Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-10-15

Poplar Grove Chcrch. the point seired by Gen.
Wsrrens COPS 90 the 30th uif.. wa said~so be
on the ~Lynchbgrg railroad. Ths vas only one
Of the many falsehoods BY which the public
we're deceived. Poplar Grove Church. the poin,
where Wsrren's corps Il nov entrenched. Is not
near that railroad. Is Is four miles south Of il.
one mile west of the Weldon railroad and Eve
miles south Of the western suburb Of Petersburg.
Another and more recent faisebood palmed Of
upon the public is. that the left Of our line ia
within sight and sound Of The Lynchburg rail.
road. On the contrary. as l have said. we are
four miles from that road. which ia used daily
and hourly by trains running between Petersburg
and Lynchburg by way OF Burkesville 1t Was
indeed one of the obi ects which Gen. Grant had
IN view in making bis recent movements, to
seize that road, thereby hoping to cut of all the
supplies Tor Petersburg which are brought BY il.
But Gen. Lees arrangements for its defense en-
abled him 10 battle Grant there, a at every other
point.
Until within a few DAYS ago, il seemed proba-
BILE that the Confederate Generals would be con
tent with having repulsed the attacks that were
made by both ends Of Grants long line. But il
was evident that in thus extending and weaken
ing his line, and interposing two broad rivers be.
tween his two wings, Gen. Grant had committed
a fatal blunder; and of this Gen Lee prepared
70 take advantage On the tn the positions Of
B!rney and Ord were attacked by the confeder-
ates, who advanced for that purpose from Rich
mond. / am aware that Butler telegraphed TO
the war department yesterday that this attack
bad been ~reDulsed: but the account that has
reached mo from other sources IL different. This
account states that what Blrney repulsed was a
reconnaissance and that afterwards the confed-
crates IN superior force attacked the positions Of
Birney aud Ord, carried them. and compelled our
two corps to retreat. Ii is reported further that.
on the succeeding night the two corps recrossed
the river and rejoined Grants main body south
of Petersburg. The report has not been con-
hrmed, and il may be premature; but ! am in,
Olined to believe il,
Reinforced to the utmost possible extent. as be
has been. Grant cannot have more than loo. 900
men in his FIVE corps. aud of these fully one half
are raw recruits. The full extent of his forces
has never been made public. They have been as
follows: In the overland campaign, from May
4th to June l4th, including the battles on the
river 20. at Spottsylvanis, on the North Anna,
at Cold Harbor, and on the Chickahominy, So,
600 men from the l4th OF June to the Both of
July, including the terrible fighting OF the 18th
10th and 18th of June, and the "littIe affair" of
the mine, 30 900 men; from the lst of August to
the 2cth of September, including the aGai. OF
Hancock's corps, on the north SIDE of the James
river. Aug. l4th 20 18th. and the affairs on the
Weldon railroad, Aug. 18Th to Goth, 20, 900 men
finally, losses in the recent movements. ID 900
men; and troops whose time has expired and who
have gone home, 5000; total, l60 900 men
Gen. II. NJ. Nsglee, who knows all about it, puts
the total loss at $50. 900. but does not include ia
those figures the men whose tine mas expired
and who haze gone home Gen. Grant com.
meneed mis- campaign with a moveable column OF
iTO, 600 troops, including $50 600 in the army OF
the Potomac under Gen Meade. md &C. 900 in the
two corps OF Gen. Badly Smith and Gen. Gilmore
He was reinforced, before the end of June, 10y
J $4,000 troops drawn from Texas. Arkansas,
Missouri, Louisiana, Florida and North and
South Carolins, and between the LIST Of July and
the 18th of August. by 5000 more. Finally. hs
has been reinforced, between the 10Th of Angus
and the Goth Of September, by $4,000 Substitutes
and conscripts
He has now, therefore, 100 900 men. But only
so 900 Of them are reliable troops. and of thi:
fact Gen. Lee is well aware. Nothing is more
probable, therefore, than that he has formed thu
design of attacking one of Grants wings with q
greatly superior force, and of crushing il before
il can be reinforced from the other. IL this i:
his design. hs attack will be made, of course, OF
Grants right, where he is the weakest.
, There is q large proportion Of negro troops IN
Birney's corps. and. although Birney and ORE
may have 10000 troops between them, YET thu
probability is tina. one-half OF them are negroes
and consctipts.
The Confederate lines at Petersburg. on tb,
other hand can be safely held by 25 900 troops
Ii Is within Lees ability. therefore. to concen
trate IS 900 troops at Richmond. in order TO crush
2 the two corps Of Rirpey and Ord. and this il
!, probably what he Gid do. or attempted 10 do OF
the Tth inst. The result will be known BY tn,
time this reaches you. <.