Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-06
Of d. y. Y.Korld

BALTIMORE. April 25.
THE ADMINISTRATIONS LABoRiNG UNDER A MISTAKE
learn on good authority that the President
aud Secretary Of War. as well as Gen. Halleck
all dsbelieye the fact that the rebels have anv
idea of invading the North a large scale dur
nl the present year They predicate this dis
belief on the alleged fact that such an invasion
= impossible on account Of want of men TO IN
destake il, owing 10 the supposed circumstance
that 90 many Confederate troops will be required
at the South for the defense of important cities.
and for defensive warfare at points in the South
aud Southwest This Is a grave mistake on the
part OF the Administration IL the important
strategic points at the South aud the chef south
ern cities were IN the same deienseless condition
now that they were two wears ago. IL might in
deed be necessary for the rebels keep the bulk
OF their forces there for their defense But such
il not the case
In their preparations for defense. during the
whole war; the rebels have acted as If their on
pouents were lei by Napoleons and We.instons
and IL their operations directed bv the most
sagacious craftsmanship. During the two wears
that the Administration has wasted in its over
land campaigns against Richmond and i'm its at
tempts to take Charleston they have fortified
their chief cities and strategic points to an ex-
tent of which we have no conception mt the
/ North, and which can never realize until we
/ attack them in earnest Then we shall find what
4 people who are in earnest can DO in two wears
4 time.
DEFESsEs OF MOBILE
! Ny information in regard to the defenses Of
/ Mobile IL not precise enough to enable me to
describe them in detail They are similar, how
| ever. 10 those in the Charleston harbor The
/ little impression that such an experienced old
war dog as Admiral Farragut, with the tremen
dous naval force under his command has been
able To make upon them. after so many DAYS
| b0mbardment. indicates that we shall find Mo
bile hard nut 10 crack It's deienses on the
land side are extensive and formidable.
DEFENsEs or SAVANNAH
! In March of 1863 the deienses of Savannah
/ both on the river and the land side were sun
posed to be adequate to protect the place from
any attack that could be made on it, gentle
man who left that city at that time gave me
drawing of the works at that time completed. and
additional works have been erected Some idea
ot the iabor expended on these works, may be
had from the fact that more than one thousand
/ five hundred negroes have been almost constantly
/ employed on them ever since January of 1868
| The work Is superintendent by the engineer Off
GERS of the rebel army. General Beauregard
! while he was at Charleston, came 10 Savannah
regularly once n month. and made careful and
CRITICAL examination OF the work as IL progressed
| There are three principal roads leading TO Sa-
vannsh. from the north and west and all the
| approaches 10 these roads as well as To the rail
roads leading TO the city, commanded by
large and well built forts. These works constr
ute part OF the chain of works which was
marked out by General Beauregard when he first
assumed command vt Charleston and Savannah
in September Of 1862 The fort on the hill near
the gas works. northwest of the CITY. was com
pleted in December last. but its armament was
hot mounted ill about a month ago The forts
around the city well supplied with guns and
the artilleriSts are well trained.
The INSTRUCTIONS IN the Savannah river are
from two TO three miles below the city, and be.
tween the head of Eliza Island and Fort Jackson.
They consist Of large wooden cribs twenty feet
square hlled with stones and sunk and of rows
OF splles driven into the bed of the stream and
extending entirely the river All these
distractions are covered by the guns of Fort
Jackson aud the guns OF several large earth
works, with casemated batteries on shore liz is
possible that they might be removed, but it would
require a long time and vast amount of labor
and probably no troops IN the world could stand
such lire as would be concentrated on them
during the operation The iron clad steamer
Georgia, which forms part OF the deenses of
Savannah, WAS alluded TO in nv last letter She
has seven available guns board said to be
equal To any in the Confederate navy: "A full
crew, and is commanded by regular officers OF
the navy. The crew kept perfect in their gun