Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-08-24
NKw MOVEMENTS AGAINST RICHMOND

ICorrespoDdenoe Of the Chicago Tines
fnr WASHINGTON, Aug L.
By the time this letter reaches you il will prob
ably be no secret at any part OF the North that
Grants army has Teen withdrawn from before
Petersburg and has been transferred to new
field of operations For obvious reasons re-
frain from indicating that new field.
Thus has the seal been put upon the failure Of
Grants campaign against Petersburg. That
such would be the final result of the great blum
der Of attacking Petersburg at all, stated long
ago. know that it is the wish of those who
have constituted themselves the masters of the
once free American people to keep the public in
a constant whirl of excitement. and to seek, in
the new projects and enterprises of to dsy. to
make their subjects forget the humilities and the
defeats of yesterday, and thus TO shield them
selves, the authors of those calamities from
odium and censure. But they shall not escape.
The facts shall be made known.
Here has been place besieged for sixty days,
from the 18th of June to the 18th of August. 1t
has been defended by force varying from %. COO
to 10000 troops--there being usually not more
than the former present within its intrenchments.
and never more than the latter. IL has been be
sieged by the whole strength of Grants army,
and that army has dragged to itself like an i'm
mense sucker, the whole military strength Of the
North, except Shermans army. and few insg
nifcant detachments. Gen. Grant sat down before
Petersburg with 10000 troops In order to
save Washington from capture he was obliged to
ietach Is 900 men in the 9Th corps: and to pur.
sue Early, few days ago, about III. 600 cavalry,
under Gen. Sheriden, were also detached He
has now, in the five corps of Hancock. Warren,
Birney, Ord and Wilcox, respectively the ID,
5th 10Th 18th and 9th--75 900 men at the ut
most Where are the other 80. 900? They have
persisted during the sixty days. We have lost
80 900 men of the flower of our troops-fathers.
husbands, sons-for nothing. No object what
ever, not the slightest. has been gained, to com
peusate Tor this frghtful expenditure Of human
life Thirty thousand more families in the
North have been plunged in woe and will pass
the remainder of their lves in sngrish-and all
for nothing.
And TO day the people of the loyal North are
expected TO throw up their caps and hurrah be
cause we are told by Mr.. Stanton that Import.
ant movements are In progress on the James
river, which cannot be described now, but which
will result In the immediate suppression of the
rebellion"
II. on the other hand. the people of the North
do not hold some one person responsible for this
wicked butchery of 30 900 of our fellow citizens,
In addition 10 tho 20 900 that were slain In the
attempted execution of "my plan on the over
land route, they will almost deserve TO be the
slaves they appear ~ be 10 the people Of foreign
nations II II not difficult To- 1nd that person.
Tho finger of history will point with uncrring
certainty to Abraham Lincoln. heavy meas
ure Of responsibility rests upon General Grant
too, which ho cannot cecane. True, he was
obliged 10 shape the campaign IN such way NJ
to please and satisfy the President. Hut even
that fact will not excuse him II he could not
see from the beginning the hope essncss OF taking
Petersburg, and the useleesnesa OF ita capture
even II II could be taken. he IL unworthy 10 com.
mand large army, lle sees II now A really
good General would have seen II two months
ago
The most absurd oSredents are being 10
sorted 10 ~ cover up this abandonment ~ the
siege Of Petersburg These ekpedIenls would
he laughabe " the matter were not too grave
for laughter. They cannot deceive tho rebels
nj Richmond, but tho loyal people NJ tho North
arc expected 10 swallow stories about Butler =
canal NJ Dutch Gap, aud about tho capture of
Fort Darling with tho same blind ofedulty that
they formerly believed those of the capture of
Petersburg, Of Mobile, Of Charleston, and Of AZ
ianta,
"nuter Ia cutting canal NJ Dutch uspl"
"llutler has captured Fort Darlngl" Grant
aud Meade are moving on Richmond from the
North aide Of the james flverl" Such are the
stunning announcements that are put forth by
"the Government" 90 day,
W nhtlcf Wcip w want of hhnNelh anu PICK
axes % dig this canal with, the authorities AT
Richmond would gladly furnish them No op
position on their part will DO made 10 work Of
such great public utility, II Butler really does
cut this canal, he will do what the State OF Nir
ginla has long desired 10 have done. aud he will
confer upon that State lasting benefit But
what possible good can such a canal do 20 US
In what way can ID advance our operations
against Richmond. II any such operations are
seriously oontemplatedy IL would shorten the
navigation OF the river seven miles. Granted
but the current OF the river. during these seven
miles, 10 broad aud deep. Our gunboats com
petely command Ii, There is no obstacle, there
are no distractions there We can, in a word
ascend the river with our vessels just as we'll
without Buffers canal as with il. Ii it were
finished and in full operation (as IL never will be
during the war; our vessels could not reach
Fort Darling any easier with il than without il
In fine, it is only wretched subterfuge.
The reported capture of Fort Darling does not
deserve a word of serious refutaton. Whoever
is green enough to believe il deserves to be de-
ceived.
Ii is possible that some troops have been landed
on the north side of James river, and have ad-
vanced towards Richmond from the direction of
Malvern Hill. There was a time when "A proper
ly organized army. sufficiently numerous, and
commanded by skllful officers, might have taken
Richmond from base Malvern Hill But
that was two years ago. That route leads to the
most vulnerable side of Richmond now. But
even that side is fortified to extent that
makes an attack from that direction hopeless
task
No more Growing is heard here either
Mobile or Atlanta. The next news from both
of those places IL looked for with unconcealed
uneasness. X