The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-04-15

among mou III power 8C Cn0 NOrIu.
REBEL PLANS FOR THE CAMPAIGN OF 1864.
My information in regard to the military
plans of the confederates for the cam
paigns of 1864 corresponds in the main
with the facts recently stated by your
Washington correspondent; and this is
worthy of remark, for our sources of in
formation must be widely different. All
that can learn leads me to believe that
the approaching campaign on the part of
the rebels will be marked with great bold
ness and audacity.
THE NORTH TO BE INVADED.
1t may be set down as fixed fact that
the defensive system Of warfare, as gov
erning principle, has been abandoned by
the South that an invasion of the North
at two, and perhaps at three points, Will
form prominent feature in the campaign;
that determined effort will be made to
transfer the seat of the war to northern
soil. and to fight decisive battles north OF
the Potomac and Ohio rivers. During
the winter just passed, systematic exer-
lions have been made to influence public
opinion in the South in favor of this change;
and the task has not been difficult one.
The obstacle to the adoption of a change
of policy has not been on the part of the
southern people, who are tired of the des-
olations of the war, but on the part ofsome
of the influential southern leaders, among
whom may be mentioned jeff Davis him
self, Gen. Johnston and Gen. Bragg. The
subject was fully discussed at the military
councils that have recently been held at
Richmond, and the discussion was not
abandoned until entire unanimity in re-
gard to the new policy had been secured.
The following were among the arguments
used by the originators and supporters of
the 70 icy ofinvasion:
First That it would be the most effec-
tual manner Of defending their own cities,
for that with one confederate army operat-
ing in the interior of Pennsylvania, and
another in Ohio or Indiana, it would be
impossible for the Union forces to advance
against Richmond or Atlanta, or indeed
20 invade the South at any point; but that
on the other hand, it would make it neces-
sary for US to keep the bulk of our forces
at home for the defense of our own cities,
and particularly for the defence Of Wash
ington.
Second. That it would relieve the South
of the enormous expense of the mainte
nance of their armies and impose that
expense upon the North; while it would
enable the South to draw supplies of grain,
-four, clothing, and, above all, of horses,
adj Hbituzn, from their enemies.
Third. That the three great objects to
which the attention of the Union armies
would be directed this year would be Rich
mond, Atlanta, and Charleston that the
Notifications of Richmond and Charleston
were such as to render those places practi-
cally impregnable, even if defended by only
ten thousand troops at each point; and
that with such country as that between
Chattanooga and Atlanta, twenty-five
thousand Confederate troops could battle
the advance of severty-five thousand
Unionists for six months.
Fourth. That, even allowing seventy
five thousand troops for the defence Of
menaced points in the South, and for ope-
rating against advancing columns of Union
troops, the Confede-ates would still have
two hundred thousand troops wherewith 70
invade the North.
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND TROOPS TO INVADE
PENNSYLVANIA AND OHIO.
1t is probable that the invasion will take
place at an early period in the spring, as
soon as the roads are in good order, but
depending also on the state of the rivers
and the dryness of the season. 1t will
undoubtedly take place in two columns
one under Gen. Lee, nearly in the track
of his former invasion of Pennsylvania );
the other to strike for Cincinnati. 1t is
intended that each shall have an effective
force of fully seventy-five thousand troops,
and that each shall have, in addition, a re-
serve force of twenty-five thousand men.
Of course the plans of the rebels will be
modified by the movements of General
Grant. If he should take the initiative in
the work, he may anticipate the rebel
plans; but it is certain that they are about
to make this giant effort to change the war
on their part from defensive to an often
sive character, knowing that whichever
party can assume the offensive will have
the advantage Of momentum in the attack.
We shall now see one of the most interest
ing plays in the game of strategy, and by
some of the ablest masters on each side.
DRUID.
General Buffers Department.