Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-09
80 80 u llt4 = . -IIIf
MAY 9, 1864.
GEN Lees Designs--wasbing ington 10 be
Attacked-cewbern w ern, N. c., To be Cap
tured-incompetenc of GEN. hanks.
Correspondence of the n. T. News.l

' HH
a lCorrespondence of the n. +. News.l f1s
- s.-e a'1s '-i WASHINGTON, April %.
II the information which have received to-
day is correct, and have no doubt that il is so,
Gen. Banks will deserve not only to be dismissed
from bis command, but also TO be court martiaed
for gross Incompetence. The people have not
yet been allowed TO see true statement OF the
recent disaster on the Red River But l have
the facts, and the War Department has them;
and, when they are published, they will show that
our losses have been frightfully severe; that
some Of the divisions engaged were literally Gu.
TO pieces; that the army has been more than
decmafed, and, worse than all, that the whole
calamity might have been averted If Gen Banks
had been possessed of ordinary prudence and
military sagacity. The Administration may blow
and bluster about another advance towards
Shreveport; but be assured that such advance
is an utter imposibllity. The army is utterly de-
morazed aud dsorganized. Theloss 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 bereorganized and
recruited, and, rs there no troops available
for the latter purpose, the expedition is at an
end. alst,a ai -
The Confederate forces which defeated Banks
so sgnally are known to number 26,0O0 men
There is a strong probability. therefore. that we
have not heard the last of this affair, but that
Gen. Steele's columa, also. l5,0O0 or l6.000
strong. which was marching southwark to join
Gen. Banks, will also fail prey 10 the Conted-
crates. which will constitute appropriate finale
TO the military career OF Banks 3f,
am satisfied too, from what / learn to day
from North Carolina, that, bad as our disaster
there has been, yet worse remains behind" T"
According to this authority, Newbern is now
a = n 4
naval force, in such strength as to make all re
sistance unavaing.
Ii it be true, is generally believed, that
Meade's armv. augmented by the addition OF
Burnsides corps, is Ell route for the Rapidan,
with the intention of crossing that stream M there
il 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 buried trip to Washington on the oath
II may not be Gen. Lees intention to invade
Pennsylvania at the present time. But il Ger
tainly is his intention to draw General Meade's
army across the Rapidsn; to engage it there
with part of his force, and with the main body
of his army To get on Meades flank or rear, and
then either to attack the latter (Ihus placing him
between two fres) or else TO make bold push
toward Washington. Gen. Lee has upward of
9500O troops. including body of cavalry $1,000
strong. and both men and horses are in excellent
Rapidan, and between Iha: stream and the Cor
donsville and Richmond Railroad, are so strong
and extensive, and are mounted with so many
guns, that they can be held and defended by a
small proportion of his army while the main bod
OF the army viii be rapidly moved in another di-
rection. M ....., ....ssr
1t is understood to be Gen Lees design to
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 very different direction. To
this end of course, it will be Gen Lees aim to
give to the Federal commander the idea that the
whole Confederate army is massed together south
! OF the Rapidai. r-.tz $50.
about Gen Stuarts 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.
cept in the immediate vicinity of the camps. It
i believed at Richmond that the disagreements
at Fortress Monroe, between Gems. Smith aud
Butler will prevent any harmonious action be-
tween them, aud will also render abortiye any
expedition toward Richmond BY way Of the
sion of any such expedition.