The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1864-08-08


at this stage Of our review to inquire into The CON-
sidersnons which can bc supposed to have ,nau.
enced The mird NJ General Grsut 10 ,dcpt the over
.and line of advance against Richmond. We have
hoNrd oi but three reasons .ss.sncd n defence Of
his detcrrn nation.
One is that was taken in Difference 10 the orin.
ION W the President IN tnyor of the overland route
u $ well known that the President. on the Jd of
February. 1862. ~ time when he favored d'rc,t
0hvance against thc Colfcderst, force at Manassas
and when General Mcclellan had decided to adopt
sine va the CHc7npeake, Urbana, and the viz.
ginia Peninsula wrote letter to tho latter in which
he proposed the following inquiries, su. Sesicd by
comp1rison Of their 'IIhercut AMI distinct
pans !"
"a Docs not your plan involve greatly larger
expenditure OF time and money hsn mnef
-. Wherein is victory more eertdin ty your
plan than u,'ne,
20. whercin victory woye cdluabis by your
plan than mine
~. Ia fact, would II not lie ks valuable Va this
that Il would break no great line II the cncmy's
communication, while mine would
-. Ia cnsc of disaster would not safe retreat
he more dtiicut ly your plan than by niue"
whlc giving 10 the views Of tho President on
this a. on oil other SUBJECTS the weight to which
they were ent tied, must rcfu~e to believe that
Gen. Grant formed his decision IN favor cf the over
land inarcA ifom any such unworthy motives VI
official compaocncy.
TIE IsrEIIidgscrs the, states that n General
Grants selection Of the overland route WIS induced
by any expectation of IN weakening and deinoraiz-
ing General Lees forces ~ g. render them incaps-
ble Of making any serious resistance to the capture
O, Richmond. the ,esl, sbov. ,h,, Ia ,,is,,l nj.
own powers OF AGGRESSION and the enem?'s power
Of resistance. IL was his own army which, ar
rvug In front Of Richmond, Was found toe much
exhausted 10 storm the enemy . works on the north
side OF the james River. The idea ths, the over
" '''' "'' N'''- w ''''"''s''" y"
Is neuuhIz.d by the hct that since the 18th Of
june his army has Teen so placed TINT in tl,ce of
,,. -, -. - - - -, Il, -
WINS H'e'poSo' "''"o'" ''i' 'n''"' ""' vi" "'-
uonsl capital II Ia the army OF Genera Lee that ~
intcrpo,ed b,t,y,cr him and Washin.ton The IA.
"''N"'" "'"-
Tbus In any ii,,h, IN xhi.h r. r,.r v,.w ,,,.
ou..,t,, a, y. ';,,,.,,.,,io ,,, a., ,or.',. ~, ~
men uhn yy,rc lied and disallri hv Tho overland
,naT,h wc,c tlIic, and G,s,Ii.d 1, va;n ro, q
Gen Gran, u,oposeI IN bma,lf ,he ac,,r,,ct,,n of
I,c,s .rr,v tv rarl no,,u,lipy a, tLa, ,h. ,,l a,
r. R,hn,uJ xculi ,n.ow We nov, ,cc ina, ho vet .
cp..i .le ny.,r,ssiye nower Of his hammer even
more than he d,,n.-,I tho r.sis,,n,, strruh ri tho
anvil for he w,- rompcIlca in tho end 10 in,crmi,
nj blows and r,sorl 10 m, allow nrncesse, or ihr
| min, nnd the sie,e. And n. The cou-., NJ events
| finally turned MIN from tho line of the overland
mar, n 20 tho linr of "a, 4 y, ,sle,yinp IN, Con.
feierais army unlrcLcn ne resisting power
Ino,, ,at rV'SIns .i ''e ,Sf'a .hG IN nr
aud wounded in excess over the Con.eIcra,e sillyi
and wounded. and that he forfeited 10y II. nt ,ns
r"nt ~ AT ' - 1919, y" "s ~ ,,,, Nv NV, ,
| fruitcss bu;iles which intervcned between the 81
o May and the lih al June
! Go" cr.n, il, ,b, ,,ye,'and ev,.,di,'nn ", .tsu
! rrrr.,s. never know them with authenticity ar ex
/ acntuu'. W. ~ least hnow they were withon
| o',h..a" y" -. 80. 50 ,Si,p -, ',s :,
veteran -oldierr.-ucn seasoned 10y service, who's,
! Ives IN purely military point os Ne~' "e''
,,It', :, i"s, ~ 1911, i".. w.. ,o, n. .oI,
disad vantage O; ths ovcrl ,nd march. raose o.
thc nrny WHO snceceicl IN roAching uc JAM
! ,ni,,i,- "na sxL,I,in, l,io,, iha, tbei, ,f.r,, !,
found thcru out Of breath al tue very point whcr,
.n'y c'me TO tae 'hnl '9S q, nc nr'ad'u' sirng j,
,,'I. Il c,,b Jm,b,lc.s g,e,,iv rn,ur.i in NUM- a
and ',goT, could Sill hght hehInG his trenches
| ie''t''H- or hShihoh'. n"' an out 'ol'cs -a'
,rerrhrnrnts along the whole line Of the nrogrc,
from the Wilderness to tNe James, they werc, will
hsatlS as u,HNe hs e,ti, 10 inosn'oI ia tno, I,''
| icciive am un,vail.ur precisely at N. iunctur
wien tucc's~ n the who'e OH, y oil the cninpng
.sni,. :, ''' '''' '''i '1' ~ '''' ~
~ ,s,,o.,,,, ,h.,, ,oo. 10 .,,, ,ho, =,
,os,,,, ., asa, o,,.. -, .s.,,,,,. .,,,,s, ,bo ,sb.
p.,..,.,....,. o.. A.. t,,, A. t. OF,
Inn. ,h., A.. ,,,r.,,,, o,.,.,,,rs co,n,r,,,o.
-. A., ,,,,,o,, .o.,,noi 49,,
xha,..olt,..,. a.. ,,,,r,,,,,io ,a,,rs .,I IT,, =,
,.-r,.,., =. ,,,,c ,..i..,i =,
- .,..,
lion, an s,,pyla- srons, a mere ou,pos, o, 4.