Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-12-20
DAILY SENTINEL
DRUIpS LETTERS.
The Lafs More,aeai Of General Grants ATmy-
What tras 70 b Icoomplished-RsasoH for d,s
Failurs of the Moremenf-No Immediate A
tack 10 be Made on Richmond

fcorrespondenee OF the New York World.
BALTIMORE, December H.
10 not suppose il would be possible 20 de
| ceive the readers OF the World into the belic
that the recent movement Of General Warren to.
ward Weldon was a success; but have ih,
/ facts which will convince them, or the othel
\ hand that the movement has entirely failed "a
accomplish the objects for which IL was designed
I aud which. not oay General Grant himself be.
I lieved. bat the loyal public az the North had a
right 10 expect. would be accomplished by IL
1 The movement, which was commenced ou the
+ 9Th inst, vas made by the whole 9th CORPS, ths
B 81 division of Hancock's corps, and Gregg di-
I vision OF cavalry. the whole. somewhat over
twenty thousand strong. commanded by Warren
he expedition had not started az hour before
ils route aud strength we're known 10 Gen. Lee
1elegraphic dispatches even sent To Pc
ieraburg on the morning Of the oth, 10 the Rich
mond newspapers containing a correct statement
of the bodies of troops concerned in the move
ment, and the roads on which they were march.
ing The result OF the measures which were i'm
mediateiy taken by Lee 20 haite the movement
sill appear presently
ruc ExrEptrioS rEovisIoNEp goR rES DAYS
MARCH
one of the most remarkable leatures about the
expedition j. the amount of rations and stores
which the troops took with them The Balti.
more American OF the 18Th instant says. " the
column was provided with such amount OF
stores a. indicated that they were prepared for a
long march, A drove of fine beef cattle was
among these stores, and the Richmond Dispatch
Of the 10Th expresses the hope that some Of this
fine beet may be turned over TO the confederate
commissariat; hope which was not realized
GREAT EXPECTATIONS. NORTH aNp SOUTH.
IL would be useless TO deny that the public
were led TO expect great things OF this exped.
ton. The Baltimore American, as late As Dec
10. roundly asserted that 1" IL has more signih
cance aud Importance than was at fret supposed
that il was an independent expedition, striking at
once south, destined first for eldon, aud per
haps ultimately for Wilmington" And this
was but the spirit and quintessence OF the as
surrances that had filled all the Republican pa
pers for four days previously. The Richmond
newspapers. too. embodied the facts which they
had learned about the expedition ia articles like
this. from the Dispatch OF December 10:
In sending out this column Grant proposed
more than Que OF those flying expeditions known
as raids lie designed establishing 4 new basis
a, point which should deprive permanently
OF the use of tho Petersburg and Weldon Rail
road, and, al the same time, threaten Whining
ton. Weldon was, doubtless. the point selected
II lac succeeds Ia getting there and fortitying
himself, be will hope 20 supply his troops 10y the
Roluoke river. or by rebuilding the Suffolk
Railroad
RIAL nrsicN of rnr IoYtNrNr
There was a deeper design than this, however.
Gen Grant bad recently received strong rein.
forcements Gen, Lees army had been depleted
by at least ten thousand troops sent 20 Sayan-
nah the Dutch canal was finished, and only
wanted TO have is head blown oli-blown out
mean and large and well appointed fleet
waited near City Point for the signal 90 co-ope
rate in the great attack OF Richmond. Every
body had been told 10 believe. plain as Re
publican newspapers could speak, that "the time
had come ioF the doomed rebel capital TO fall
Fortunate was il for the country" exclaimed
one OF these weather cocks OF Republican opin.
ion. "that the burning Of the steamer Greyhound, /,
ia the James river did not deprive us Of the
Vices OF Butler ashore aud OF Porter adoat"
Thy unless Butler ashore and Porter ahoat
were about to do something y THE good peo
pie OF Richmond. continues the same paper
"will find that city warm place OF residence be
fore Christmas" Dozens Of articles like these
prove that Wafren's movement was regarded
ard no, unreasonably under the circumstances
n the initial step toward grand combined and
final naval attack on Richmond
wnAr erNrRAL WARREN ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED
Such. no doubt, il was intended: and such il
would doubtless have proved. had il been sue
cessful But il failed: and now the attempt l.
being made TO prove that il was never intended
20 accomplish much anyhow and that il was
only intended 10 destroy few miles more of the
already destroyed northern terminus OF the Wei
don railroad. For General Warren corps has
returned TO their camp near Petersburg, aud that
is all. positively all, that has been done.
REASONS or THE FAILURE OF THE MOVEMENT.
Ii was no fault OF Gen Warren, or his brave
soldiers, that they were unable to accomplish
more. Their conduct on tile occasion was be-
yond all praise. The reasons for the failure Of
the movement were these: LIST, The heavy and
severe storm of rain. snow and sleet, which set
in soon after the expedition had started; which of
itself caused the failure of one of Burnsde's and
ono of Hooker's campaigns on She Rappahan-
mock in 1862 or '63 u. The fact that Gen
+ Lee was aware OF the movement in time to send
a superior force TO confront Warren at Hicks
I ford, which he did on the 7th and eth. Sd. The
( fact that the cooperative movement Of General
Miles. with a division OF the III corps, 20 Hatch
4 er's Run, on the 9th inst was made two DAYS
+ too late, and with not one third enough men.
When they reached their destination on the 9th,
the troops whom they had been sent 10 keep
away from Warren were already at Hicksford
WARREN BROUGHT To FULL sToP AT HIcKsFoRD.
! Hicks ford. your readers will see, is on the
south side OF the Meuerrin river which Warren
did not cross at all When he arrived at the
river, a Reconnaissance disclosed the fact that
the enemy's position TOO sttong 10 be car
ried; and that strong as tie rebels were they
we're still receiving reinforcements from Rich
mond the very reinforcements which General
Miles had been sent to Hatcher's run 70 inter
Cept Conlenling himself with destroying de-
pot, and lew miles of track, therefore, General
Warren returned 10 camp. without effectng What
General Grant desired
yEEy NICE Plan
Whist WIS that IL was, By threatening some
point considered vital bT the rebels either We
don or Wilmington, Vi the Lynchburg Railroad
itself l. cause General Lee to detach 80 large
a force TO operate against Warren. that Peters
burg and Richmond would be left defended by 80
weak force that they could be attacked riih
, good prospect Of success. Everything, a. has
been seen. vas favorable to the prospects Of such
an attack And herein i seen the only reason
why General Grant should only have sert d.
vision. instead Of whole corDs, 90 Hatcher :
run. and sent that a. late IS the oh he dill
+ not wish 10 prevent the rebe troops ron leaving
Petersburg He desired that they should be sent.
THE ATTACK oN RICHMOND N0I To- cosg oFF,