Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-08-22

day, which, as il is perfectly reliable, give you
just as received it, When | have the facts
which know to be such. believe il best to
| give them plainly and simply, even if thew con
fict somewhat with previously expressed views.
Ii is all very well to wish for the existence of a
certain state of things But facts are stubborn
things; and il is weak and foolish 10 ignore what
really does exist.
ABANDONMENT OF THE SIEGE or PETERSBURG.
II is understood, then, at Richmond. that Gen.
Grants army is being removed from Petersburg,
and, with all his siege guns. cavalry and mate
rial OF all kinds is being transferred TO some
other point. The heavy guns and horses, as
we'll as the troops, are embarked on board of
transports At City Point, and sail down the
james river in full view OF tho gunners at the
rebel batteries on the north bank of the river
Where these troops are going, however, is as
much a mystery to the people at Richmond as
il is to the loyal people at the North Military
people and the rebel leaders generally, believe
that the Army OF the Potomac is destined to
make fall campaign on the river whose name
they bear and that this will be so because Gen.
Grant has discovered their plan for the fall cam
paigD and is taking early measures TO defeat il.
These measures, they cay, will be rendered abor-
/ tive by the success of their plans in the West
which success they consider assured beyond all
| douot
WHAT THE REBELS SAY ABOUT GENERAL EARLY
| They knew when the cavalry under General
! Sheridan was detached from the army at Peters
| burg. and when il reached Harper's Ferry; they
knew when General Grant was in Washington,
and when he WAS at Harper's Ferry; they believe
! that all the operations in the Shenandoah Val
| ley, on our side, are being directed by General
| Grant himself that his presence at Petersburg is
only temporary and to keep up appearances; and
that i'll very few weeks General Grant and his
whole staff will be in active employment in the
/ Shenandoah Valley. They laugh AZ Sheridan 3
pursuit Of Early To know that SO far as the re-
capture Of any plumber is concerned, that is out
Of question, because Early 5 wagon trains and
droves of horses and cattle had long since reached
the railroad, aud are far beyond pursuit.
And, as regards any engagement between the
| forces of Early and Sheridan, they believe none
will take place this side of Gordonsville, be-
cause Early's orders are 10 fell back 10 that place
without giving battle.
ORG ASIzATIoN Oh EARLYs FORCES.
| General Early has &c, 600 troops. namely the
four infantry divisions of Major Generals Whar-
ton, Gordon, Breckenridge, and Rhodes (these
divisions, with the artillery sttached to them, arc
/ II little over 900 strong, and the cavalry brig
| AIDES of Generals Imboden, jackson, Vaughan,
/ and McCauslaud, each little Owe 900 strong.
! General Ransom commands a brigade in Rhodes :
| division This force of 20 900 men constitutes
! Ewelrs old corps of General Lees army, aud
will be commanded again by General Ewell as
soon "a that officers health is restored. General
! Early, however, il is said, will never have com
mand of a simple division again. He has dis
played such signal ability in carrying out General
Lees plans in the North, and those plans, Snder
! his command have been so successful as will ap-
1 pear below. that il is said, lie will ALWAYS have
! command of full corps, at least.
EARLY TO BE REINFORCED.
On arriving at Gordonsvle. however, il is said
that General Early will find a reinforcement OF
two divisions from Lees army, probably those
of Kershaw and Hoke, of Beauregard's corps,
amounting to fourteen thousand troops. which
will thus raise Early's forces to about thirty five
/ Thousand troops
sur TO Refine 70 GoRDoNsvILLE.
/ 1t is not believed OF Richmond that General
Sheridan with his present force, will move as
far down the valley TO Gordonsvile, unless he
! is reinforced by SOME more troops from Grant -
army. In case the Union troops advance to
Gordonsville, however, in whatever force they
NAV coma i, is understood to be General Early :
/ orders to hold that place and 20 give battle to
/ General Sheridan. Ii is said that General Lee is
now at Gordonsyille; and there is little doubt
! that whether he is there not. his plans
I involve the reinforcement of General Early there
TO such an extent as will enable the latter 20 bold
that place permanently.
WHAT TIE REBELS SAY ABOUT sESKRAL GRANT.
! II il believed at Richmond that tho reasons
which have induced General Grant TO abandon
the siege of Petersburg arise less from a convic
ton of the hopelessness OF that undertaking thar
from the conviction that General Lee has trans
ferred the main body Of his army to some other
theater Of operations, and that bis design is TO
overwhem Sheridan in the Valley. and then to
move north, and either to invade Pennsylvania
or else endeavor 10 capture Washington. II
these are the views upon which the present move
meuts of Gen Grant are based they partly
right and partly wrong Bot they are so far
wrong that action based upon them NAV ret lead
to very grave consequences.
GAN LxE'- ARMY Is NOT 10 rHE vsLLET-
II is true that the main body Of General Lees
army is No longer at Petersburg; j, is true tina,
Gen Lees plans require his whole army TO be
in the Shenandoah valley early in the fall; but /,
i not true that there anv more rebsl troops
there nov than the thirty five thousand men,
toned above
KKr TO TIN MOVEMENTS or gHk EEBKL CaiEFrAis.
II your readers will turn u my letters Of June
-. and July 90 and y, they will nnt thsrein the