Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-08-20
Petersburg---Causes and Results.
From the New York Tribune. I


The general belief, which has existed from
the first, that the failure at Petersburg was
due primarily to blunders, finds ample confir
nation in the concurrent testimony of cores
pondents. Reluctant to criticize, we have
withheld censure till it becomes essential to
delay no longer We have to say, there
fore:
l. Gen. Grants plan was well matured,
feasible, aud ought to have succeeded. Had
it succeeded, Petersburg would have fallen.
g Details of its execution were left to
Gen. Meade, who is the Executive Officer of
OF the Army of the Potomac. He is respons-
ible for the choice of troops composing the
assaulting column, and for all such arrange
gements as did not fall specially within the
province of a corps commander.
8. Gen. Burnside's corps having been des-
ignated to carry the Cemetery Hill, that
General becomes responsible for the handling
of his troops upon the field, unless relieved
of it by specific orders. Upon him, there
fore, or upon Gen. Meade, seems to be the
blame of the delay which interviewed between
the springing of the mine and the forward
movement of the column of assault, which
was the first and probably fatal error on the
actual field. 1t is plain that the explosion
should have been instantly followed by the
assault; yet there was delay of from half
an hour to an hour, giving time for the enc
my to recover from his surprise, and cOncen-
trate his forces on the point indicated for as
sault.
4. Still worse was the conduct of the divi-
sion to which the attack was intrusted. Start
ing late, there was just one hope for ito
attack with impetuosity. Instead of which,
Gen. Ledlie halted his column within the era
ter formed by the explosion, and wasted in
Ia in two hos
itation utterly inexplicable. The two guns
were as nothing to cover the movement of
his column. To have hurled his men forward
that was the chance of success, and was
thrown away.
So far as generalship goes, our criticism
stops with the first advance of the troops.
When Ledlie actually moved, the best hope
of victory had departed, but his men went
forward with a certain degree of resolution.
Their officers tried hard to carry them up the
hill, but the fire which delay had permitted
the enemy to direct upon them was terrific,
and they came back again. The assault was
neither heroic in its steadiness, nor disgrace
full by precipitate retreat. Considering to
what needless peril the men we're exposed,
and that the service to which they were sent
is the most difficult in war, they behaved
well. The second assault, by the division of
colOred troops, was as resolute as the first
apparently neither more nor less so. But
they were put to do an impossible thing.
When the first column had been repulsed
there'was no longer any hope, except in SUI
perhuman valor.
So much for the causes of this repulse, now
as to It's military results.
If Gen. Grant had succeeded-as he had
right to expect-he would, as we said above,
have taken Petersburg. Cemetery Hill is the
key to the whole system of rebel defenses.-
But the failure is the failure of one effort
by no means of the siege, or of the operations
against Richmond. The losses are not heavy
are, in fact, less than in any previous en-
gagement of Importance. The repulse is dis
cussed as if it were decisive, while it is not
even serious There is talk of Lees sending
his main army to re enforce Early; to re-en-
force Hood; as if operations at Petersburg
were at an end. We should like to believe
he has done either.
An invasion of Pennsylvania OF attack ON
Washington is not militarily consistent with
the security of Richmond. Lees army is an
army of defense-nOtoriously inferior in num-
beers to that of Gen. Grant, and able to resist
it solely by acting on the defensive. When
it attempts to reverse the conditions of its
successful operations, its inferiority of num-
bers will insure its defeat. From which it
follows that the event of last Saturday has by
no means changed the situation, or the rela-
tions between Gen. Grant and his antagonist.
The siege of Richmond continues, and the
effort which will most accelerate its fall is
such movement into the Shenandoah as Lee
is supposed to be making.