New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-04-04
LEES PLAN OF TIE CAMPAIGN
TIE NEGRO CoNsCRlPTioN
CoNGREaATIcN AREESTEo
THE ST. ALBANS RAIDERS
From ON Special corresposdent

| MONTREAL, March ae, 1865.
The last intelligence received here IRON 'he
South through Rebc sources is.qne interesting vi
vcstc-lav sueoal messenger from Richmond 20 Jak'
Thonpson. arrived with pocket full OF dispatches
and head fun Of news Of very important ciaraeei.
So soon as his arrival became generally knewn' ..
Hall was alive with Rebels 10 learn whnt 'u
Ii,es he had brought Flying around very IKE benSl
s, decapitstcd were the valiant Gems Caroi Oh ien1
nes.ee and Frost OF Missouri, the s1'oo'e'"o'
(Wescott) OF Florida Judge Tucker oil virginia oahu
ers the cosmopotc and man Of peace ana Cieaiy'
ilace Palen McChesney. Stone. and host OIL oloci'
One would readily conclude from their somber s'sascs
that they Lad not received good news ifon NUM-
Nevertheless the accustomed smile was soon seen pay
ling about their lJa and they kept "smiliha AT ,H'
bar-all DAY. and parted late at night after NUS,
carousa-or as of the gang facetionsly ehp'es''
II "after doing honor alike to Bacchu', Comus honius
an, Con Ieep-sipging medley Of " The Bonnie Blue
r,ocs "Di.ie." and "We won't 60 Homo III
Morning"
But must not stop to describe Rebel froc when
have important Rebel news TO recount
| Tho messenger referred TO. a Lieut. Lanicrs, LEFT
RIcbmoud on the lsth instant He reports that Lee II
making nrodirious efforts TO bea. Sherman and is con-
6deu, of being able 10 do So 1t Is frnly believed In
Rebel military circles that shermsns army hec'ef
win bc compIet.ly destroyed Lees favcrte policy Of
concentration Is going brayely on AL points o' minor
,nortarce a. wei ss some Of the vital ones. are
being abandoned in order 10 concentrate m immense
nm overwhelming force In front and around our "mad
General" It is argued that decisive victory over
him would fully compensate for oil the disasters and
losses the rebellion has sustained within the last four
months
There is little doubt that bloody, perhaps the most
Desperate battle OF the war; will long be fought IN
North Carolina; but :; viii not occur os soon rs tue
Northern press appear to expect II. There VIII uh'
questionably be heavy diminishing from day to day
but the great battle win be forght-n Sberinnhr In
teniions are correctly anticipated by Lee and the latter
can choose his ground as the Rebels boast-on The
line Of the Roanoke. II being Lees purpose to AVOID
general engagement until Sherman Doe advanced 80 isr
! North that the main body Of the army at Richmond
and Petersburg may. with Johnstons army be sud
denly thrown upon him, overwhcm him. md return iof
the defense Of those cities before Grant Is aware OF
can profit by their temporary withdrawal
Raleigh II assaed will be defended only 80 long as
the Rebel soldiers aghtng behind i.trenchment' can
inHct great punishment on the nsssants without suf'
fering greatly themselves
IL Ia believed that after the lcspture OF Raleigh one
Danvic willis others will push for Rdgevsy and Wei
dom and 10 ., or near OF these points that tho
great battle will be fought Immense preparations for
! defense have been and Icing made about these
plaecs a. well as at CASTOR and Halifax. and IN fac, oil
along the line OF the Roanoke. Much fighting viii Of
course take place before tbs line 10 reached for the
intermediate country 10 well suited 70 defensive opera
tons, especially along the Tar River and Fishing
Greek and 1t is Lees policy to impede Sacrmans pro
gress as much as possible without bringing general
engagement 10 enable large number OF negroes to be
organized for garrison duty at Richmond and Peters
burg while the veteran soldiers at those points can
be rrecipitated on the mad Generals" army. for
grand battle.
Gen Lee ia OF course aware that the execution OF his
pans for destroying Sherman WILL II Grant discovers
his movements in time cost him his capital but De
also aware that unless Shermans army be beaten ana
his capital and al the Rebel suonghods
and armies must surrender. Therefore desperate
and dan gerous the scheme appears Lee must resort
10 H. and trust the God OF Entities. or rather to luck
That he confidently expects bo. to beat sherman ana
save Richmond, do not believe. Preparations looking
TO the evacuation Of the city have been progressing
ouie,y for considerable time Much o. the machinery
and many Of the furnaces and implements used In the
manufacture OF ordnance. arms and ammunition have
and laboratories to Burkesvile junction Of tho Klch
,nond and Deny lie and South Side Railway
|: OF The H.rcd under date Of the 18th
inst reported Oh the authority Of deserters. that
l,urkeville had been occupied by Union cavalry but
the statement was beyond doubt. incorrect. Lient.
Lsuicrs states that large force Of infantry had been
stationed there protect the place and Government
propery against raiders and that the day be left
Richmond the leh inst no information OF attack
the MACE had been received by the military authorities
a. would have been tie case Lad any such attack been
made.
Burkesyie Is unquestionaby the best point TO which
such yaluabes could at present be removed as in an
emergency they be sent thence by rail In four differ
| ent directions, occasion may require.
But not only has the most valuable property OF the
character mentioned been removed from Richmond but
the most important Government archives well as
much private property have also been sent away. while
munitions de bopce taken into the city only In sr
Gent quantities 10 supply the immediate wants OF the
army
Richmond papers denounoe tho removal by the Banks
Of their gold but in truth the editors approve the pro
ceeding They condemn the action merely to prevent
panic in the city, and 10 induce the Northern people
and Gen Grant TO believe that they think tho city
| fectly secure.
Extra Eily Smith Of TIE Waig. and Governor Of Vir
ginia, while his paper condcmnng the removal Of
the gold was actually sending away the most important
State property and public documents. While Tyler and
Allegree Of The Enquirer have . press. paper and
several fonts ready TO send OF at moments notice
being determined US they boast 10 thor friends. to
Issue their paper In some style, II no larger than a
ma.s hand, wherever fortune may cast them.
NE conscriptlon and organization OF the negroes