Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-11-04


cock ASD MADE RrFrsE TO IEsD rHsIs NHs
TO USELESS SLAUGHTER.
Especial CoTrespontencc q Ibe Chicago Times.l
WAsHlxGrox. October 30.
The mysterious silence al the war department
/ during the last few days, in regard to the opera
tiOns in the VALLEY is owing TO the fact that those
/ operations are not exactly what tie country has
| been led 10 expect The truth H. ouI forces in
! the valley are too much reduced in strength and
numbers TO be able TO assume the offensive, and
/ all that can be expected OF them now is, that
they may be able Ia hold position where they
can be ready To Withstand rebel demonstration
! toward the Potomac should enc be made. This
would not be so il Early had sustained the
crushing defeat described by the war depart
| ment on the 10Th inst.
The roads are in splendid order, and the
weather ever since that time has been superb.
/ IL the efficiency Of Gen. Earlys army bad been
greatly IMPAIRED on that day, Sheridan could
have easily pushed on aud captured Lynchburg
| after all But il Is not so. Early's army small
IN numbers indeed l. as efficient as ever: and
| although he has lost "a.l his artillery" several
times over, it will still be found in the next en-
| gagemeni that he has eight full batteries left.
| of six pieces each There j. direct and daily
railroad Communication between here and Sheri
been received AZ the War Department than has
been published. Is ia not OF nature to give
much encouragement TO the friends of the AID
ministratiOu, and therefore il is withheld IRON
the public. Cautious reconnaissance. made by
| Sheridan since the 25ih inst; have made it evi
dent to that officer that the force opposed to
him in the valley is now quite ~ strong az his
own.
This is the reason Why sheridan lies still. and
makes no sign. Ia the meantime, the indlca-
tons that the Confederates preparing to
make an ncursiOn intO Maryland and Pennsylva-
MIA early in November, which NAV wipe away
the disgrace of their late repulse For week
or two to come, therefore, Sheridan's attention
will be fully occupied in guarding the line OF the
Potomac. Ii is reported here, indeed, that he
has already fallen back to Beryville, that he
may do this more effectually. and | an satisfied
that, If the report be premature now, IL only
foreshadows what must take place.
From the James river learn that the affair of
the 9th instant. was much more serious, and
much disastrous TO Us than the brief dis
patch Of the War Department, published on the
29th, would indicate. The movement on our
part was not confined 10 the corps OF Hancock
and Warren Ii was a reconnaissance in force,
made along our whole line. from the position
held by Birney 5 late corps the right, north of
the james river and east of Richmond. TO the
point held by Warren's corps, on the Boynton
plank road, FIVE miles south of the Lynch
burg railroad aud nine miles southwest of Pc
tersburg.
The object of the reconnaissance was to ascer-
tain if there was any weak spot in the long line
OF the Confederate delenses, thus extending over
space of thirty miles and also 10 develop the
!, strength OF the Confederate force holding these
lines. The result of the reconnaissance was that
the whole line of rebel works found to be so
strong that an attack on any point was deemed
2 by the corps commanders inadvisabe while, at
every point, the Conederates were seen to be in
such force that an assault would be hopeless aud
could only result in useless slaughter. The as
sauit was not pressed, therefore, beyond a cet
{ tain point. As il was however, we lost in Han
! cock s corps 400 men, IN Warrens 300, and the
> other corps engaged, 100 men; and Hancock 5
corps the elite oil the army, Was compelled to
fall back, after repelling one terrific assault, in
order to avoid -till heavier loss The troops
of this corps. officers and men alike. behaved
with cons picuous gallantrv, but il would be diff
- fcult 10 see how the affair could be regarded as
j, brilliant success" We have gained nothing,
except an ADDITIONAL demonstration o. the practi
y cal impregnsblity of the defenses OF the lines Of
Richmond and Petersburg.
am informed that Gen. Grant wished an az.
sault 70 be made however, by the corps of Han
cock and Warren the right of the enemy S
line, near the point where the Boynton plank
road crosses Hatchers run. in order that, by car
rying the confederate works there, he Nigh,
L strike the Lvnchburg railroad at point about
twelve miles west OF Petersburg. "Still harpirg
on my daughter" He still bankers after Lynch
burg aud the Lynchburg railroad. Gen. Han
0 cock and Gen Warren, however, who under
stood perfectly the nature OF such an undertaking
: gave Gen. Meade to understand that. while they
were willing 10 lead their men to an assault,
where there was the least prospect of success,
l they would not send their soldiers-meh who
trusted In them impcity-to certain death,
9 where no results could possibly be achieved
J Gen. Meade sustained the corps commanders,
and the result was that Grant WAS Obliged to or
der Hancock corps TO fall back, as stated above
: Grants thirst for blood. however, had already
: cost Hancock the lives of 300 OF his men.
II was the least thai Gen. Meade could DO to
> say in his report that whatever measures of sue
cess had attended the movement was due to the
personal gallanrry of General Hancock and Brig
: adler General Egan. That is true Those noble
I men-twO OF the fines. officers of the old army
of the Potomac--Generas who have been bap
; tized with the blood of every battle from Viii
I amsburg TO Petersburg-refused to let their
men 20 where they would no. lead them They
= = did lead them where they did go; and merciful
Providence alone preserved their lives for still
more glorious deeds aud let hope for better
: days
' The numerous friends of Gen Egan in Chica-
go will be glad to learn that he has fine brigade
in Gen. Hancoek's CORPS and that there is every
prospect uow that he will soon be Major Gene
raj. he has frequently com manded division on
the field. aud has proved. on more than one most
trying OCCASION that be possesses all those quail
ties of GOODNESS. good judgment. and fertility Of
resources. that are so essential 10 an officer oil
. high rank. There is no officer in the army that
u has brighter record than General Egan. His
: promotion was deferred solely on account Of hi:
/ al I'D oh 10 Nc
Il Ciellan, which. however is no more ardent thar
' that OF his corps commander. But there were
too few good generals in the army to dispense
with his services in that rank any longer. Y.
From the National inteligencer.