Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-02-18
The KeW York world ON the RsbeI
Theory Of tue War.

The New World publishes the following
from its Washington correspondent in re-
gard to the rumored intention of the rebels
to withdraw their forces from the South
west and the Atlantic coast, and concen-
trste them in South Carolina and the in.
terror of Virginia. We lay no particular
stress uponthe statements Of this CORES
pondent. but publish his letter as an inter
esting and suggestive elucidation of what
is very generally believed to be the pre-
grsmme of the rebel lesders:
Recent intelligence from rsbeldom con-
firms the report which I sent you last
week, that Richmond would be evacuated
under certain contingencies, and that the
new military policy of the rebels was to
give up all the sesboard cities almost with
out a struggle. But there1aRe other fss
lures Of this policy Of which have Just
heard, and which transmit TO you at
once. It is stated that General Lee &C
cepted the position of general-in-chief on
the written pledge that the military policy
he might advocate should be carried out
without let or hindrSncs, and this, It is
we'll known, includes the plan of evscua-
ting sill the posts on or near the Atlantic
coast, and concentrating troops Of the con-
federscy at one or more points farther in.
land. But this is but part of what is TO
be done 1Ae rebel armies in the south
west are to be ordered to the east, leaving
behind small force to act as a corps Of
observation. This, of course, will remove
Dick Taylor's army from Thomas front
and to a certain extent surrenders to our
forcesthe rich territory in the Southwest.
Meanwhile the southern forces will be con-
centrated into two large armies, viz: one
in Eastern Virginia under the direct COM
msnd Of Lee, and fhe other in South Car
olina, under the command of Besuregard.
This movement is understood to have been
20 nearly eonsummsted that each army is
ready for the duty assigned it.
General Besuregsrd's inftructioRE, &C
eording to this report, are to fall back be-
fore General Sherman, making a show of
fighting only TO draw the Union troops in
land. When our forces have advanced far
enough from their base, and their lines of
communication with cooperating armies
are so far extended as to be readily sever
ed, desperate attack is to be made upcn
them. This attack, the rebels believe, will
be successful, and they found this conf
denIce upon the strength Of Besuregards
army and the inability Of General Shermsn
to fall back or obtain Teinforcements. Just
where this battle will be fought circum.
stances will determine, but probably not
lar from the line which divides the Carroll
- ba ha hoF1
tested, if not the decisive battle Of the war,
is openly conceded.
General Lee will act on the defensive
before Richmond until the result of this
battle is fully known. Should Beauregard
be defeated, he will quietly eyacuste Rich
mond and Petersburg, and withdraw fur
ther inland, in accordance with the plan
heretofore noticed in this correspondence.
If on the other hand, Beauregard should
come off the victor, and Shermsn's army
be tilol oughiy beaten, Lee may q tempt
sn advance with his forces in a direction
calculated TO give General Grant no little
trouble
In. word, then, the rebels, by narrow
ing the field Of contest, are preparing for q
most bitter struggle. The West being
practics1y given up, the theatsr Of war
will be on the Atlantic sldbe. General
Sherman will, probably, meet with no seri-
Gus opposition until he has adeaneed far in
TO South Oarolina, where Beauresafd will
make one final desperate effort to over
throw him, and should he fail in this. the
rebsl forces viii withdraw from the coast
TO soma point inland, where, away from
railroad lines, and aided by the natural Pc
culiarities Of the country, they will attempt
to do nothing more than prolong the war
by fighting when victory seems sure, and
avoiding battles when their issue Is doubt
ful.
g There may, and doubtless will be, i'm
poftznt raids By our troops in the West
and extreme Southwest but tho rebels
Viii offer little opposition to them, and, as
lst y shalt be practical, viii force battle on
gfouhd of their own selection, and that
esst Of. the Alleghsnies. @
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