Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-09-06
Correspondence Of the Chicago Tines
WAsHfSGroS. Aug.

Correspondence Of the Chicago Times
WAsHTsGroN. Aug. 81.
The present attitude Of General Sheridan
army on the Potomac river is dsgraceful 10 the
Government. although all the movements Of
General Sheridan himself marked by good
Judgment.
For days past the country has been amused
with stories 20 the effect that the rebels were re
treating from the Shenandoah Valley; and that
the rebel government had ordered Early to bring
his troops instantly back 10 Richmond. There is
not word of truth in any such statement Ger.
Sheridan has, within three or four DAYS past,
made some cautious movements 10 the west ard
to the south of Harper's Ferry; but they have
only resulted in finding the enemy in strong
force er
On the 9th there was no appearance Of the
Confederates IN Gen. Sheridan's front. and q re-
connoissance, cautiously pushed forward to
Charlestown. failed TO find the enemy there. On
the 2Sth Gen Sheridan's main body advanced to
Chsilestown. and occupied that place The enc
my was ascertaued TO be at Bunker Hill and
Smithield. two places about fifteen miles west OF
Harper's Ferry reconnaissance in force was
made towards these places. bat the enemy was
found to be strongly posted that IL was deemed
impracticable to attempt to force the positions
There were indications, too, that instead of re-
treating to the South, Early's forces were NOV
ing TO the west, so as to reach the Potomac at
Shepardstown or Williamsport. and to cross
there. while General Sheridan's attention should
be kept engrossed at Smith6eld. In order to
preyent the execution Of this design. Gen. Sberi-
dan RETAINED from advancing further, and ar
ranged his lines so az TO retain Harper's Ferry
for his base and so az 10 cover the principal
fords of the Potomac, as high up as Williams
port This is his present position. he. at least,
does not believe that Early has rereated TO Rich
mond III he did believe SO he would at once
institute vigorous pursuit and Early 'ould
not be allowed TO escape without battle But
no such pursuit has been or will be undertaken.
Sheridan's forces have not advanced more than
eighteen or twenty miles from Harper's Ferry
in any direction. The administration organs now
say that Sheridan will not pursue Early farther
than to Winchester. because the possession OF
the Valley is all that the government expects
him to gain. and that he can accomplish that by
holding the country between Harper's Ferry and
Winchester Indeed But We are not in pos
session of the Valley, nor would we be even If
Sheridan should advance to Winchester, which
he will not do, because it would not be prudent
for him 20 do so at present
No, the fact u.s. the Confederates have full and
firm possession of the Valley, aud there they
will remain until they have accomplished the
some better General than Grant assumes COM
mand of the Union armies. IL is no wonder that
Gen Grant has failed in the campaigns in Vir-
ginia because to have succeeded in them would
have required a General of the very first order
of merit There is but one man in America who
is equal TO the task; and / trust to God that,
even "a | write these lines. he may be designated
bv the representatives of the Democracy 10 be
very soon the Commander in Chief of the Army
and Navy.
really good General. however, in General
Grants place, would have power to compel the
REIMBURSEMENT of the Valley by Early, even
with the sadly reduced regiments that now con-
sttute Grants army. If the absurd movements
against Petersburg were abandoned; and if all
the troops on the James river were concentrated
at Deep Bottom. on the north side OF the stream
and If vigorous and determined attempt were
made to reach Richmond from the east, the at
tempt might not succeed but it would so imperil
the rebel capital, particularly il il were attended
by a cooperative movement of the naval forces.
that it would be necessary to recall all the troops
in the Shenandoah Valley for its defence. But
no such thing will be done.
The country has been shamefully deluded
about the " edon Railroad affair. In the first
place, the attack on the COnfederates at that
point was altogether an afterthOught Of General
Grant and was not designed at all when Gen.
Grant began his movements at Deep Bottom, on
the l4th and 18th IL Was not until after that
movement had failed, on the 18th, that the idea
first occurred TO him of making demonstration
in that direction which would turn public atten
ton away from his glsring failure at Deep Bot
tom The orders for the movement Of Warren s
corps to the south Of Petersburg were issued on
the 18th inst and the movement was made and
the railroad seized on the 18th. Several engage
ments have since ensued. brought on by attempts
on the part Of the Confederates TO retake the
ground thus occupied by Warren. In the first
one, on the 18th inst we lost 2,7O0 in prisoners
alone, who were marched off the field and into
Petersburg in a solid body, and 1000 more men
in killed and wounded In this bloody engage
ment Gen. Warren ordered his batteries of artil-
lery to fire into bis Own men. and the cruel order
was Obeyed
The second attack of the Confederates was
made on the 2lst We suffered severely on this
occasion also But by this time the I'd corps
had been Withdrawn from the moth side of the
James river, and BY Hancocks aid the enemy
was repulsed. But the most severe attack was
what is now known as the battle of Ream's Sta
ton. on the 25th. On this occasion We were
driven from great portion Of the ground that
Warren had occupied with loss OF 1000 men
in killed and wounded, besides sixteen pieces of
artillery which we're captured nv the enemy
Our loss of valuable officers in this engagement
was very heavy. Up to that time our total loss
on the Weldon Railroad had amounted to over
10 600 men. while Grants little affair at Deep
Bottom, on the 18th and 10th. cost US 5, 900
matchmaking $1,000 lives thrown away for
nothing For there is doubt shat these at
tacks on Warrens position will be repeated until
Grant j. compelled to fall back to his original
lines TO the east Of Petersburg His bulldog
tenacity $50 much admired but which causes
such frightfu sacrifices OF human life will keep
him ''peggiDg away at that place till he is rein
forced in October by the draft. And then more
assaults, more slaughter, and more defeats
X
Mcclellan and the Platform.
There were all know, tens of thousands of