The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-13 00:00:00

hMERICA,

TEE CIV.

(From the Times Corresponeent.)
NEW YoRK, May 31.
General Grant having discovered that the direct
road to Richmond, to be traversed with the loss of
from 10,000 to 15,000 men per mile, was practically
impassable, has changed his tactics. Twice he at-
tempted, in a series of battles extending over ten
days, to cut his way by sheer brute force through
the obstacles opposed to his march, and twice, if
not actually beaten back, he was foiled with tre-
mendous slaughter. At his third halting-place on
the bank of the North Anna, he found the impedi-
ments much more formidable than those of the
Wilderness or Spottsylvania Court-house, and
paused to consider what was to be done. The par••
tisans, both of the North and the South, were
equally anxious that at this point he should once
more try the mettle of his legions. The Federealists
had an idea that Lee's army was decimated, demor-
alised, and hopeless, and that Grant had only to
fight with the fierceness and tenacity of his open-
ing battles to overbear all opposition, scatter the
panic-stricken hosts of the South, and rush eons
quering and to conquer into Richmond. The Con-
federates, on the contrary, maintained that the
position between the North and the South Anna
was that in which, above all others, Lee would have
preferred to try conclusions with his adversary, and
that it was the place on which he had lavished all the
resources of his military and engineering skill. For
these reasons they hoped that Grant would resort to
his old policy, and risk everything upon the issues of
battle. Grant took time for reflection. He studied the
work to be done, ani after a repose of several days,
varied only by an occasional skirmish between the
outposts and a few feints to discover the whereabouts
of particular divisions of the opposing army, came
to the conclusion that the position was in all respects
what it was represented to be, and was only to be
taken at such an awful sacrifice of life as to make
it cruel, if not insane, to attempt it. He, therefore,
determined upon another flank movement, and
hastily, secretly, and successfully transferred his
whole army by forced marches to the north bank of
the Pamunkey—a river formed by the junction of
the North and South Anna—where he took up a
new position at Hanovertown, within about 15 miles
of Richmond. On Sunday he crossed the Pamun-
key, and occupied a position about three miles to
the south of the stream. Should the attempt to
enter Richmond by this route prove as hope-
less as those previously made, we may next
expect to hear of this alert and indefatigable in-
vaaer at M'Clellan's old quarters amid the swamps
of the ohickahominy ; or, giving these the go-by,
because of their noted unhealthiness during the
summer heats, which have already begun to blaze
upon the land with a fury equal to that of the dog
days in our milder Europe, be will perhaps effect a
junction with General Butler at Bermuda Hundred,
on the James, and try to break into Richmond by
the back door. It will be observed that in all these
movements General Grant keeps the rivers aad his
transports behind him, and that in case of defeat he
can save his army from destruction by the aid of a
numerous and well-appointed flotilla both on the
Rappahannock and the James. It will be observed
that the strategy leaves Washington undefended;
and that while he "pounds awe)" (the popular
phrase just now) at ItieLaiond, Lee may leave the
Southern capital to General Beauregard and 40,000
or 50,000 men—quite adequate for its defence—and
march to the Northern capital with the remainder
of his army, either by the Shenandoah or the direct
route. It is not considered, however, by military
critics that Lee will undertake an expedition of this
magnitude, but that a series of battles on the Chicka-
hominy will either give him the victory or force
him into Richmond.
But amid all this din of war the din of politics
is not silenced. The Baltimore Convention meets
this day week to nominate Mr. Lincoln for re-elec-
tion, and towards that pleasant city are flocking the
delegates from all parts of the country—the great
shoddy interest, the contracting interest, the place-
holding interest, the place-expecting interest, and
that very numerous class of political thinkers who,
without much respect for Mr. Lincoln's character,
and none for his abilities, are sincerely of opinion
that a change in the Presidency at a time like this
is a national peril. One section of Mr. Lincoln's
quondam supporters and present opponents have
endeavoured to forestall or defeat the action of the
Baltimore Convention by summoning an indepen-
dent Convention of all parties at Cleveland, in Ohio.
That Convention opens its deliberations to-day.
Though all parties have been summoned, none but
Republicans have been elected, and these, to the
number of between 1,500 and 2,000 have swarmed
into Cleveland with but one purpose in their minds
—to nominate General Fremont. They are sincere
in their convictions that " State rights" are of no
further use in the government of America ; that
their day has gone by; that State lines must be so
far obliterated as to be of no greater political value
than the lines of a county or a town-ship; that a
great and homogeneous nation and a strong Go..
vernment must be created oat of the ruins of the
Federative system; that slavery, serfdom, and
social and political disqualification on account of
colour must be abolished ; that the Monroe
doctrine must be maintained at all hazards ; that
General Fremont is the able, the consistent, and the
proved champion of "free speech, free soil, and free
men," and of all the ideas that naturally grow
oat of them; that he is a gentleman as well as a
statesman, and fitted both by his manners and
his education to reflect honour upon the chief
magistracy, instead of making it a laughing-stock
in the eyes of the world ; and that for these and
countless other reasons, of which the egregious in-
capacity of Mr. Lincoln is not the least, it is both
the duty and the policy of the Republican party to
unite their vote in his favour. The Germans in the
',Vest, who are declared to be a unit on the question,
are enthusiastic for the" Pathfinder ;" the Germans
in New York and other large cities go with their
countrymen; d
an _ as they have the support of the
churches and of such men as be. Cheever, Dr. Tyng,
Mr. Ward Beecher, and Mr. Wendell Phillips, and
the great bulk of the educated and contemplative
Abolitionist party, who despise Mr. Lincoln for his
want of manners and education, and distrust him for
his lukewarmness in the cause, which appears to
them too sacred to be taken up or let fall as expe-
diency may dictate, it is all but certain that the
Cleveland nomination will be as entleue:astic for
Fremont as that at Baltimore promises to be for
Lincoln. A few friends of Gen. Grant have mustered
at Cleveland, as they will probably do at Baltimore,
to urge the claims of the hero of Vicksburg upon the
gratitude of his countrymen ; but as Grant has not
asked for the nomination—as it is not certain that
ho would accept it, if offered—as it is not known to
any one that he has any political principles at all, or
any talents except those which find their normal
exercise in the camp or the battlefield—and as,
moreover, his defeat on the Chickahorriny or at Ber-
muda Hundred would make an end of him as
thoroughly in a political as in a military sense, and
consign him to obscure service on the Indian fron-
tier, or perhaps to private life at his tan-yard in
Missouri, his friends labour under many disad-
vantages in pressing his claims, and are not likely
to advance his prospects at either convention. On
the other hand, if signal, undoubted victory should
reward hie efforts before Richmond, he will need no
aid of conventions to jump into the Presidential
chair. Success in the field would make him Presi-
dent in spite of himself, so that in view of all the
circumstances his friends but waste their energies
is premature discussions of his candidacy. The
mass mceting summoned for Saturday evening next
in Union-square, in this city, with
the object of
nominating him to the Presidency by acclamation
of the crowd instead
of bythor
adoinrzy.., niiiffacohriiinetz
of a party convention, w t!l, of
opportunity of epeech-making and speech hearing,
both so dearly beloved by the Yankee multitude, but
will be of no further importance, unless, on or before
that particular day, the victory his friends expect
shall havo been fairly won. In that improbable
cwitingency the meeting would become a fortunate
accident, and be the signal and forerunner of a series
of popular gatherings, the force of :which no other
candidate could help to withstand.
The friends of General Al'Clellan keep discreetly
quiet. Their convention will not be held until the

