The New York herald., 1864-10-12
The Military Observation-Disclosures the
Last Field OF the War.

Last Field OF the War.
Virginia Is still the point Of great and vital
interest in view of the operations of our armies
Though H6od and Sherman are once more at
it; though we hear OF Price in Missouri, almost
as we did in the first year of the war; though
there is fight now and then in Tennessee, and
even in Louisiana, still a)l these are operations
of 10 great Importance, or operations as to the
result OF which there can be no doubt All
the guerilla activity in Missouri, Tennessee,
Kentucky or elsewhere will die out. 1t is
very vain attempt to galvanize the dead body
Of the rebellion in those States in which it has
been fairly shot to death. AS to the move
ments of Sherman and Hood, there can be no
doubt of their result. Davis and the Richmond
men generally have congratulated themselves
that, though Atlanta was lost, they had saved
the army that was expected to defend it. They
are about to lose even this source of felic!ta-
ton. Hood will be inevitably smashed up. He
has set out on an attempt TO which he is
not equal. From the moment that he
moved with his broken army and inadequate
resources, to try against Sherman that system
of warfare that Sherman had SO successfully
practlsed against Johnston, he gave his army
up to a ruin that he cannot be idiot enough not
to loresee.
Over the whole territory of the conlederacy,
then, outside of Virginia, the rebellion is so
far put down that it has but one army worthy
Of the name--and that army has just been pu
into the hands of General Sherman. Virginia,
therefore, is to see the last Of the struggle as it
saw the first. In Virginia--so justly called the
pillar of the confederacy-the progress is slow;
and though the event will not be immediate, it
is not so far distant as tue Northern copper
heads and the rebels desire. Though the Rich
mond papers seem to hope more from Hoods
movements IN Georgia than from Lees further
resistance, we may have more immc-
diate result from Sherman than from
Grant CIR operations in Virginia have not
yet reached THAI point at which 1t can
be said that our success is beyond doubt
1t is still possible for battle won by
the enemy to decide that campaign against
us. But the enemy's chance to win
such battle is infinitely small, and every
day grows smaller, as does his ability to fight
any great battle at all. Hitherto Grants
wonderful prescience has kept all safe. Lees
desperate assault just made against Birney's
lines, is perhaps the measure of his present
ability in that way; and this assault was better
repulsed than those made weeks ago on the
Weldon Railroad. Meade evidently failed in his
part of the recent movement on Grants left; but
Lee was not able to take any advantage of
that failure and now our whole line has been
advanced toward the Cockade City. Our pro-
gress south of Richmond is, then, positive, aud
it is very doubtful if the enemy has the ability
to stop us.
On the north OF Richmond, in the valley of
the Shenandoah, the rebels have lately claimed
that they were victorious. They pretended to
believe that Early's routed army had stopped
somewhere to wait for Sheridan, and that Sher-
dan, with his victorious army, came up, turned
around and ran away without battle.
Sheridan's last brilliant victory over Grew
General" has finished that fiction. The true
nature Of Sheridan's "retreat" will soon be
known. 1t is safe to predict that this retreat
will entite him to greater praise than even
his recent victories.