Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-10-13
lens taaI.ls.s d De 1910 ysn..

Gusfaalttsof De SeE ISf. Sews.
WAsnlysroN. Oct. :
Matters Ia the Shenandoah Valley are hot
working smoothly. The Government has tc-
eeived intelligence from General Sheridan. not
outstanding its denial OF that fact. aud the 10
telligence j. not 80 agreeable a. was hoped for.
The success Of CRAFTS plans against Petersburg
depended on the success OF Sheridan in the val
lev; and as the latter has now met with a re
pulse. the recent movements OF Grant against
Richmond sill have 20 be abandoned. The fdli
extent OF the misfortune which has befailen
Shtridan's army has not yet transpired; but il is
said that he has fallen back TO S,rasburg; and
tbst Tie situation IN tie VALLEY Is so critical that
Grant has gone TO Harper's Ferry in person for
the third time; or that be will soon 60. One
thing is yer, certain. the losses which General
Sheridan's army sustained. from the 18Th TO the
29th ult, were far more severe than the country
has any idea Of: the losses. too, falling upon the
officers and troops Of the mos. effective organi
cations. Some OF the New York and New Ter
sey regiments which had one thousand men when
General sheridan took the command nov have
less than three hundred some brigades instead
Of being 1000 strong, can only muster ! 200
men. The loss among the officers IS very heavy
In one division nearly haif of the officers are
killed aud wounded. These facts arc learned
from wounded Officers who have reached Har-
per's Ferry.
III easy 10 zee. therefore, how, With bis army
ia eucn a condition, General Sheridan was anable
TO withstand the onset of Gen. Longstreet,
and was obliged to retire but II is difficult to
see how, IL Longstreet has as many troops as is
reported-35, 00O-and all well disciplined-Sher.
idan can stop in bis retrogade movement until
he reaches Winchester. II the reports of Long
streets movements which have reached here are
true, it Is evident that. for some purpose or other,
Gen. Lee j. determined to regain possession Of
the whole Valley, and TO hold il until winter Gets
in. and, og course, to destroy again the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad. Ia may be that the Interior
purpose which he has in view is all attack on
arlington. But there l. little doubt that his
present purpose is TO cause Grant to abandon his
operations against Petersburg aud Richmond.
From what l can learn from Grants army,
that purpose has already been accomplished to
some extent The Government carefully sup
presses all news f.om the James River, nor Will
it permit any Richmond papers TO be sent up.
But from persons just from City Point ! learn
that the facts which we're stated IN my last letter
are substantially correct, aud that Grants army
has fallen back to the positions II occupied ten
days ago.
The stories about the speedy evacuation oi
Richmond, and about any want of provisions
there. are known Is all we'll informed persona il
the army to be entirely without foundation IN
fact. The present movement of Grant against
Richmond was regarded 10y the administration as
one that would certainly result in the fall of the
rebel capital, and The modification and chtgrin
which his failure has caused here. is excessive
No wonder gold advanced yesterday six per cent
A few days ago the administration were deiuding
themselves and the c0uaIry with the belief that
the rebellion was on its last legs, that Lees
army was entirely insufficient 10 repel Grants
advance, aud that a few days more would see
that army defeated and routed But the events
of the last few days have proved that neither
Richmond nor Petersburg will be taken this
tine; that Lees srny, Tor defensive PURPOSES, is
stronger than Grants. dat the strategy of Lee
j. FAR superior io the shtiloN expe1ients OF
Grant; and tha, tie end 81 TIE var j. a. Tar of
now - i was = ytsr ago
MALcoLM