Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-07-09
SOUTHERN VIEW OF EWEsLS
MOVEMENT.
THE KxTENT or THE RAID-CoNDIrIoN OF HAE-
PlRs FERRY-THE REBELS ~ SESSION OF 4
PORTION or TuE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD
4 POSSIBLE ATTACK on WASHINGTON
IRON the New York Worlds Correspondent
BALTIMORE. July 4
VALLEY

From the New York Worlds Correspondent
BALTIMORE, July 4
rHE REBEL MOVEMENT IN THE SHENANDOAH
VALLEY
Considerable anxiety prevails here in regard 10
the operations OF the rebels in the direction OF
Huper's Ferry Their strength and their ulii-
mate designs are a. vet profound mystery.
They may be- for all that is known TO the mill
tary authorities. mere gang of guerrlilas, or
strong party OF cavalry or the advance of really
formidable force Their object, Tor all that has
yet been ascertaIned, NAV either be simply plum
der, or the destruction OF the railroads at Mar
tusburg and the great bridge 1T Huper's Ferry.
or a raid into Pennsy lvania for the purpose OF
procuring a supply vi horses for tie Confederate
army, or 10 recOnnoIter the route for "a northern
invasion There II nothing, ~ all that has come
To light up TO this time 90 make either of these
theories improbable The War Department at
Washington believed up 10 Yesterday. that tn
forces under General ) gel we're amply sufficient
tor the protection OF the road: but the events OF
Yesterday proved how ill-fuGuded was that belief.
The posses ion Of 10Th Winchester and irtins
burg by the rebels. and the presence OF tie enemy
in strong force at harrisburg, has put sudden
stop, OF course, 10 the business OF the Biltimore
aud Ohio railroad. The trains from the West ar
rived as usual yesterday morning But il would
have been unsafe 10 have sent any trains out
from this city; and except the trains to Fred,-
rick City and f. licotts mills. aud those carryI
troops to Harper's Ferry 10 trains have been
sent out since
WHO Il To BLAME FOR THE DISASTER :.
Ii is due 10 the officers OF the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company TO state that during the
whole of the month OF June they have made
constant representations 90 the War Department
OF the necessity Of having a tar larger military
force stationed on the line OF the railroad II
there bad been such force. properly posted and
properly commanGed. the present disaster would
not have taken place Although | have been
aware OF the comparatively deieuseleSs condition
of the road. | have reirained IRON speaking of
it. not because would have thereby given in
formation to the enemy. for they get their nloI-
nation in far more direct way, hut because |
knew that the facts were beiOre the War De
meFt, and | hoped that a due regard for the
safety of the road, and justice both to the Rail
road Company and to the travelling public, would
lead the military authorities at Washington to
second the urgent representations OF the Officers
OF the company, and of the General comm md
ing this military department, at least 10 the ex
tent OF placing upon the road an adequate force:
But the lesSuns OF experience are absolutely
thrown away upon the President and the Secre
tary OF War L. was impossible to make them
believe that the road VS. III any danger As
long "a the rebel capital was beleaguered, they
could not believe hat the rebels would be abe
10 make any demonstration OF this kind at all.
The consequence was that General Sigel WAS at
lacked yesterday by i0fce greatly superior to
his own, aud in order TO avoid capture he was
compelled to abandon the railroad to the rebels
aud 10 retreat TO the north side of the Potomac
river
WHAT THE REBELS HAVE DONE.
The rebels. on yesterday Afternoon, were in
full possession not only OF MtrtInsburg, but also
OF the railroad from that place Harper's Ferry.
and for distance of ten miles north OF Martins
burg, and, in fact. of the whole country between
Winchester and Willitm-port. on the Poiom Il
river. What damage they have done To the rail
road has not vet been asceItuined. II they have
not badly de-trOyei' IL, II Is owing solely to
their obearance. There was about million
dollars worth OF comm>Sary and quart erma<ter' :
stores and other government property, TT Mar
tnsburg, aud five hundred thousand dollars
worth OF private stores Thee ct course, are
all gone. The wagOn-train> of Gen Hunter :
division. which he lett at NJ irtinShurg in Gen
Sige's charge, also fell into the hands of the
enemy
There were large number of passenger and
freight cars and several valuable locomotives AZ
MartinSburg yesterday morning But the euer
eetc person, in charge OF them succeeded Ia
f., se,tin. them all away ia safety To uper's Fer
~ before the enemy made their appearance at
/ Mirliilsburg The loss of the railroad comp INV.
therefore, will tie confined 10 whatever damage
may be done 10 their track aud bridges.
THE MILITARY COMMANDERS.
The present commandtBt at Harper's Ferry is
i Gen. Max " cher The placeis strongly terri
fed and there is n large force of troops there:
how large uf course IL would be improper TO
state. During the line that Messrs Schenck
and Fish were in mlnd here the War De
p,rtment greatly circumScribed the limits of The
Middle Department 80 thu Gen Wallace juris-
dictou only extends as tar west Cumberland
aud not into Pennsylvania at all Gen Couch j.
in command n II fgerst0wn, and believe Gen.
Sisel will report - him. The forces under
Couch and Sigel together will Ice quite larXe-
large enough IL assume the offensive. if their
troops of the right mtteriii. Besides these
there i still another force fifteen miles this side
OF Harper's Ferry. ON the M"uocacy river. under
Gen Tyler, although the latter officer did not
leave here "a assume the command until last
night
WHAT ! REQUIRED TO INSURE TIP ssFETY or THE
RAILROAD.
What the rebels have already done demon
strates exactly what i necessar, in order to pre-
vent them from doing Il again. and seize the
moment when they aIe actually III possession OF
80 valuable portion of the road 70 slace this
fact rl tinv before the public. it i in the power
of the rebels 20 take possession OF the road al any
time that Gen Lee may wish it done. aud at any
point they may desire unless the road : guarded
by an adequate tarce and 10 destroy il badly. "
+ and interrupt the business IT the railroad COM
. panv AMI OF the public, tor many DAYS; and the
proof 81 thu Is That they are doing il now e.. the
very moment when such undertaking might
be- supposed 10 be least feasible. ~ the moment
when their capital i belle CURED and threatened
wl;h capture IL has been done under every mil
tsry commander that has been Stationed here
u.der Dix. Wool and Schenck-snd ii will con-
+ Time e. be % until the cad OF the war. unless
the
FRorKR MEANS ARE TAKEN PKEvENr
These ere the occupation OF Lee>burg Win
chester. Rpmney. aud Clark >burg A. yell as OF
Harper's Ferry aud Cumberl an4. b. large bodice
OF Weil-di-cpned troops large proportion OF
then cavalry-ihe cavalry 10 he kept constantly
ia motion. recrnuoiteriug all the approaches 10
the places named This has never been done
IL j. practicab BILE and whenever il J. done the I'D
proach o. any large Lody ol the enemy To the
road nil be impossible II j. cue to the railroad
company who have suffered n heavily from the
repeated destruction al their road and bridges
Il is due TO the public Who aIe - greatly inter
esied u the security ct this great avenuue a. the
West. that this shall De q, ne luaeed. every
time that the company have rebuilt their road
and bridges. the Administration has promised
| that they should be adequately and efectuAllv