Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-09-16
fcorrespondence of the Chicago Times

AsHISGToS. Sep. 10.
The situation on the Potomac river and in the
Shenandoah VALLEY. has not materially changed
since NV last letter Two divisions of General
X. II. Anderson corps (late Longstreets) are
said to have come up to Winchester since, and to
be there now Whether this is true or not, it il
certain that Winchester il occupied by the Con
federates in strong force, and that they have put
the Notifications there in complete order. and are
mounting guns there: while at the "a me time
Gen. Early maintains his detan, front on the
Opequan river. There are no Confederate troops
at Nartinsburg, however That place is again
in our possession. and the survey of the railroad
between that place and Harpess Ferry shows
how thorough has been the work of destruction
upon IL this time, and what a vast labor i, will
be to rebuild it,
When the Baltimore and Ohio railroad was
first surveyed, it was found that there were
cheering difficulties great as 20 be almost in
superable IN the way OF track which should run
on the north side of the Potomac. from Freder-
lex City IN Maryland, say 90 Hancock. Among
these difficulties we're the North and South Noun
tains, which would have 10 be tunneled for miles,
and TO have had inclined planes built of almost
interminable length. Yet if. at the beginning OF
the war, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
PAW had gone TO work and built al additional
road between the above two points. on the north
all. il would haze cost them great deal less
than they have suffered from the repeated de
structon of tina, part OF their road between Har
per's Ferry and Hancock
On the 9th inst. the newspapers throughout
the country published an "Official bulletin dated
at 3 p VI on the 80. but which could not be pub
lished on the 4Ih except by the lev Sunday pa
pers. in which the Secretary of War informed the
conntrr that Esrlv has retreated from the Shen-
sndoah Vailev, and u being pursued by Sheridan
with his wbolearmy" On the 4th the Secretary
of War has nothing about this retreat and
pursuit On the 9th Mr. Stanton continued
dumb on that subject Time enough had then
elapsed for Early To have reached Gordonsville.
nd for Sheridan's armv 70 have pursued "a far
a. Woodstock or Stra-buIg. al least On the
9th. however. at Z. VI more than three DAYS
after he had assured the country that Sherdans
army vac pursuing the retrearing rebels. tue Sec
re,ary of War saws in another Official bulletin"
No movements OF importance have tsken place
in the Shenandoah Valley
Nov these two official bulletins we're neither
more Dor less than two Official faisehoods
There was no retreat, and pursuit. the 80
and between the 81 and The 9th, there had beer
some very important movements in the 81 bnsn
doah Valley. The first was the movement
Of the 9Th and 18th corps, and Cooks division OF
the 9th corps. from Chsrlesiown to Berryville,
point 20 miles southwest of Harper's Ferry This
took place on The 81. The next was very Sc
we're battle At Beryville. in which We lost 300
men killed and wounded and in which the Con
federaies were the attacking party. while Sheri-
dan the defensive, This took PLACE OF
the afternoon and evening OF the 81. The next
was the fortiHcation Of Befryville by 0sn Sheri-
dan. work which required the iaser Of eli the