Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-27
FROM WARRINGTON
Consequences OF the Defeat of sigei-
Grants Great Victory OF Nay 18th
Lincoln Bitterly Denounced by the
Fremont uen--Defeat OF Butler,
Nay 10th.

Special Correspondence Of the Chicago Tines
WASHINGTON. May 2l.-Wheu the good gen
eralship which the rebels have ALWAYS been wise
enough 10 use. results in any advantage on their
side. the administration journals here instead OF
profiting by the lesson, growl and grumble at
what they call the 'secesh" papcrs for being jul
bilant" over the rebel successes said jubilaiioD
consisting merely of statement of the facts as
they exist. Thus. when il was known few
DAYS ago. that Sige was defeated in the Shenan
doah Valley. and compelled to retreat. the fact
was suppressed as long as possible. then denied.
and then the democratic papers were denounced
for publishingit. The whole facts in this case.
which are far more important than seem at hrst
sight and which have not vet seen the light.
a. follows:
General Lee, who was aware that the move
ment in the valley was going on, had directed
Gen Imboden to employ his cavalry in watching
is. aud to adopt such measures would keep
Sgel's forces ia the valley. and prevent them
from etfectng a junction with Grant, il that
shoud DO attempted At the same time Brock
inrdge, in command of his own and Echols' di
visions, was advancing from Southwestern Nir-
| ginia towards StauntOn. Breckenridge was or
| dered 70 put himself IN communication with I'm
boden a soon a he arrived in the valley aud, If
necessary. 10 act with him until Sgel should be
defeated and driven back. IL was known how
large Sigel's force was. One authority put IL "a
high as $4,000 men. But he canno. have had
over 1000 The forces OF Imboden, Breckiu-
ridge aud Echols combined did not amount to
the latter figure.
| On the 18th inst. Sige's troops, marching
down the Shenandoah Valley, had arrived at
| Newmarket a point 80 miles west of this city
and 20 miles northwest of Culpepper. Here
they were assailed by lmboden's cavalry. and
severe engagement ensued. IL would seem that
SigeIs orders reilly were to push through at all
hazards TO cross the Blue Ridge at Swift Run
Gap. % miles west of Cupepper; to cross the
Rapidan at Germania Ford, and TO join Grants
! right wing near Spottsylvanla. This would give
Grant reinforcement of probably -, 600 or 30
| 600 troops.
Sigel, who is "A good soldier and gallant off
Ger, was fully sensible of how much depended
on the fuldlment of these orders, aud he did his
best TO execute them. He fought desperately.
and, having at first only about 10 900 rebels to
/ contend with. came very near being victorious.
| But at the critical moment Gen. Breckenridge
came up with TO- 900 fresh troops. who had been
held in reserve, and this turned the scale against
him He was defeated with very heavy loss,
aud was compelled to retreat. bis loss is not
less than 600 in killed and wounded. and li0
prisoners besides two whole batteries OF artillery
of six pieces in each
| This, OF course is the end OF Siges move
| ment in the Shenandoah Valley. The statement
made ten DAYS ago, that Imboden's cavalry had
been ordered TO join Lee. and the statement
rnade week ago that Sigel and Couch were
passing through Thororghfare Gap to join
Grant. are thus proved to have been without
| foundation.
Grants alleged great victory had taken place
| ON the 12th This victory commenced with the
| gallant exploit of Hancock's corps, in capturing
some guns and prisoners carly in the morning.
1t ended by The rebels recapturing most of the guns
and cutting up badly two OF Burnside's divisions.
II this was a victory 1t is singular that General
| Grant did not follow it up for four days after
wards which is the tact. On the 18th, 18th,
18th and 9th. General Grant maintained posi-
ton of mastery inactivity. That is not his usual
course of proceedings after victory.
After the defeat of Sige, General Imboden re-
NAMED in the Valley to watch his movements.
and the troops under Breckenridge and Echos
continued their march eastward. They have. of
course. joined General Lee by this time, and give
him an additional force Of 20. 900 men.
The quarrels between the different factions of
the Republican party lead to much more bitter
recriminations between them than either Of them
bestows upon the Democratic party. The admin
istration party denouuces that faction which re-
fuses to support the claims OF Mr. Lincoln for the
next Presidency as "copperheads. aud the latter
retort with still greater bitterness For using
language not halt 80 strong az that now used by
the Fremont men. dozens of prominent Demo
Gratis were immured in the government bastles
for months. two years ago. 1T it was treason to
speak in that comparatively mild tone against
the measures of the Administration two years
ago, it is equally treason TO speak against other
measures of the Administration in the violent
tone used by the Fremont men now. Yet moth
ing is done TO the Fremont men. The President
himself and four members of his Cabinet are
denounced more bitterly by the Fremont
men than they ever we're By Democrats Why
are they allowed to do so? Is it because the ab
surd dogma, ''that the Administration is the gov
eminent, is explodedg
Surely the e, es of the people must be opened
now to the ridiculous farce that Butler is playing
south OF Richmond, and to the shameless man
ner in which the public has been deceived by his
dispatches he has accomplished. aud can ac-
cOmplish, literally nothing Ga the 10th the
enemy attacked his troops near Fort Darling.
aud defeated them with heavy loss on side
The consequence Of this defeat is. that Butler
was Obliged 10 abandon the siege of Fort Oar
ling. and to retreat To his entertainments near
CITY Point, The retreat was conducted with
such precipitation that of our best seige guns
were left in the hadds of the enemy y.
from the Cincinnati Price Current, May %.