The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1864-06-22
tFrom the Boston COurier.l
ncCIeIfar's Plans Sustained /.

1 "
! A balance struck OF the gains and .osses
consequent upon the attempt 10 reach the
neighborhood OF Richmond by a differss;
route from that judged 10 be the proper one
| by Mcclellan, tells seriously against the
mode of approach adopted The sole gain
is in fact, tina. the identical line of opera.
tions near that city, held by Mcclellan,
two years ago near the middle OF May, has
been at length reached BY Grant. Twenty
six days have been spent in accomplishing
this object fhef have been days of ter
rlble conflict and OF fearful and exhausting
struggle with nainral obstrnctions even
when no enemy stood il The way. In the
successive bloody battles which have en-
sued, the fortune of war has been pretty
| equally divided When our army has
attacked The rebels, i, has been repulsed,
when The rebels have attacked our army,
they have been repulsed Without refereHce
| to various brillian, detached operations, on
| both sides, il is obvious that no substantial
advantage, by mere fighting, has been
gained by either. That is, no vic tory has
beeen won, such as 10 affect the constiiu-
lion and integrity of The several armies.
Gran, finding the enemy's lines in his front
| too strong TO sssail, without danger of too
heavy loss, has gradually executed the
movement by his Aank, which has placed
him in his present position. Lee, per-
ceiving his plan, has left behind him the
foHl icaiions which hi- adversary declined
10 assail and has moved down in unbroken
| strength in advance OF his adversary, keep
ing his own force always between our army
and The city which ii was its object to be-
siege aod capture. szs- "a ss-s
In these various, manGuvres We know
that our own loss has been severe beyond
precedent Without question, the loss
| upon the other side has been heavy, also
though inadequate means exist 10 estimate
il. Bal there is no reason 10 imagine that
it is in any degree comparable to our own,
for the reason that :he rebels have fought
under cover or behind entertainments, as
much possible. Il seems evident also
that while Gran! at frst pursued The policy
OF endeavoring 10 break his way by over
/
compac; bodies OF men to the sweeping
rebel fire, Lee has sought every means of
outstanding his forces. exposing il no more
than The nature Of the case required. In
word, after Icng ssrise of desperate and
murdsfous encounters, which have dstin-
guistec this eventfuI campaign, Grant finds
himself where Mcclellan was, at the first
eslabishm enl of his headquarters on the
Pamunkey river, and at The beginning Of
| the still more serious work before him.
The question OF Aanking or not hanking,
which has recently been asi,aied with such
vivacity, resolves itself into ihis-hat Gen.
{ Grant, Who, beyond I'll possibility of dis
! ptte, crossed the Rapidan with the inten-
! TOO Of proceeding 10 Richmond by the
| shortest direct line of march, found il i'm
possible to do so, by reason OF the resist-
ance offered him. He has consequently
changed his plan, recrossing The North
Anna river, ever which he had pushed his
! columns, and By a circu;ious route, in order
10 accomplish his object, has now taken
position On tie Pamunkey; His recent
march has not been wilhstood, but Lee, we
! presume, is OH the Chickahominy awaiting
him. The rugged nature OF the country
where the later NAV be posted is at least
as favorable for defence as either of the
| points where he has heretofore made
stand and on line in such proximity 10
the Confederate capital we may be sure
! that every inch of ground will be disput-
! ed.
We do no, pretend to estimate the losses
OF our troops in The series Of enga gomenis
during the last twenty -seven days. They
have been variously srate5 al from 40,0
| TO nearly twice that number 1t is enough
tha, they have been enormous and seeing
| that nothing has been gained by attempting
the route in question, but the same position
| which might havs been so much mors
readily secured, al comparatively slight
| loss, by reaching tha, position through
anorher mode of access, those who have
| insisted upon a course involving such ieaf-
fuI sacrifices should. noI. escape their ae-
countability 10 the country. Besides, of
what service now might os 10 Gen. Grant
the 40 600, il no more, of the brave men
who are either disabled or lie sleeping fo:-
ever in the Wilderness and upon other the
| aires OF the la!e desperate and terrible con-
ficts