Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-09-05

DALIiMDhEs ANEerA -
THE SITUATION o. TRE UPPER PoroMsc
The maneuvers Of General Early for the last
few days have been made with the view 10 cause
General Sheridan 20 leave the position that his
army occupied az Harper's Ferry. and 10 move
southvsrds IL would seem that this design has
been successful-partially so. at least. Ii is un-
derstvod here to-day that the Confederate forces
have disappeared from Sheridan's front, and are
supposed 10 have retreated TO Slrasburg. IL Is
added by people Of very sanguine tempeFameiits.
who delight in calling themselves "loyalis,s.
that Early has been ordered 10 retreat TO Rich.
mond. and that Sheridan will pursue him and get
a fight out OF him, # possible
FAIRLY II NOT RErREArfNa.
iAlas how often before has this very same
tale been related, Of Union and rebel army
operating in the valley | have seen no evi-
dence to convince me that Early is retreating
On the contrary, even taking the lowest estimate
OF his forces now in the valley, thirty i've thou
sand men they constitute such an effective Dodt
OF troops that the very opposite course may be
expected from them. There is reason TO believe
that instead of retreating 70 the south. they are
moving rapidly westward and that the FIRST We
hear OF them will be that they have crossed the
Potomac a. Sie2ards.own or Williamsport. and
have either taken possession Of Hagestown or
marched into Pennsylvania.
Gen. Butler am informed. also just from the
presence states that the President is not san
guine abont Grants success. or Sheridan's, and
would not be surprised TO see both OF them fail
1 Grant holds on. any where the james. with
out attempting anything else; and If Sheridan
hugs Harper Ferry, sud keeps Early south OF
the Potomac till they can both be largely rein
forced by the draft, that is all Lincoln expects OF
either OF them Butler says that IL is doubtful
whether Grant can maintain his position on the
Weldon Railroad. and that probably he will. in
short time, Withdraw his army from before Pc
tefsburg, and take up nes base of operations
AZ Deep Bottom on the north side of the james
Butler thinks that the siege OF Petersburg will
be abandoned. impracticable. and that Grant
will then try 10 advance directly against Rich
mond from Deep Bottom.
THE Losses IN HAScocz's CORPS.
Hancock's corps has suffered terrible losses
since the 2Oth These losses, and those suffered
at Deep Bottom before the Goth have reduced
hancock's splendid corps to eight thousand men
This seems Incredible "a the corps really was
corps dGrmee once OF forty thousand men: but
IL u literally true.
CONSEQUENCES oT ANOTHER PURSUIT or EARLY
II may be true that Etfly has fallen back 70
Winchester. perhaps even 20 Strusburg Our
cavalry has advanced 70 Charlest0wI. aud fluids
no enemy there. Gen Sherdan may even
march through Winchester as be did before and
even TO Strasburg. and find no enemy Till he
reaches the enyrons OF the latter place
The Army and Navy Journal of August g.
says that 1.-THE first task in the ca campaign should
be the reOossessiOn OF the Shenandoah Valev:"
aud till Gen. Sheridan reaches and occupies Str,s
burg he will not have accomplished this FIRST
tack. But nj S,rasburg his diff ,uiies will be.
gin. II he marches ~ far "a Stra-burg. il will G
Just what Early desires him TO do. and feared
that he would not do For. il Ear'y is falling
back 90 Strasburg II IL To meet reinlorcements
there. Sheridan will fnd himself confronted
there, not by Early 4 thirty thousand men alone.
but. probably. by fifty thousand rebel troops AT
the same time another stropg rebel column will
fall upon HE rear
The Conicderaies have tho railroad from Rich.
mond to Cupepper. by way of Gorion-viIle. in
full operation IL would be easy for them to
| eead up Ia the cars. even a. far a. To Warrenton,
perhaps, q largo body OF troops. who. crossing
the shenandoah near Smokers Cap. should
throw themselves between Sheridan army aud
Harpers Ferry. Between Early In his front.
therefore aud this column Ia biz rear. where
would Sheridan'S army be
RELATION nEtwEES TnG CAMPAIGN 0N rHr
POTOMAC Am rnr JAMES
The course which General Euly will pursue
In the valley. depends good deal upon General
Grants NOV ements on the Ssmes river. A. long
~ he remans before Petersburg, the presence of
Gen. Early's troops there. or az Richmond. L.
not necessary Accounts from Richmond state
that the losses 10 Grants army since the 18th
inst. have been frightiully large Gcu. Grant
himself saws they have been large and what be
with his disregard OF life when great object Is
to be attaDed) calls large, must be large indeed
But lot any reader compute for himself tho losses
IN the Second. Fifth aud Ninth corps alone, Ia
the recent actions
However, was about 10 say that II Is believed
| at Richmond that Gen. Grant will be unable 10
maintain his position on the Weldon Rdfond
south of Petersburg, but will have 10 contract
their lines again further TO the east The rebel
leaders will not permit Gen Grant To occupy that
position without making one moro effort TO dis
lodge him. with even greater force than they
used on the 26th: aud that attack was only re
pulsed with great loss. and otier desperate bat.
tie
now TO DRAW gARLv or OF rnR VALLEY.
However, II is believed that Gen Grant can bo
dislodgcd from that position bv the Confederate
forces nov at Petersburg, aud that after that
Gen. Grant can accomplish nothing. either
against that place or Richmond II Gen. Grant,
however. should abandon Petersburg, move his
army over To Deer Bottom. and begin !, vigorous
and real attack on Richmond from that point, as
his base. u would be necessary for The rebels 10
recall not Early alone. but every rebel soldier IN
Virginia for the defense OF their capitol
DRuip