Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-06-30
The situation before Petersburg.
ACTIONS OF WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRI
AND SATURDAY.


The following review Of the situation
bc.ore Ptte~ ,src, and of the actions
of "Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and
Saturday Of last week is from the
pen of William Swinton, the able
CORES pondent of the New York
Times
Amy OF rHR PoroNAo, NxAR PErxRssURo,
Tuesday, June q, 1854.
rHE SITUATION IN ITS GENERAL ASPECTS.
4. Regarded in its most general relations,
the present situation Of the armies OPP
Grating against Richmond presents an
aspect identical with that which has al
ready thrice met us-in front of Spott-
sylvania Courthouse, before the lines
Of the South Anna, and on the Chicka-
hominy. E
The stragetic problem, executed with
entire success, has given way to tao
tical problem, which stubbornly bids de-
flance to our efforts to solve. In o
stroke of mastery generalship this army
was taken up from the Chickahominy,
conveyed over an interval OF over fifty
miles, transported across two formula
BILE rivers, and in two days was planted
before Petersburg-the key to Richmond
But Petersburg, the richly merited prize
Of the most boldly conceived and the
most brilliantly executed military con-
ception of the war by one of those vex-
atiOus accidents that checker the his
tory of military operations. failed to be
won. In vain a stroke of genius out
witted the astute General who COM
mands the foremost army of the rebel
lion, threw him from his central posi-
ton to one exterior to us, delayed him
two days, and brought this army in front
of Petersburg four-and-twenty hours
before man of the enemy had crossed
the James River.
The defences Of Petersburg fell prize
to the rapidity Of this great movement
It's line of works formidable in charac
ter and of old construction, was car
ried, or rather surprised and taken by
our advanced column. A few militia
and old men and boys of the town, has
tily gathered up for the occasion, were
all that met Gen. Smith in line of
works south of Petersburg, which if
properly garrisoned, could have babe
defiance to the whole Army of the Poto-
mac, and must have reduced us to the
necessity of siege operations. Butler,
too, on the north side of the Appomat-
tox, broke through the Imperfect OBJ
stacle he met, and seized the main line
of railroad communication leading from
Richmond. 9 ,a
Never was the Casarian maxim,
"Count nothing done till all is DONE"
more strikingly illustrated. A few
hours more daylight, the arrival Of
column of troops, delayed few miles
back, would have secured these con-
quests to us as a permanent possession.
At 1880 O'Clock in the evening of Wednes-
day last, Gen. Smith, Nth SIMPLE Skin
mish Inc, took the whole line of field
works covered by his front. Had the
prearranged programme been carried
out, whereby another corps was to have
connected and cooperated with him, the
whole line would have been taken, and,
the victory followed up, Petersburg
would that night have been in our
hands.
How this design failed of realization
Is worthy OF explanation.
HOW WE FAILED TO TAKE PETERSBURG
When, early on Wednesday morning,
the Second corps had effected the pas
sage of the James River at Windmill
Point Gen. Hancock was met by dis
patch from the Commanding General,
directing him if provisions had arrived,
he should ration his men before proceed
ing towards Petersburg. Just at this
time he received information, seemingly
reliable and conveyed. believe, by an
engineer officer who had just come up
from the pontoon bridge, to the effect
that the transports had arrived with
supplies. This fact Gen. Hancock COM
municated to the commanding general,
stating that he would soon begin issu-
ing rations, and would then move for
ward as directed sa5 at
The information proved to We q mis-
stake-a lamentable mistake-the trans
ports had not arrived. Yet this simple
error caused delay in the movement
of Hancock's corps of five hours and a
half. His column joined Gen. Smiths
J troops at o'clock on the morning Of
Thursday. But had he been up earlier
by the difference noted of five and half
hours, he would have reached the front
at 1880 on the evening Of Wednesday
which was precisely the moment at
% which Gen Smith made his attack.
Thursday morning revealed new ac-
tor on the stage-a new element intro
duced into the problem. I
While our troops were coming up du-
ring the night, Beauregard also came up,
and the reconnaissance of Thursday
morning developed him in force in line
hastily thrown up during the night, and
h q little closer to the town, but still strong
8 enough to check our advance. The mil
lila was relieved-Beauregard's force
numbering thirty thousand men, and re-
inforced by the addition of Bushrod
Johnsons command took their places.
Men Of very different mettle, these from
the crude soldiers to whom the defence
OF the works of Petersburg had been
Entrusted Z
It is true the assaults Of the two sue
ceeiiny,as- r'-ovn tho enemy from theil
Temporal! i>s.,s DIT III was Only W lal
back on line hugging the town, which
Beauregard was preparing the mean
while, and which constantly strengthen