The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-04-04
Rebel Plans for the Campaign
Of 1864.


Rebel Plans for the Campaign
OF 1864.
A correspondent Of the World who seems
to be well posted concerning the program
me tho rebels design to pursue during the
coming campaign, writes from Baltimore re, ~
follows. $50 8 aIsf5i 3 9aa 4
g Nv information IN regard to the military
place of the confede-ates for the campaign
Of 1854 corresponds in the main With tne
facts recently stated by your Washington
correspondent; and this Is worthy OF remark
for our sources of information must be wide
" different. All that can learn leads me
TO believe that the approaching campaign on
the mart of the rebel swill be marked by
great boldness and audacity. ,ell.
THE NORTH TO BE INVADED.
It may be set down as fixed fact that
the defensive system of warfare, as gov
erring principle, has been abandoned by the
South; that an invasion of the North at
two, and perhaps at three points, will form
prominent feature in the campaign; that
a determined effort will be made to transfer
the seat of the war to northern soil and to
fight decisive battles north of the Potomac
and Ohio rivers. During the winter just
passed systematic exertions have been made
Co influence public opinion in the South in
favor of this change; and the task has not
been difficult one. The obstacle to the
adoption of the change Of policy has not
been on the part of the southern people, who
are tired of the desolation of wal, but on the
part of some of the influential southern lea.
ders, among whom may be named JEFF. Davis
himself, Gen. Johnston and General Bragg
The subject was fully discussed at the mill,
tary councils that have recently been, held
at Richmond, and the discussion was not
abandoned until entire unsnimity in regard
to the new policy had been secured. The
following were among the arguments used
by the originators and supporters OF the
policy of invasion.
l. That it would be the most efectual
manner of defending their own cities, Tor
that with one Confederate army operating
in the interior Of Pennsylvania, and an
other in Ohio or Indiana, it would b. i'm
possible for the Union forces to advance
against Richmond or Atlanta, or indeed to
invade the South at any point; but that,
ON the other hand, it would make it Decesr
sary for US to keep the bulk of our forces
at home for the defence Of our own cities.
and particularly Tor the defense OF Wash
ingtOn
2. That it would relieve the South of the
enormous expense of the maintenance Of
their armies, and impose that expense upon
the North while it would enable the
South to draw supplies of grain, flour,
clothing, and, above eli, Of horses, ad Hba-
turn, from their enemies.
3. That three great objects to which the
attention of the Union armies would be di.
rected this year would be Richmond, At
lanta and Charleston; that the Notifications
of Richmond and Charleston were such as
to render those places practically impreg-
nable, even if defended BY only ten, thou~
sand troops at each point; and that with
such country as that between Chattauoo
ga and Atlanta, $4,000 Confederate troops
could battle the advance of $4,000 Union
lists for six months.
4. That, even allowing seventy FIVE thou.
sand troops for the defense OF menaced
points in the South, and for operating
against advancing columns of Union troops,
the confederates would still have two hun
dred thousand troops wherewith to invade
the North.
Two HUNDRED THOUSAND TROOPS TO INVADE
PENNSYLVANIA AND OHIO.
1t is probable that the invasion will take
place at an early period IN the spring, as
soon as the roads are in good order, but
also on the state of the rivers and
the dryness Of the season. 1t will undoubt
eddy take place in two colHmns-one under
General Lee; nearly in the track of his
former invasion of Pennsylvania; the other
to strike for Cincinnati. 1t is intended that
each shall have an effective force Of fully
seventy FIVE thousand troops. and that each
shall have, in addition, reserve force of
twenty five thousand men.
Of course the plans of the rebels will be
modified by the movements of Gen. Grant.
If he should take the initiative in the work,
he may anticipate the rebel plans; but it is
certain that they are about to make this
giant effort to change the war on their part
from a defensive to an offensive character,
knowing that whichever party can assume
the offensive will have the advantage of
in the attack. We shall now
see one of the most interesting plays in the
game of strategy, and by some Of the ablest
masters on each side.
Politics i'm the Army.