Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-11-16

WAsHlxGroS, November 10
What i nov taking place in the Shenandoah
Valley and on the line OF the Potomac is moth
ing more than was fOreshados cd in ms last let
ter The widest reports prev4ilei here 20 day !.
such as that General Ewell, with 40 600 men, i
marching norihsard; that 4 body OF : 900 Con
Tolerate cavalry, under General Fltzhugh Lee
aud General Imboden, IS at ROmuey, moving
northTard toward Cumberland. that Moseby
With 200 svalry. i At BerryviIle. and others
still more improbable All these reports grov
of few very obvious facts. First: That
General Sheridan's army IS incapable OF assum-
ing the offensive. and is obliged TO act as cir
eumstances require, and that il is doing nothing
more than trying 10 hold the line of the PO:O
mac. Second: That General Early's corps. con
sisting oil the four infintry divisions OF Wharton.
G0riOn, kershaw, and the one recently com
manded by General Ramseur. eight batteries Of
artillery, and the cavalry under Gen. FItzhugh
Lee.
General Imboden and Mosby have been rein
forced to a considerable extent during the last
three weeks. and is now at New Market in a
very efficient condition Third That daring
reconnoisances, of a very thorough character.
have been made by the cavalry under lmb0teD
and Fnzhugh Lee. during the present week. all
around Sheridan's army. in his rear and on bis
hsnks, aud all along the line of the Potomac,
from Cumberland to Harper's Ferry. and on the
line of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, from
Hancock TO Martnsburg And fourth That
the whole of General Lees army for the defense
OF Petersburg and Richmond and that some
part OF it will probably be sent to join Early in
the Valley.
These are the facts. anG they are grave enough
20 excite the alarm that prevails here. The re
port that Early has been superseded by Esel, or
by any one else. is NOT believed here bY those
who best informed. Indeed. from certain
facts in my possession, | am inclined TO believe
aud. indeed your readers may rest assured. that
General Lee and the Confederate leaders are
perfectly satisfied with Gen. Early. and that he
will not be superseded or relieved from his com
mand.
The failure Of Grants campaign against Rich.
mOnd has been owing To the success which Ia:
attended General Lees plans for the campaigns
OF the Shenandoah VALLEY in the summer. and
those plans carried out and executed by
General ElFly. aud by him alone and that. too,
with force not one quarter large was Op
posed to him Daring the whole campaign Gen
E,rly has never had more than $4,000 men IN
der his orders at any one time, aud usually not
more than 5 600
! twas F rly who defeated Sigel in My. ant
thus broke W Grants FIRST combination agains
/ Richmond. IL Was Early who defeated Hunter
/ III the middle OF June, and sent him 'whirling
! 10 the ONO river Ii was Early who defeated
| Sicel again at Winchester. AZ The end ct June
| IL Earl, who invaded MARYLAND eriy il
! July. IL was Early who defeated Gen " tlacs
on the 9 h OF July. II was Early. with less thar
/ ID 900 troops. who held Washington in close
seige, isolated from the whole North. OF
the lth and l2h of july IL E,rl,
I who N tde II necessary for General Grant L
desach from his army ON the James river
/ FIRST the Sixth aud Nineteenth Corps. anC
4 then General Sheridan and 10000 cavalry
/ and 10 send that force. % 900 men in all TO op
crate in the Valle.. IL was Early with his tore,
reduced To l2 00O men. .ho held Browns Gar
/ tor four days defeated Sheridan there. and saved
! Lynchburg on the last OF September and 6rst o
| October Finally. it was Early Who, by hi.
bold vigorous and successful attack" these are
Mr.. STATIONS own words on the 18th ult pre-
vented Sheridan from sending TO Grant at Pc
tersburg the 9Th and 18th corps. which, had il
been done. might have caused the affair OF IN,
9th ult at Petersburg TO have resulted in
/ Federal victory Such have been Early servi
ce>. and it : not likely that Gen Lee will forge
! them, or permit, injustice TO 5e done 20 Genera
Erly
1t the leaders of the Republican party are in
dulgin. the chimera that the military strength o.
the South s exhausted and she Is obliged 10 arm
| and discipline their slaves in order fill mp the
armies, the events of next summer will unde
ceive them on those points The Southern armie.
composed OF the same material heretofore
Will be AZ streDg and efficient as ever before