Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-11-21
R.rr,uoaK. Novemhcr S.

N'sttNt 80 h&ttflNt W lHE hLtAA tNts~t0 ~ AAiA
VALLEY. .# +
have three DAYS later intelligence from the
Shenandoah Valley than tia contained IN nv
last letter. The rebel forces under Gen Esrly
continue their forag ing In the rich counties living
10 the West OF the ShenandOah mountains with
great diligence and success. But they doing
something more than thtt. They are preptring
for some important movement. The highest
peaks % the mountains all the way down the
Nslley are occupied - their signal stations
From tbese sisfions. Tor ten days pa-t they have
kept up constant system Of signaling using
flags 81 different colors by cav. and q ,shes Of
red. blue and ~hite light ~ night These signal
s,,tionS extend ~ far .ourh ~ Harrisonburg, sri
ron there they have telegr ,phic romm unic ,'ion
with Richmond ~ way at Sttunton and Char
lo'tesvile The railroad between S,suntou snj
Wsln.botn and the bridge near The latter place.
damaged by Gen. Sheridan about the last OF
September. have both been repaired and ir ms
have beer. running u-ual for some days pat
between Covirgton and Gnrdonsvule. passing
though Siaunion and Rnck6-h Gan
CONSEQUENCES o. rHE sEGLEcr OF TUE ADMINS
TRATIoS rkorERLY 10 INrEovK sHtRIp.s's VIC
rcRIEs
| mentioned ia a recent letter that the admin
istraton had. within a few days past. caused the
after having rebuilt il st great expense This
road would have afforded direct. speedy and
cheap line OF supple. for Sherdans armv, Il the
Latter strong enough 20 maintain itself at
Strasburg. But one Of the results Of Sherid IN :
campsign ~ the valley IL. that his armv nos
lacks the ability OF maint .iaing itself NJ Stras
burg. And II, as = further result OF that cam
Daign. our army in the valley should meet with
q reverso in the course of few days, and bc
. IoAA to fill NJ AZ
rhe Confederate forces should turn Sheridan :
right 6snk and strike the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad somewhere between Cumberland and
/ Hancock. il would he owing 10 the neglect u
/ fortit SrTashurg during the twenty DAYS that Il
remained M the pe~cerbe possession oi Fci
ersi garrson from the 2lrh day oi September Ia
/ the 10Th dsy of October. Daring that interval
/ Sheridsns army was pursuing E'rls's routed
! TROOPS from Fisher Hill to Browns G,p. THAI
vas opportunity 10 So improve Sheridan :
victories OF the 10 h and 2l-t OF September, tina,
/ q rebel armv could never again pass through the
valley and reach the Potomac
PLAN.
( General Mcclellan had directed how this wa
/ 10 be done, ami those dlrecti, n are on record
/ They ATE. in brief. intrench strong force NJ
/ M,nas-as Junction: second, to rebulld he NJ
1 IhN~tr " u FH9ltV from liNi tfltt w sNut~ihrg
third. To to- tiff Stra sburg F ont Royal in
proper manner; snd fourth. 10 keep four resi
! ments of cavalry actively and constantly EN-
| ployei in scouting "a far down the valley IA thar
r-ohburg and lar beyond Wauenton That is
| General McClelian's plan. A. soon IA it il
adop'ed, there will be an end rebel oper I'ions
! IN the valley north of Stanton aud Ca'Depper
Until il is adopted, the Baltimore aud o 40 ri
road will never be safe, and rebel irmy 1T ID
900 mel will always be sbfr TO reach the Poo
mac.
PRESENT ErFEcrIvE sTRTNoTR or THr SOUTHERN
ARMIES
The armies of tho South ow in The field are
/ composed of the fulowing bodies OF troops
Longstreei's corps. A =. Hills corps. and the
troops recently under Besuregsrd. holding the
limos defending Richmond and Petersburg IS .0OC
, infnn'ry. Don cavalry. and 800 guns. IN I'll
81 900 troop: E,ris's corps in the vAllev, 10
600 men: total oi Lees arms proper. 70 ODO
men. Br-, kinridge's force in Southwestern
Virginia. l0DO0 mer m,is - Lynchhurg
/ 1000 men; AZ Wilmington AMI Weldon. so .
men: total under General Lees immediate orders,
10000 men 1r0ops under Besuregsrd ami
Hood in the West. ST. 0U,: in Arkansas and
Missouri. under Sterling Price 21.00O men: al
Charleston and Savannah. Is 900 men; in Texas
and Louisiana. Is, GOO men; at Mobile. IL ono
I, totti il%.oVD. OTFNu tbtHl W UpOp5 oI tlle
Conederacy in the field. 2l4 600 troops
AvArLABLr MILITARY STRENGTH OF TINE sorIn
The above il the present sctual strength OF the
i Confederate sfnie-. but it - toy no me the
extent of the available military power OF IN.
South She South has had IN arms. sinre the Ne
ginning OF the ear, eight hundred and City thou
San men (includng the above two hundred and
fourteen 'hous.Dd. and City or sixty thousand
more. Who are nbw prisoners in our hands. and
five hundred and seventy sx thouaand men who
have been killed and dissb ell during the osegres-
of the war. Il the tables in my letter Ut the
18th OF September sre correct, and their acs'ur-
scy has never been dispu e.. the Snuth siil has.
therefore. reserve Of nine hundred and ift'
thousand white men of the proper military age.
The experence of four years OF var. the efore.
shows hat the South il soursNsntly able to Keep
on foo. armies equal in number u those uo~ In
the Geld for four years more At ieast. These
scis will be brought before The Confederate
! Congress at an early day. Snd ia An elaborate
and detniied shape. "a arguments sg~in-t the
proposed measure Of arning tho slaves az soldl
ers
TIVE sLAvts OF THE SOUTH Will Not NJ ARMED At
PRESENT
There is no probability. however, that thai
measure will be adopted. or even pressed for
adoption. All the prominent pubc snen OF the
South now ~ Richmond. concur IN the couvic.
ton which - entertained bl Gen Lee and the
other prominent rcb-l military lie sdeis. that th.,
slaves have been AMI will continue ~ be nnTe
useful the Confe3erste cause agricultural
lsborers Than soldiers Ii IL sbsoiuieiy ne
ce>sary that ceftrin portion OF The Community
/ ehall be employ ei in raising grain ,nd resrin.,
stock or. in n word, in productive Industry; and
the experience OF four years has demonstrated
( that the -,ve- constitute that portion of the
community which can he 80 employed ,o the bert
advantage Of the site at large. To Withdraw
. them from these pursuits it would make IL ne
ce--sry TO withdraw White men from the army IN
take the places OF slaves ON the farms aud plan
tarious
THE SLAVES WILL INCREASE TIE EFFICIENCY OF
IHr soVTBtsS ARNIEs
Ii has always been the practice % the South
90 employ limited number OF rlaves IN Ger
tain interior capacity in the army - l,borers ON
Notifications, a. cooks. va teamsters. a. ofh er's
| servants, &c T.. fortihc ,tuns ~ Williams
burg AZ Rchmo.J. ut Petersburg. At Ao',iie
and some OF these ia Tex,s we're all built by the
labor o; negro .lses, direc' al b., white engi
neers. Aud in this wAv the ri her IN The Cnn-
iederaie armies have been relieved from great
portion of the camp ;radgery. La this manner
aud 20 this extent slaves will c"ntlnae ia be EN-.
ployed ia The Southern arm,e-; ? IN. this
te they can be employed ~Iih"Lt Jury to the
| aOr,c,,i.prof trte-ez.s ~ ~. Smith II, OYER