Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-07-04
SITUATION OF TIsE ARMIES
REAL ATTITUDE or THE 'ARMfEs BEFORE PETERS,
BuEG-CONDITIoN or THE RAILROADS LEADING
TO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT CONDITION or GENERAL
sHERMAN's ARMY
Correspondence Of the New York News
WASHINGTON, June 30, 1861

IT,
WASHINGTON, June 30, 1861
have the authority of an officer of the army
just from the front for saying that the statement
THAT General Grants army has been swung
around NJ Petersburg, from the right 10 the left,
aud that our left wing rests upon the Peters
burg and Weldon railroad. p" il entirely inaccurate
and incorrect That was, indeed, the object OF
the recent attempted flank movement of the Odd
But that attempt failed and it has not been re-
newed since. Our left still rests on the Peters
burg and Norfolk reilroad, at point about three
miles south east OF Petersburg. All attempts
that have been made to move any portion of our
army any further to the south or west of Peters
burg have signally failed. General Lee seems
TO tho south or west. Whenever any such move
ment has been attempted. it has always been met
by bodies OF the enemy in superior force. and the
attempt thus frustrated
On the 18th instant General Lee re ceived a
considerable accession of troops NJ Petersburg
They consisted OF five regiments. who had been
at Lynchburg until the 23d instant Their
services there were no longer required. as the
permanent safety OF Lynchburg is now regarded
as secured. They report that General Nichols
is still following up the retreat of Hunter with
vigor
The attempt which the Administration is now
making to deceive the public in relation to the
railroads in Virginia. is absurd. for il is impossi-
BILE to conceal the real facts. Mr. Stanton SAYS:
"All The railroads leading into Richmond are de
sttOyed. and some of them badly" Perhaps the
Secretary will condescend TO explain how a rail
road can be DESTROYED" aud vet no, be in as
bad a condition as those that are badly de-
stroyed." 1t is my duty to state. however, that
not single one OF the railroads leading into
Richmond is destroyed: and furthermore that all
fhp a hat hos hoan tn, HON, ho-
fully repaired: and that they are all, every one
of them, with the single exception of the one
from Fredericksburg, in full possession of the
COniederates, aud in actual and daily operation
The greatest damage that was done to any of
them. was that effected at Burkesvie by Gen
Wilson, but that a week ago The Confed-
federate construction corps at once proceeded TO
the spot, and the damage was repaired, as
learn, by the 2Sth and trains are now running
past that place rs usual, between Lynchburg and
Richmond The same is the case with the rail
road between Lynchburg and Gordonsville, and
between Gordonsville and Richmond by the way
of Trevalian and Hanover Jusction. There are
bodies of Confederate troops besides on these
roads, who it is said, will prevent any repetition
of acts of destruction As for the road between
Richmond and Petersburg. Mr.. Stanton knows
perfectly well that il is i'm running order. and in
full operation
No later intelligence has been received from
General Sherman than that contained in my let
ter yesterday. The anxiety in regard TO his fu
ture movements. therefore. continues to be i'm
tense. Ii Is stated now that although he has a
a suffciency Of supplies for the present, vet that
so many of his large supply trains have been cap.
tured, recently, that very soon he will begin to
run short of provisions When il Is considered
over how long lire his supplies have to be trans
ported. and how liable his supply trains are to be
intercepted by the Confederate cavalry. it will be
seen nj once that this is a matter Of 40 small mo
ment. Ii is stated that his recent attack upon
the strong position of the COuiederates was made
actually necessary by the fact that il was mpos-
sible for him 10 remain inactive any longer. The
longer he remains where he IT, with the enemy
in full force in his 'front.' and with their large bo-
dies of cavalry operating upon his lines of com
municatiOn, the more difficult will his task be
and the less able will he be TO provide for the
support of his army. The public can now COM
prehend the significance of the strategy of Gen
Johnston. in retiring step by step before the
Union army. until he has drawn the latter TO
point so distant from their supplies that their
commander feels that he must fight, even n
disadvantage because his only alternative is to
fight or 20 withdraw MALCOLM