The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1864-11-09
Gen. Grants Campaign.

The sconnsissaace Gas by convenient
after though, it is now called) made by
Gen. Grant last Thursday week puts
period to his long campaign and consigns
it to the Judgment of history. Els ex-
perencs during the early sum mer months,
of the terrible and fruitless cost of direct
assaults on intrenched positions, has made
him wary; and when, in the late advance,
he found the rebel fortifcations fully
manned and ready at every point, he made
no assault. but teiegraphed to the War
z ps:tmeut tha; he should keep our
troops out "wherc they are ii, aoon to-
morrow" (Friday) sin hope ofinviting an
attack" AT the time of writing this dis
patch g P. Nj, Thursday General Gran.
does not seem to have been aware of the
full significance of the days operations.
The attack made by the rebels on the
Second corps, at 4 p. NJ, though tempo
rarily repulsed, disclosed dangers, which
the Withdrawal of our troops
to their original positions. According to
a dispatch from Mr. Stanton, in the Times
!" early in the day" (Thursday) " Lee,
penetrating the nature of the maneuver,
g tcowmenced concentrating his forces in
;.the direction of Hatchers run. About
81 P. NJ. Mahone's division made
s'charge upon the right flank of the See
Hond corps. The rebels came in at a
"point where we had not yet formed the
connection between the Second and
i" Fifth corps. This obliged Gen, Grant
i'to ,sfthdrd,o his torees to a safer position.
That's to say, the skill and prompt
tude of Gen. Lee made it unsafe for Gen,
Grant 20 risk a. battle in position OF his
own choosing, and he retreated behind
his intrenchments.
This makes il clear that the campaign
against Richmond. begun on the 7th of
May and continued through six months,
has ended in failure. IfGen GRAFT dared
not hazard battle on Friday in posi-
ton os his oWn choosing in front of the
enemy's works, he will not run the risk
of attacking them in their works. 1t is
plain, then, that he cannot take Peters
burg--which these works defead-nuch
less Richmond.
However it may be with other military
judges, Gen. Grant has been disappointed.
When he set out on his campaign by the
overland route, he expected to encounter
and dafeat Gen. Lee on the way, and then,
by vigorous pursuits, follow Lees shat
tered army into Richmond. His check,
on the third day, convinced him that the
campaign would be longer than he had
anticipated, but it did not daunt him.. Il
shall fight it Through on this line, if it
takes all summer" was his resolute Ian
guage to the War Department. 1t shows
that he had no expectation that the cam
paign ceald, in any event, outlast the
summer But winter approaches and
Richmond is not taken. The movement
last Thursday proves that it cannot be ia.
ken this year: II is, therefore, entirely
safe to say, that, whatever other military
judges may have thought, Gen. Grant has
been disappointed.
Mr.. Lincoln is reported to have said
that, after the battle of the Wilderness,
any other General in the army would
have .retreated. Whether q retreat, at
that point of the campaign, would have
been wise, depends upon whether the army
could have been employed, during the
lcng summer and autumn, to better ed