THE SCENE OF THE IMPENDING BATTLE.---The
situation of both the opposing armies in Virginia is
sub, at the latest advices, that a battle may be considered
imminent. In view of this fact a brief topographical descrip-
tion of the battle-field may not be uninteresting. Both
armies are now in Hanover county, with the North Anna on
the north and the Chickahominy on the south. Lee's army,
as is announced in official despatches from General Grant,
is on Mechanicsville-road, south of the Tolopotonion river,
one of the tributaries of the Pamunkey, and between that
stream and Hawes's shop, with his right resting on Shady
Grove. The surface of Hanover county is hilly, and the
soil sandy, but there are few natural impediments to the
oPeration of an army. Hanover Court-house, the county
seat, is memorable as the scene of Patrick Henry's early
career, and as the birthplace of Henry Clay. The object of
Lee will be to preserve the rebel capital from the advance of
General Grant, and for this reason he has selected a field
which Covers all the highways leading to Richmond. Gene-
ral Grant seems inclined to give his enemy no opportunity
and therefore has ordered the destruction
that he faces to the south—is protected by
to move northward,
of the bridges over Little and the North Anna rivers. Lee's
the ck Th.eiroad from Hanovertown crosses this
which is on a turnpike five miles
northwest of Richmond. There is another road just in
and the.
.situation is sooncon-
fr3treaeml27atalll3lecghiannicsvil.e,
the rear of this which also leads to the rebel capital. In
moving down these roads General Grant will enter
tt
rhaec
tleind es
thatof Ltheeer'es
is little probability of another flank
movement being successful, If the Chickahominy is in-
tended by Lee as the last line of defence, the
position has
been well chosen. The stream itself is peculiarly adapted to
the defensive warfare. The river is a small one, and flows
sluggishly. It divides itself into half a dozen streamlets,
running into and out of each other at random. These
water-courses occupy a space about 70 yards in width.
Immense trees grow up out of the water, and the entire
stream is covered by thick woods. It is a remarkable in
stance of a river running through and watering a long strip
of woods. From each side of this woodland a flat surface
extends for about half a mile. This is nearly always over-
flowed, and becomes an impassable morass. It is only when
the water in the river is very low that men can safely walk
upon the ground bordering it. On the flat surfaces there is
not a solitary tree. They are bare, and anything moving
upon them can easily be discerned. From the borders of
then plains huge hills, in some cases 200 and 300 feet high,
abruptly rise. They are covered with thick woods, and are
so steep that waggons cannot be hauled directly up their
face. The few roads go down them diagonally to the
brkigee, across the swamp and river. This Chickahominy
valley, one of the strongest in America, is the outer defence
of Richmond. From the tops ef the hills on the one side,
across the swamp to the hill-tops on the other side, the
distance varies from a mile to a mile and a-half. The ordi-
nary 12-pounder rifled Napoleon gun just about throws a
shell
from one hill-top to the other. From the Fredericks-
burg railroad crossing down to New-bridge, a distance of
eight miles, the Confederate works are all along the hills
onits southern border.—eNetv York World, June 1.