Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-12-17

adt-hfeOhnoigtgnCf on OTdnft Hft-d
Demonstration Against Buffers Linss-Tke
Situation in TeHnsssss--HOod Determined 10
ReeOSer he STATE
[Cotressoneefce " the New YORK NeWs.,
The object OF the expedition which, under
General Warren moved south from the LEFT of
the Petersburg line on the 9Th inst. has not yet
been dlyulged by those 10 whom the secret was
conhded IL Is evident. however. from the course
taken by Warren. that he intends 20 operate on
The railroads which connect North Carolina with
the Confederate capital. This movement j. an
Initial feature Of the plan wheh Grant has formed
with The view o. compelling the evacuation Of
Petersburg, and a. - the when Gen. Grant
makes move Of any kind. il Is by many per
sons expected TO produce results Of the highest
importance.
TIE column with which Warren il now NOV
ing toward Weldon consists of his own corps. the
fifth, one division OF the second corps, now com
mauded by Gen Humphrios. and two brigades Of
the second cavalry division. in all about twenty
i've thousand men This column has been pro.
visoned for long march, being accompanied by
an extensive wagon train carrying supplies and
ammunition, and considerable number Of beef
cattle. 1t Is believed here that several days will
eiapse before any direct intelligence is received
from the expedition, and ia the meantime, the
only information OF IT. progress which shall reach
the North will come through Richmond papers.
The fact that Grants army has been largely
reinforced since the first of this month is now
so generally known, North and South, that there
can be no improperly 10 abiding TO the sources
from which these re endorsements were received.
The Middle Military division has been stripped
OF a considerable part OF the army which was
employed watching the movements of Early, aud
the troops thus removed are now in readiness
To assist in the next grand movement against
Richmond A large number OF substitutes, con
scripts aud conyaescents have also been sent 20
the trent. and there is good reason to believe
that the number OF troops now before Richmond
is great as the Army Of the Potomac contained
at the crossing OF the Rapidan
The canal nj Dutch GAP which WAS 10 have
been completed three months ago. is now so tar
advanced that one days labor will make il III to
be used The advantages 20 accrue from il
are. to 4 considerable extent, visionary; but il
is highly probable that the facilities which il
will afford for the operation of the gunboat
fleet, will enable Grant to deal more vigorous
blows against the Richmond defenses than any
recorded since he crossed the James in June
last
The TWO reconnoissances made against the
right of Lees lines and the counter reconnois.
right. were not followed by anything more IN
portant than heavy skirmishing and about 100
casualties
The cavalry force sent out on the 9Th did not
succeed in getting close To the enemy ) lines be
yond Halcher's Run and therefore returned 20
camp the same night Next day Miles went OUT
in the same directdYand, as an engagement was
expected to follow, division Of the 9th corps
followed at supporting distance.
Miles succeeded in throwing part of his d.
vision across the run, after which he carried a
right line Of entertainments. and proceeded 10
make a thorough reconnaissance Of the left OF
Lees position. While engaged in this way,
Miles learned that strong body OF the enemy
was moving up to meet him, and as il was nor
his purpose to bring on a heavy light. he re
crossed the run and retired toward hs former pc
sition. His loss was about seventy all told.
Full particulars OF the demonstration made on
Buffers line have no, yet been received, but
sufficient Is known 70 satisfy Us that Butler :
pickets were driven in. and some Of his advance
works carried These were held until the enemy
had completed his reconnaissance. after which
they were reoccupied by our troops The object
of this demonstration was TO ascertain Grant
strength on the north side Of the James and iH
this respect Il vas quite as successful as that
by Miles on the right,
The city is again full of fumors OF an intend
ed demonstration On<be upper Potomac Ii il
merely the old story that has suffered a semi
monthly revival during the last year, and is not
now regarded as worthy of more than a passing
notice II the intelligence received some days
ago is correct, the Confederate force now in the
Valley is not strong enough for an important 20
gressive movement There il no doubt that
Early has sent the greater part of his corps to
Richmond and points further south. aud should
any demonstration be made. il will be by small
bodies of cavalry. Breckenridge NAV have
joined Early, but il he has. il IS not positively
known here
The advices from Tennessee are not calculated
to confirm tha assurance that the situation is
favorable" Thomas's army. eooped up in Nash
vile, Is unable to take step, except, toward the
North and Hood. who was 'repulsed with terri
ble slaughter" at Franklin, is threatening to
march into Kentucky, and thereby compel Thorn
a. to abandon the whole State of Tennessee
west of Knoxville 1t is now finally admitted
that the Federal loss in the battle 90 franklin,
was two thousand hundred and sixty five,
and that of this number one thousand were cap
tured- This is strange commentary on the
dispatch sent TO Nashville BY Gen. Schoheld,
ard IS another proof that from chef TO censor,
those who manufacture military reports either
cannot or will not tell the truth
The posts of hurfreesboro and Chattanooga
AT last accounts held by Generals kOsseau and
Meagher, will have to be abandoned. Hood has
no intention of wasting time in an attempt to re-
duce Nashville by siege. When his arrange
ments are perfected, be will move nOrthward
against the railroad running to Louisville The
late demonstration on Murireesboro shows that
he is determined to accomplish his object OF re
covering Tennessee, aud that he will do il by
series of maneuvers. similar to those which car
red him north from JOnesboro When he strikes
the Louisville and Nashville railroad, Thomas
will be compelled 10 eyacuate the latter, and re
treat to Kentucky He may succeed in bringing
his army of in safety, but this - no, by any
means certain
The report that Beauregard Is advancing on
Memphis is regarded with doubt Hood is be
Ieved to be equal to the task OF recovering Ten
nessee, and il is thought Shermsn's operations in
Georgia will keep Besuregard in that State.
Southern papers state that he was at Macon on
the 4th instant. but he may have goe TO Ten
nes-ee since that date II would be we'll to wait
for further news from Memphis before believing
the report that lie IS advancing on that place.
WYOMING