Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-05-04

not single item OF The following Information
comes IRON Union sources What is said about
the strength aud movements Of the Union forces
may or may not be true. but it is what is believed
TO be true at Richmond. and the rebel NOV ements
are based UPON IT,
LoDgstIeet's whole corps has Joined General
Lee the Rapidan. and Gen. Lees army is now
nearer one hundred thousand than eighty thou.
sand strong His main body is on the Raoidan
near Nine run, with LoDgsTeet on the extreme
left, and Ewel's corps on the right. The old
corps of A p Hill holds the center.
THE REBEL CAVALRY
Gen. Stuart's cavalry. fully eighteen thousand
strong, are now massed altogether. both men and
horses beng IN the best possible condition for
making a campaign. The bor-es have been
feeding partly upon grass tor more than week,
aud for this purpose the cavalry have been kept
little distance IN the rear aud TO the south aud
west OF the main army. All along the eastern
slope OF the Blue ridge and in the country around
Gordonsyille and Charlottesville, aud down TO the
james river, the pasturage has been abundant for
ten days past. Even the RI pidan, where the
rebel cavalry now are assembled, the grass is
high enough to afford the horses part of their
food. Among the men. the general impression l.
that they are to move Immediately, ana that their
route will be up the Shenandoah valley
GEN. LEES ESTIMATE or CEN GRANT.
Gen Lee is playing a very deep strategic game
Whatever may be the estimation in which Gen.
Grant is held by the magnates al Richmond Gen
Lee Is 200 good soldier 1espse him He is
aware OF the exact number OF troops under Gen
Grants orders. and he knows he will have 10
hight with much larger Union army than he
ever before encountered All of his movements
for week past have been made with "A view of
deceyng Gen. Grant IN regard to his real nten-
tons. and Of leading the latter 10 believe that
his object is the very reverse of what il really is
All OF his maneuvers during the last six or seven
days give color 10 the impression that he is mass
ing the whole of his available strength on the
south side of the Rapidan; that he has selected
that spot the battle ground, and that he in
tends the battle 20 be fought there which is to
decide the fate of Richmond
GEN. LEES STRATEGIC GAME.
But such is not Gen. Lees intention. He is
ready TO rake certain movement, and has been
ready for two weeks past. He only waits to
make it until Gen. Grants plan of operations is
fully developed until his line of march has been
made plainly manifest; until Gen. Grant shall
have committed himself to certain line of ODe
ratous from which he cannot readily withdraw
Then Gen. Lee will make his real movement.
ADVANTAGES OF THE OVERLAND ROUTE TO THE
REBELS
Lee is satisfied by this time that Gen Grant
has been compelled to adopt the overland route
"a the line of his advance on Richmond, and that
any movements on Richmond made by wav of
the Peninsula the James river, or from the
south. will be mere TENTS, and that they will be
made too, with such incOnsiderable bodies of
troops thar they need give him 10 concern He
is surprised that Grant should have taken this
overland route. and the fact that he has done so
is piece ct good fortune that Lee did not ex-
pect IL Grant had made peninsula campaign
against Richmond in earnest, it would have lie
cessitated the retention of Lees whole army
there. near there. for the defense of the rebel
capital. The adoption of the overland route,
however, leaves Lee free to carry out the plan
which he has formed for operations III another
direction
Gen. Lee estimates the Union troops advancing
toward the Rapidan, under Gen. Grant at SIS 900
strong, including Burnsde's corps The ultimate
destination OF Burnside's corps gave Lee consid-
cradle uneasiness until recently, but he kept him
seif advised OF its movements from day to day
Whatever sht have been thought or feared AT
Richmond, Lee never believed that it was Burn
sides corps or any part OF it, that sailing up
the Rippahannock. Ii is reliefto him to know
however. that Burnsides corps has Joined Meades
army, and that it will take part ia the overland
movement.
WILL THERE BE BATTLE on THE RAPIDAS!
There will be battle on the Rapidan. but it
will not be the great battle Gen Lees position
there is 50 strong. and he is so well intrenched
that with one-third of his army he expects to
hold it tor some time against the advance of the
Union troops IL is probable. however. that if
this advance is made in great force. the position
on the Rapdan will not be maintained, but the
rebel forces will fall back either to Mine run or
To a position on the right bank OF the North Anna
river, and between that stream and the Virginia
Central Railroad. between Gordonsville and
Hanover Junction Both of these positions are
strongly fortified the iutrenchmeats being very
extensive
THE BATTLE MUST BE on GROUND OF LEES
Choosing.
And to Whichever OF these positions the enem,
retires there General Grant will have tn follow
1t must not be forgotten that in this overland
campaign. in all that have preceded il. the
battle. when II takes place. will have 10 be fought
at the time that General Lee chooses and on
ground that he has selected for that purpose lt
NAV be in General Grants power 70 defeat the
rebel army after the battle has been Joined But
II i not in his power To compel General Lee 10
hight until he wishes To, or in anv other position
than that which he himself has chosen This j.
dlsagreeable fact But II j. fact nevertheless
and il NAV be well % remember il
FoRrIFIcATIoNs AT GoRDoNsvILLE
Gordonsville Junction is another point that has
been strongly fortified by the rebels This point
resembles Manassas Junction IN it, defensive
features. and il would seem 10 be the design of
the rebels 10 hold il with the same pertinscity
There Is a range of low hills that run from that
point TO Hanover. and as the engineer officers of
the rebel army spent several DAYS OF March in
examining them and in surveying the adjacent
country. it is probable that the advantage which
they afford will not be overlooked.
THE STRONG POSITION or THE REBELS CANNOT BE
TURNED.
General Lee knows. too and his calculations
are based upon this fact that, although General
Grants objective point Is Richmond vet still he
will have TO attack and defeat the COnfederata
army. before he can get there: and General
Grant himself. OF course Is fully aware OF this
fact Many people at the North who remember
the great strength of the rebel position NJ Nine
Run. a demonstrated hy General Meade in No
vember or December OF last wear and the terri
Die slaugbt Oi our troops under Burnside in the
attempt 10 take Fredericksburg in December of
the wear before 40 doubt fancy that General
Grant in his advance. will try rather to turn any
such strong position A. h. NAV encounter. AMI
push to Richmond nv passing 10 one side of
them. But that cannot be done To do 80
would be 10 leave the rebel army in his rear. and
II i To gain precisely that position for the main
body OF his army. in other words 10 get between
General Grant and Washington, that General
Lee'> n.aneuvreS will be directed
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