Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-06-24
SECOND EDITION,
) OUTLOOK p. nj
THE SITUATION.

We have reliable and highly interesting IN
formation up to half past O'Clock Wednesday
evening, from the front, bearing principally
upon ssThe Situaton,D as it is now fashionable
to cali the existing state of military affairs.
Thus we have to say, that General Grants
army occupies position or positions in Pinsy
woods, upon the outskirts Of Petersburg, which
were not long since in the possession of the
rebels, including all their works on the south
side Of the Appomattox river, constructed pre-
vious to the arrival of the advance Of our army
to those points. These positions entirely COM
mand the town Of Petersburg and the railroad
communication (through Petersburg-the only
one) between Richmond and Weldon: the town
being also commanded by the enemy's works
on the north side of the river, and therefore not
to be occupied by us 50 long as those works
remain in the hands OF the rebels.
Nevertheless for all practicable purposes the
command which our guns hold of the town
and the railroad there stops all continuous
communication by rail between Richmond
and any points south of Petersburg. General
Butler has enectually destroyed about three
miles Of the road between Petersburg and
Richmond; twisting the rails so that they must
be recast or rerolled before they can be again
used, which they are not doing now. So long
as General Grant elects, he can hold the ene-
my thus by the throat at Petersburg, his camps
being perfectly healthy, with good and album
dant water for the use Of his men, and entirely
secure communication with his base of sup
plies at City Point. From his present posi-
ton he can move at will towards the South,
with, say twenty days supplies, compelling
Lee to follow him, and risk heavy engagements
on unfortified ground, as he must if possible
prevent the eventual total destruction OF his
rail comm nicatiOn with Weldon.
On the north side of the James river Hunter
and Sheridan have effected results of immense
importance in their bearing upon the balance
OF the campaign; having so effectually destroyed
all Lees railroad communications north-the
railroad to Lynchburg and the Virginia Gen.
trail RAILROADS. that he cannot make them
again available this season. They have also
consumed and destroyed all the supplies re-
manning in Virginia in the Valley and between
the two Annas and Washington city; which,
together with the destruction OF the railroads
last above referred to, renders it impossible for
Lee to send any respectable force north ward.
The rebels in and around Richmond are
there restricted to the use of the Danville road,
Of the destruction of part Of which, by Hun
ter, we may hear at any moment, we appre-
bend. That railroad is Of different-broad-
puage from all other Virginia railroads, and
therefore no ma ehinery adapted to them can be
used upon it. Thus, any damage it may re-
ceive in the loss of cars or locomotives will be
irreparable for months to come.
The meaning Of all this is, that Grant, by his
move south of the James has cut Lees rail
communications in all directions except via
Danville, which as yet are incomplete and
cannot be available for the receipt Of supplies
for his army from any considerable region of
country. In achieving this important result
he has placed Lee In situation in which he
must not long hence come out from behind his
Notifications and risk a battle on a fair field,
or abandon Richmond and Petersburg, where
he cannot much longer obtain supplies.
We have the authority Of Assistant Secre-
tary Dana, who arrived last night direc from
Gen. Grants headquarters, for stating that up
to the moment he left there on Wednesday, our
entire loss in killed, wounded and missing,
since crossing the James has not been more
than ten thousand; while there is little reason
to doubt that loss of the rebels there has been
proportionably as great as ours.