The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-02-04
The Rebel Plans.
What the Rebels Propose to dO-Invasion
OF the North Recommended and Prob
ably Decided UpOn-PreseRt and Pros
peetive Strength OF the Rebel Armies.
orrespondenoe Of The St. I.ouis Republican.

An individual arrived mere from
Richmond a day or two ago, who pro-
fesses to be well posted upon the affairs
of the rebel War Department; and,
having given me the benefit of his in
] lay it before the public.
In regard to the degree Of reliability
to be attached to this account, / can
only say that l know he occupied q
position at Richmond, until very re-
Gently, which afforded him good op-
portunity to become correctly posted
upon the subjects referred to, and fur
ther, that | have the best reason to
believe his Information has been com
municated to the War Department,
where it received that marked consid-
Grafton showing its Importance.
From him learn that the news of
the powerful and successful efforts of
the rebel leaders to largely increase
their armies, heretofore received by
mo and published in this correspon-
donce, is strictly true. A sweeping
conscription has already commenced
in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama
and Mississippi, and will soon be en-
forced in North Carolina and Virginia,
which places in the army every male
between the ages of sixteen and fifty
five, capable Of military service. In
the first four States the State authori-
ties are cooperating with the Rich
mond officials in advance of the final
action of the Confederate Congress-
In North Carolina the conscription
has not been commenced, and will not
be until the existing difficulties be-
tween the State and Confederate Gov
ernmcntsarc amicably adjusted; strong
efforts to that end are now being inau-
gurated; while in Virginia the opera
tions of raising new levics will not be
commenced until it is asccrtaincd how
many fighting males are left, the OBJ
jcct being not to enforce the conscript>
lion so sweepingly within her bounda-
RES, in consideration Of the large lcv-
les she has already devoted to the war;
and the sacrifices she has made to the
cause.
This conscription, though exhaus-
tive to the very last, and manitestly
an admission that the prospects OF the
; Confederacy are now in do-or-dit
condition, is not as unpopular Will
those whom it affects, as represented
, While u spirit Of dissatisfaction is OF
! ten displayed, and in few instance
open resistance, an attitude OF oppo
sition is by no means general among
; the masses. The rebel leaders hav'
not concealed the desperate condition
, of their cause from the people, ant
I the latter, though their confidence O
final success is much shaken, refuse tt
= admit the time has come to despair
), They admit the necessity Of last AM
desperate effort, and the majority ar
:, determined to stand by the Confeder
ate Government to the end.
In recent letter, | stated it wa
" expected this conscription will rails
" ono hundred thousand new recruits
II Ny informant states the increase
l. the rebel armies thereby will be muc
y greator--at least one hundred an
twenty y-fvo thousand perhaps Gu
&c hundred and fifty thousand. On
g hundred and twenty y-fvo thousan
u will make the total forces of the rcbe
Is lion on this side of the Mississippi a
10 aggregate oftwo hundred and seventy
III five thousand troops-an eXtraordlni
Is ry number under the circumstances; bv
tho following estimate Of troops in I'll
8 field at this time will show it is not c.
|, aggcration, provided tho ultimate II
~ suits of the conscription arc correct
81 Gen. Ice has torty-fvc thousan
IN troops in the army of Northern vi
II ginia, to which must bo added te
Y, thousand scattered throughout ii
ii State. In North Carolina there n
&c five thousand State troops, and te
s' thousand Confederate. Bcaurcgal
so has fourteen thousand at CharlestC
OF and Savannah. At Mobile, there is
he force of three thousand. All the cor
en- mands in Mississippi and Alabama
no mount to fifteen thousand. Johns(
W. has thirty thousand in Northern Geo
gia, and Longstrect twenty eight tho
sand in East Tennessec-the who
o" amounting to about one hundred N
fifty thousand veteran troops.
! This force of one hundred and fiji
} thousand veterans arc relied upon
GO the last resource Of the rebels in the
lei desperate extremity, and it alone W
Ter be employed in fighting the Spri
ey campaign. All detached commands
ng veterans will be sent to the main
es,, mics, and the weakest regiments on
ad will be held back and filed up wi
nd conscripts to guard the forts, railroa
- &C., and to occupy positions in the re
'uS of the troops engaged IN active wi
III fare.
yes Gen. Lee arrived in Richmond
OF the I'd day of this month, and rema
1gs ed nine days, during which time
les was in constant consultation with j.
20, Davis and the rebel War DEPARTING
bel in regard to the military condition a
gla prospects of tho ConfederaOy, and
di, the plans to future operations-t
ned the Spring campaigns.
md 1t was admitted by all parties
He these consultations that the prosp
red of the success was gloomy in the
Dps, treme; that tho affairs OF the Cont
to eracy had reached desperate eri
re- which could only bo passed in saf
e2H- h., tb s,,ooassf,1 adaniiOn Of tho M