,
no longer capable of reasoning correctly The
fact is. on the other hand. as will show present
~. General Sherman is doing now exactly what
General Lee and JEFF Davis and General Beau
regard supposed that he would have attempted
to do two months ago He is attempting moth
ing now that the rebel leaders did not expect
and have not provided for.
WHAT FOLLOWED THE CAPTURE OF ATLANTA.
Atlanta captured on the Sd of Septem-
Der. Gen. Sherman did not set out on his re-
cent expedition until the 10th Of November
Here was an interval of two months in the very
season of the year most favorable for military
operations because the roads then were good
and the fruits of the earth were in that condition
that movable column would have needed
scarcely any supplies at all to be carried with
them. What did the rebel leaders do with ref
A
Were they idle? Did thee sit gaping at the won
deriul conquerer of Atlanta and spend the time
in fruitless conjecture as 20 what Sherman would
do next? Let Us see.
SECRET COUNCIL OF WAR HFID AT RICHMOND.
Gen. Sherman proclaimed an armistce of
twenty days, and President Davis called secret
council of war, which assembled at Richmond
about the 10Th 18th of September This
council met and adjourned several times. and il
did not finally break up until the last of Oc;o-
I Der. Ii was composed Of seven or eight of the
most distinguished Southern generals, although
/ they were not all present at all OF the meetings
AT some of the meetings aides de-camp of some
generals at great distance. such as Magruder,
were present, and brought with them the views
and other important information OF these gener-
ais. AT this council the plans for the fall and
winter campaigns were matured, and one Of the
/ first steps agreed upon was that of placing Gen
/ Beauregard in command of the military division
OF the West, east of the Mississippi, comprising
the department of Georgia and Tennessee
GRANTS DELAY IN TAKING RICHMOND GIVES BEAU
REGARD PLENTY OF TINE AT THE WEST
! The plan of operations adopted by this council
OF war was not a settled and definite one. lt
depended upon contingencies: and il was owing
TO this fact that they were unable a
final decision sooner. And when they did final
ly break up, they obliged to come to a con
clusion which depended upon the movements of
both Grant and Sherman. aud for these move
ments they have been waiting from that day 10
this. The danger OF Petersburg aud Richmond
was not vet over. The season was Just the one
when a grand combined attack on their ca pital
might be expected. Grants army was known to
be in full force. and there was no earthly reason
why he should not made such attack Be-
sides. il was known at Richmond BY the 18th of
October that the 9th and 18th corps were to be
ordered TO join Grant before Petersburg, and il
was in order y prevent that that Early attacked
Sheridan the 18th.
WHAT THE REBELS THINK OF THE BATTLE OF &C.
roBER 81
Until il was certain that Grant had abandoned
the idea OF a grand combined attack on Rich
mond. il would not be safe to detach any troops
from that quarter, for service in the West; and
that did not become certain until after the 9th
of October However the loyal people of the
North may have been deceived about the battles
fought on that dav near Petersburg and Rich
mond. the rebel leaders not deceived They
knew what preparations General Grant made for
those battles They were convinced that he in
tended the battle at Hstcher's Run to be the
grand decisive battle of the campaign: that he
hoped that that battle would give him position
on the Lynchburg railroad. from which he could
turn the works defending Petersburg, and there
by capture that city; and that thereupon Rich
mond would fall
BEAUREGARD ORGANIZES HIS FORCES AND PRE-
PAREs TO CONFRONT SHERMAN.
General Beauregard. during all this time. had
not been idle. The two months DELAY that Sher
man compelled to make at Atlanta was
precious time to him, and he improved it to the
utmost. Spies and scouts brought TO him daily
intelligence OF what was going on in the hostile
lines. The recruiting OF troops in ali the States
in beauregard's der'-tm proceeded vigor-
ously; and although Beauregard lay sill and
made no sign, yet he was OF all OF Gen
eEal Sherman's movements, and when Atlanta
Was finally burned and abandoned, and General
Sherman set out on bis march, General Beaure
gard was already on his track knowing full well
the object that he had in view, and with a full
understanding existing between himself AMI Gen
Hood.
sHERxANs ROUTE AND DESTINATION KNOWN TO
BEAURE6ARD.
Sherman took with him full set Of tools and
appliances for tearing up and destroying rail
roads. But as be advanced toward Macon, he
did not hnd so much tor them as he expect;
ed. The Coniederstes had teen before him
They had not torn up the whole road, but they
had destroyed enough of il to render il useless as
railroad, and they had left enough OF il in good
order to detan Sherman several DAYS in com
pleting the work.
What means this destruction of their own rail
r0adsl Ii means that Shermans plans were
known to General Beauregsrd before the ormer
set out for Atlanta; and not only his destination
but the very route on which he intended TO move.
Impediments found on that route which
we're not expected; and although General Sher
mans fertility OF resources enabled him TO over
come them. still. they delased him.
BEaUEEeARp sKSDs TROOPS TO MEET SHERMAN AT
MACON
In the meantime Besuregsrd had been playing
q second game OF the evacuation of Corinth
Hood has thir;y-fve thousand men, General
Taylor fifteen thousand, Beauregard himself
fifteen Thousand more--sixty five thousand men /
in all, and all good troops For some time past |
both Beauregard and Hood have been making a
great show of force near Corinth Tuscumbia, |
and Florence. But, on the 18th instant il is
said Besuregsrd began 10 send troops of by the |
railroad. from Cornth TO Selma, in Alabama. IL
requires but glance a: the map 10 see the object
OF this movement From Selma 10 Macon there