Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-07-09
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
CONFEDERATE IN STRONG FORCE Vt MARTINI
BURG, But WAITING FOR FUR1HER REINFORCE
MENTs-No INDICATION or THEIR TERROR PUR-
POSE YET-PROBABILITY OF d ToSsTRATIOS
TOWARDS WASHINGTON BY GENERA LEE.
LCorres pondeDce of the New York.News.l
ARLINGTON. july ,, leGi

AoHiNGToN, JUN a. lCut.
The position OF aft nrs tins morning. in the di-
rectiOn OF Harper's Ferry. is decid tiy interest
ing Whatever may be the desigus!Of the Con
federates. and Whatever i the ii .tren- IN and
composition of their forces they hite succeeded
up to this time, in b. Cd ng all conjecture. and in
cuncealinS both their strength anu t'eir designs.
That they are in considerable force Z beyond all
doubt. General Siyel is not great. general, but
he is prudent aud brave, and his iOIse is reall,
respectable both in numbers aud di-li2li He
has met the enemy ANA endeavored 40 hold him
in check. But he has been deedtGtl. and com
PEELED TO retreat to Harpers Ferry ara this would
not have been the case unless the Confederate
force had greatly outnumbered his oNn.
The attack upon MarIinsburg VI not made
suddenly. General Slgel had amplV warning OF
the approach oil the Confederates, snade what
preparations were in his bower, and Photographed
to the officers of the Baltimore an. 0nio Rail
road Company here. that the iatsr saved all
their rolling stock There was large number
OF cars and several locomotives ut .artInsi.urg,
aud these we've all brought To Biltit.ore in sale
~ That General Sgel deleatt. anu com
PEELED To retreat, not his fault. D. the fault
of the adm nisiration. in expecting IA To guard
such an important line OF railroad VI b so made
quate force.
The Union forces Oh ami near Ihz line of the
railroad, aud available for operatunz az tinSt Tie
C0nlederateS are those at Cumbef aud unIer
Gen. Kelly; at II ,gerstown under (Sen. Couch:
Hnper's Ferry under Gen. Mas: Weber; at
Frederick under Gen Tyler: and THESE ia garri-
son at b Al more or course, il weld be i'm
proper Tor me TO say any thing HbOut.he hum' er
of thee. what dispositions have been mace OF
them Ii i an unfortunate creum ance, how
ever, that some OF them are in &c Hunters
Department. that otticer i too far If 10 be of
any service IN this crls>. Gen flace, Com
mauder OF the middle Department. has acted
with great prOmptEeSs and energy ins the matter
OF forwarding troops from Baltimore. ami ii the
cunielerates have really penetrated Into Mary
land, and attempted 10 invade PennsN lvania,
they will meet with warm reception
That they will do 50. however. is Abe impress
sion OF those whose opportunities of moving are
the best Il i impossible "a yet, t. let hold of
any definite facts But the im4reS>isn OF we'll
informed persons Is. that the COnfe,arat iOrce
engaged Ia this movement consists u the whule
of Gen. E@ell's corps. Bleekinridges brigade
from Lvnchburg under Gen Nichols. lmnoleu' :
cavalry, and Mp>by's mounted me. and hat
there are still ther bodies Couied-r rate troops
moving up the valley. from Hairisislburg and
Strssburg to join them The forces 1T enumer-
ated amount alone To 1900 men. there IS
really that humber OF Confederate trtV pS NJ Mar
/ tinsburg. there be doubt tn their pur-
I pose Is 10 invade Maryland OF PenntSlva OF
4 else 10 altack Baltimore Ii there |. not that
I many il * hard TO understand zshy Sisel,
/ with MS own troops and those under Kelly. Weber
and fyler should be compelled To res eat before
! them.
IT it should prove that the moyeu2 hit is made
by OF der of Gen Lee. aud that it seen! to thie,t
/ Ell Washington Baltimore, then dkre sill be
/ ground Tor the gravest apprehensOns. There Is
/ no reason tn believe tiiat this is intended
mere diversion Il Is either simply = reconnoi-
/ sauce or else it Is SteO Iiken by GAieral LIE
/ for u Q defense OI Richmond by making evil
deut hat our own capital is in danger Its well
/ 10 remember that from the commencement uf
+ this campaign against chmond, il = Teen un-
/ der>tOod that IN no event was Gen L. u army TO
+ ALLOW themselves TO be cOoped uD wit NJ e Tor
tihcations OF that city Richmond is 4oltItied in
( such a manner that It's successful deiek-e, during
a siege of many weeks wiil require within it,
walls only about p. tOU or 30 non pops, and
during this tine there is nothing taoFe nat.
ural than 10 suppose that Gen Leek with the
I main body OF his army, wills m Ike semonstra-
] ton of some Kind toward W ash ngtOn:.
Il must toe made. when it i m de. by way OF
the Shenandoah VALLEY, and day oA wo more
will determine whether this affir : o j. not the
first step of such a movement. liz j. tie within
ten. Lees power 10 mske such mov1nent, and
indeed. il may have been IN progress for some
day past The railroads from Pet rsburg 10
Richmond aud from Richmond 10 q ;dOn>yille,
"a well "a that from L,nciiburg To Chf louisville
and Gordonsvlle are in fell oper iion. For
aught that is known to the contrary a .,Onsiaera.
4 bic portion OF Gen Lees troops NAV have been
+ already brought 10 Gordiusvie over these roads,
and nav nov be mtrching up the Wiley At
present Gen Ea ell seems 10 be waitin: the arri
Val OF more iroops before he gives an4 Indication
OF aha; hi next move will be LcoLH