Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-29
rRou WASHING ron.
Death CT 98e victims OF Honest old
Abe'-" ob~ttnacy- ssisetosuresofour
Plans an the .nenly-sb abandonment
OF the siege OF Charieston.

WASHINGTON, January %
On the evening Of the 18th inst was called
upon BY gentleman Who had recently effected
bis escape from the prison az Richmond, and
who bad Just succeelei in reaching thIs city.
after Incredible suhes iug and endurance such
onlv escaped prisoner can undergo knew
him Ia former years a. hearty. robust man.
and Il vas difficult 90 recognize him in the pale.
emacisted. aud wasted being that stood before
me. Infepls 10 nv expressions OF astoni-hmeut.
be said in a hollow voice. broken by dreadful
cough,--fhe sure indication Of settled consume.
ton and specify ath.-'tAs am. 50 are thou
sands OF Others, Who. wear ago, were as strong
and healthy as was. They are dying there
Ike rotten sheep. But an happier than they.
for ] snail die at home And for a momen, his
eve frightened with some of it, former FIRE
Poor fellow he - az home now, and he will
close his eyes in comfort, aud surrounded bs the
ones he happy even in that fate. Before
he left re gave me roll Of paper, in which
recorded the names OF those prisoners IL Rich
mond who have died there since the lst OF Octo
Der, and whose names he could obtain lie kept
the list posted Lp every day, and his comrades,
knowing that he was doing 20. brought 10 hin
the name and regiment Of every man who died
have sent the list to New York fit Is ever
published it will be fearful record 10 Abraha N
Lincoln, Honest Abe" and Dir Stanton to con.
template /, shows that. in the short space OF
three months, nine hundred and sixty two of our
soldiers have died ut Richmond The death Of
these poor men lies at the door OF Abraham Lin
coin and Mr. Stanton They would have been
exchanged, and would have been at their homes
months ago. if il had not been for the obsiinacy
of Lincoln and Stanton oil the subject OF negro
soldiers
The readers OF the Times will remember that
whenever our military plans have been disclosed
10 the rebels, IL has been done By newspapers
which lay claim 20 the exclusive organs Of the
administration. The most unblushiug instance
oil this kind has just occurred in the disclosure Of
the plans which had been agreed upon by Gen
Hilleck. Stanton and the President for the spring
campaign against Richmond. which now appears
in full ia the y Y Times III il had not been
thus disclosed it IS probable that il would have
succeeded, tor it s precisely the same plan form
ell by Gen Mcclellan for the spring campaign of
le62.--a plan which rendered abortive then
by the insane conduct OF Lincoln and Stanton.
ia keeping McDowell's corps at Washington
Haleck's present plan Is to send about 100 900
men 10 operate against Richmond by the line Of
the James river. who are TO be supported by a
fleet OF iruu-clsd steamers apd mortar boats:
while, ~ the SINE time. the Army OF the POto-
mae l. to essay. for the ninth time. an overland
campaign towards the rebel capital In other
words the 100 900 men first mentioned are To
play the part OF NcClelan's army in the PENN
suisr campiign at 1862. while the present Army
Of the Potomac i 70 play the role which, after
the middle of May. 1862, Gen Mcclellan desired
McDOweils cOrps To accomplish 1t only re-
quires 4 momentS consideration Ia see that, If
ills plan had 70, been disclosed. IL had a fair
prospect of success: for the 100 900 men could
have taken up the campaign exactly where Me
Cleilan left off. namely at Harrson's L1nding
Disclosed 10 the enemy as il has been no +.
however. and at this early day too, it requires no
prophet 20 foretell that il will be frustrated. M
army of ours can ever march 10 Richmond over
land Forty thousand rebel troop-, with the adj
vantages they have that line, can keep nj bay
aud defeat, ON the Rapidau or below il, UuiOn
army OF three times that strength Ii this plan
or any similar one Is persisted in, the enemv will
concentrate his main force ia Virginia and North
Carolina, which he can bring up To- 90OO0 with
out any trouble, even to l2o 900 men in ease
OF an emergency. Immediately around Rich
mond
lt is not too much To say that the defences OF
the rebel capital are. at the present moment, far
superior tC those of own Tor the forts around
Richmond numerous. well armed. and
as well served "a the forts around Washington;
and. in addition to this, while Washington can
be relched by vessels, Richmond cannot be
The distractions in the james river, for dis
lance OF nine miles below the city, are Of such A
nature that no hostile vessel can pass Fort Oar
ling. This will render all our iron clads and
mortar boats entirely useless. So that the result
OF the disclosure of this 6ue plan will be, thar
il will have 10 be abandoned, and another one
substituted
Ii will not surprise the readers OF the Times to
learn ,hat the seige OF Charleston has been de
fnitely abandoned Gen Gilmore's forces find
ing that they can effect nothing against the city
and that the naval force there is entirely useless
have retired. and the siege is virtually raised
Thus endS this last attempt 10 capture or destroy
the nest of the rebellion" Tins ends all the
vaporing boasts of the administration that
Charleston should be taken or DESTROYED Thus
ends the diSlracelul farce OF the Greek fire
humbug How mluy millions OF treasure, how
mlny thousands Of lives have been stcriiiced in
this chipercal enterprise Three or four months
will now be allowed Gen Beauregord to rebuild
Fort Sumter and 10 replace in the haroor that
portion OF the distractions which has been wash
ell away by the waves; and then. in Nay proba
bly,. the ridiculous waste OF human life and gun
powder will be recommended.
The administration people are chuckling with
delight over the proclamation of Gen. Banks 1T
New Orleans and are confident that il will result
in the entire Subversion OF the social system and
of the ancient constitution and established laws
of Louisiana IL may ne so The deluge of ia
nairism NAV cover with its waves that fair State.
As ii has covered Virginia AMI the whole North.
But those waves. one day. will subSide The
revolution will run its course But the res,ora
ton will come.-the restoration of our former
constitutional government When that happy
day dawus. Louisiana and Virginia will take their
and boundaries. and under constitutional laws OF
their nv ghaira