Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-07-15

small and fBconsiderable Now let us suppose,
for moment, that this Il the truth. Would II
not prove that General Wallace and all his OIL
GERS are utterly incompetent. and that our soldiers
are pack Of arrant cossrdsf IL must be re-
membered that our force Is by no means small or
inconsiderable. Besides the troops originally IN
der Sigel. Tyler. and Mulligan. and those that
first sent from Baltimore, General Wal
lace was still further reinforced by large bodies
OF troops that arrived here on Wednesday and
"Wednesday night. | do not say wha, troops
these we're, or how they arrived here. whether
by land or BY water. where they came from.
But do assert that during the whole OF W ednes
day night, Tursday and Thursday night, trains
were constantly running from here TO Frederick
crammed full of troops. On the 9Th aud 9Th,
General Wallace must have had force capable
of holding ia check forty thousand rebels Yet
Mr. Stanton saws that ''our forces were overpow
cred by the superior numbers OF the enemy, and
were forced to retreat in disorder, after suffering
severe loss"
WALLACE As A GENERAL.
Now, know something Of General Wallace
He NAV have faults. as who has mott But he is
a brave and prudent general, cool in action, sa-
gacious to perceive the requirements OF his own
position and the weak or strong points of his ad-
versary. and with moral courage enough to re-
treat aud save his command, instead Of doggedly
fighting until his men uselessly sacrificed.
These is abundant testimony to show that on this
occasion be handled the large force under his or
ders with great ability; his dispositions were
skilful and timely; all Of his soldiers, except
raw volunteers fought splendidly; and he was
defeated simply, as the Secretary of War truly
states. by the superior forces of the enemy. The
position which he held at Monocacy bridge was
one that he might have held against the Confed-
crate force that advanced against him from Fred
W
The rebel cavalry that | mentioned in my letter
of July I, as having crossed the Potomac at a
point twenty miles above Washington, and being
extended in a line from Poolsvile to the nation
al road was joined, on he sth, BY a strong body
of rebel infantry which crossed q little below
Point of Rocks, and advanced to Clarksburg.
lf Gen. Wallace had waited few hours longer
before he retreated to Baltimore, his retreat
would have been cut off
HOW THE ADMINISTRATIONS EXPECTS TO SAVE BAL
TINoRE.
The people of Baltimore have been told every
morning COR the last week by the administration
organs that there was not the slightest danger
that the rebels would dare to advance on Balti-
more; that the numbers Of the rebels had been
greatly exaggerated: that il was doubtful ii there
were 5000 rebels in the whole movement; that
the rebels had retreated from Harper's Ferry y
and therefore could not possibly come toward
Baltimore that it was call bosh'' to suppose for
momen. that the main body of Lees army had
left Petersburg in order to make this movement;
and that the measures which the government had
taken would be sure to defeat the daring rebel
/ gang. and drive them out of MARYLAND
! This is what the people of Baltimore have been
! told to believe. To day they are informed by
their Mayor that 1.-THE danger which threatens
the city is imminent, and every loyal man must
at once prepare to meet it, The invading army
is approaching the city,. Sich is the Ian
guage of the Mayors proclamation. placarded
to day.
l have a right to speak the truth now, for j
have not failed TO do so in regard to this move
meDt since its commencement The appeal thus
made to the citizens is being molly responded to
Thousands of citizens have spent the whole of hi:
holy Sabbath day in laborng diligently, in the
broiling hot sun, upon the Notifications around
the city And if Baltimore is really attacked
they will Law down their lives there in defense oil
their beautiful city But if this is ALL it will be
useless sacrifice Ii this is all, the appeal ha:
been made too late. If the government Ia:
made no better provision for the defense of Bal
timore than it made to prevent the advance oil
the rebels TO our very gates then is idle to sx
pect that the citizens of the place, unused e
arms, can defend their city against Gen Lee:
| whole army
Ii is to be hoped that the government has
taken such measures as will insure the success
full defense of the city. The means of doing so
have been in the power of the War Department
for the last ten days. These means are ample
but have they been called into exercisel If they
have. the city will be saved. If they have not
it is Washington, and not Baltimore that is ia
imminent danger of capture.
THE PRESENT MOVEMENTS OF THE REBELS DIRECTED
/ TOWARD THE RAILROADS
From all that can learn to day, however, il
does not seem that the rebels have any intention
of attacking Baltimore Immediately. OF the ex
act condition of the city and its defenses the,
are correctly informed, as there were several
Baltimoreans in frederick at the time the rebel:
entered that place. They will no doubt, recon-
hotter the city, and Washington also.
What Col Mosby learned at that picnic which
he attended at Falls Church, only eight miles
from Washington, on the 9Th, and from the
owners Of the $50 valuable and trained cavalry
horses which he captured on the same day neal
Fairfax. will be worth far more to Gen. Lee thar
the horses themselves
But as long as the railroads from the north and
east continue to bring troops to Baltimore, il
will not be prudent for General Lee to attack
the city: and therefore. the first movements OF
the rebel commander will be directed to the seiz-
ure of those railroads The battle which will
decide the e, ents of the next few DAYS will proba
bly, be brought on, therefore, BY an attempt on
the part of the rebels to gain possession of these
roads.
i HAS MARYLAND HEIGHTS BEEN EVACUATED?
The proprety of evacuating MARYLAND Heights
which urged on the 9Th, is now painfully evil
dent. If that had been done at first and the
troops there concentrated on the railroads the
safety of those roads would have been absolute
ly secured. If. as is reported to day, MarylauC
4 Heights was evacuated Yesterday, and if the
troops there joined Wallace before the retreat Of
the latter, and if Wallace is allowed to make
the proper disposition of his troops, those roads
may yet be held until We are more strongly re-
inforced But if Sigel obeyed the instruction.
which the Administration papers said that Gen
Hunter had sent to him, to hold the Heights til
he joined him, and has remained there till to day
his whole force will be captured. l can hea
nothing reliable, however. either of him or o.
Hunter
1t is probable, as matters look now. that tn,
rebels NAV succeed in cutting the Harrisbur.
railroad, perhaps about ten or twenty miles nortl
Of this city. But il will be more difficult mat
ter for them to approach the Philadelphia rail
road Whatever troops there are at the North
however. should at once be hurried on here b,
way of Philadelphia. A strong force now, oil
the railroad between here and Havre de Grace
may be the means of saving not Baltimore only
but Washington also
THE LATEST.
| have just ascertaned that the Contederates
after following Wallace for some distance, turne,
the heads of their columns A little to the right