Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-02-16
ryyrcr OF ora WINTER CAMPAIGN UPON THy
REsEL Lox.

ryyrcr oT ora WINTER CAMPAIGN UPON THE
RxsEL uox. =
The present period is. in a military point Of
yiew, the most difficult which the south has ye:
experienced The military reverses with which /
they have recently met tot their grenest
military misiortuaes The confederate leaders
looked forward TO period OF compaf-
alive quiet this winter which might be improved /
no, only in the work OF re orgsniz ,tlon, but
which also would have afforded an opportunity
for the usual annual council OF military cheis.
which has heretofore been held at Richmond |
ever January aud at which their plans of cam
paien for the ensuing year are ne!lberated upon
and adopted. This winter, however. they have
beer compelled to forego this grand council os
wxr. on account OF the incessant occupation
which their armies have had during the months
OF December and January. General Sherman
has kept the armies Of Beauregard and Hardee
busy in Georgia and South Carolina Grant
has given Lees veterans no rest near Richmond;
General Terry has KEEP. them in constant dread
for the safety Of Wilmington and the old game
of forward and back has been played ell yin
ter in the Shenandoah volley, in spite OF snow
and sleet although on a much smaller scale than
IN tie simmer.
THE kEssLs UNABLE 20 Hoip THsis ANNUAL
COUNCIL or war
cepting the chief command Of the southern arm
les "a responsibility which he saw clearly month
ago that he must assume, TO gather around him
the principal rebel chiefs. and consult them on
the decidedly critical condition Of the military
affairs Of the south. But. owing 10 the above
rsasons he has found 10 impossible to do this.
Generals Beauregard Hsrdee, and Early. land
General Joseph f. Johnston. although not in
command) have all made brief visits to Rich
mond during the last two months. and spen.
most of their time. while there, in consultation
with General Lee; ont no general conference has
taken place. General Lee. therefore, and Dir.
| Davis, have been compelled to form their plan
Of ca npaign for 1863 pretty much by themselves;
and the consequence j., that il ID known 70 very
few persons.
GENERAL LEES PLAN roR THE CAMPAIGNS or 1868.
| The, plan of campaign which Gen. Lee has
| adopted, and which he wishes TO De carried out
/ this year is founded on the active defensive sys-
| ten of warfare, The system gives the adyan-
| tage Of both the offensive and the defensive sys-
tens The party using it has the advantage o.
the initiative. and is better able to seize the IA
vorable moment TO strike, because his armies are
in positions which have been prepared before
hand-positions which are in the center OF the
resources and supports oil his country Ii Gen.
Lee has really decided upon adopting this lire.
| il il well for US that We haze such large and well
| disciplined armies already 10 the hed. for the
| active-deiensiye system, pursued by general OF
| Lees experience and talents. and with all the
| military resources of the south at his command,
will be pretty sure to give US year of very Sc
| we're campaigns. The military history of all
nations has shown that there is period in all
wars OF this kind when toretake the initiative in
the midst of defensive struggle has resulted In
completely changing the fortunes OF sar. aad il
| the defeat OF the party who. fighting IN an enc
N.Y. country, bad a numerical superiority as
great ours IL now. Gen. Lee probably be
lieyes that this period has now arrived in the his
tory OF the war between the north and the south
| Whether * has not, and whether, If il has
Gen Lee will be "a terminals as other great cap
tans Who have adopted tie sctivedeensive al
periods when il seemed that they wsre about 70
| succumb, remains 10 be seen.
GALVESTON AND TEXAS TO BE HELD BIT rHs
REBELS.
The general features of the plan are under
stood to be as follows: The defense OF Rich
mond; the defense OF Galveston, in Texas; the
abandonment OF ell the seaports on the Atlantic
coast. including Wilmington. Mobile and Charles
ton. and al invasion of the north at two points
The necessity for the defense Of Galveston. the
means OF securing the possession OF Texas, and
of re derng the production, Of that vast territory
available TO the confederacy, may no; be apFar
ent TO The reader at first But it will be seen ia
a moment, That this il most important part Of
the campaign.
Texas joins the eastern frontier o: Mexico
The south counts on an alliance with France and
with Mexico at some time during the present
year The emperor of France hopes to recog
nIze the south, and to effect this alliance without
a with the United States, which he would
avoid il possible II, therefore, at the time o.
this recognition and alliance Texas Is still held
by the coniede-ales. Napoleon will not run the
risk of collision with the federal troops. AS hs
would have to do in case the latter should seize
and occupy Galveston during the coming spring
or summer There is no idea on the part of the
confederate leaders of retroceding Texas 70
France. or of giving to Napoleon any territorial
rights whitever in Texas But il is supposed
BY those persons the south who claim TO bs
best informed on the subject and whose faith II
French Intervention Is the strongest, that the
hrst step OF Napoleon D that direction will be th,
! landing of = French army at Galveston.
succEss OF THE REBEL DESIGNS IN TEXAS
Nine months ago. laid before the readers o
The World statement of the confederate de
signs in Texas. and OF the use 20 which the rebe
leaders wished TO turn that great state Owing
to- the necessity which we have been under oil
withdrawing our forces from Texas, aud OF con
centrating all of our available troops in Virgins
las, year the confederates have been able to car
> ~ out sill of their designs in Tess. The emf
grafton into Texas from the rebel states east Of
the Mississippi during the whole of the year
le64 has been very great. and the population o
: Texas has been vastly increased thereby. Al
the planters who came brought, OF course. Their
slaves with them. Vast unoccupied tracts o.
land were at once put under cultivation. And
this> ear. not only large crops OF wheat and coFu
hut OF cotton also will be raised in Texas b,
planters accustomed 10 the business. II such
thiag as the expulsion Of the conf.deraies from
the Atlantic states should ever take place. they
would fad. in Texas alone. ample room for The
whole rebel population.
coNFEDEEATE TROOPS N rEx.s-ITs VAST EXTENT
Texas comprises two hundred aud thirty sever
thousand square miles. equal TO five states The
size of either New York or Pennsy and
equal in territorial extent, TO the six states oil
New York. Pennsylvania. Maryland Ohio. In
dams snd Illinois The crops and The cattle
shaI sii be raisei in i, this year will be of i'm
mense advantage TO the south. The confederate
forces now ir Texas are composed of ten thou
sand regular troops aud fifteen thousand Texas
militia who have beer under arms Tor mere III n