The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1864-03-23
LATE WAR NEWS.

General Grant will arrive in Washington
either io,morrow or Wednesday, TO begin
his preparations for the eighth campaign
against Richmond He now has on The way
east large reinfoTcements for the Army of
ihs Potomac, drawn from every western
column. Thirty thousand men will thus be
added 10 his force. Besides this, he will
have full control of all military affairs in the
east Including the earrisons OF Baltimore,
Fortress Monroe, Norfolk and the Shenan-
doah, he will by the first OF April muster
about one hundred thousand white soldiers
and fifteen thousand negroes. With these
he is 10 make his advance against Lee, who
has an available force OF not less than one
hundred thousand. The only Federal OBJ
stacles yet placed in Grants way are The
reluctance of the Senate TO give General
Smith rank sufficient 10 enable him TO
comm and the Armv of the Potomac (he
being now brigadier of vounteersi and
Grants ignorance of the eastern mode OF
warfare and the country in which he will
operate. What greater obstacles Lincoln
and Stanton wiz put in his way as soon as
he begins TO move-their meddlesome char
acters being nolorous-no one can tell.
There already numerous indications that
Grants principle advance against Rich
mond will be up the James river, either the
Peninsuar line from Fortress Monroe, or a
march along the southern bank from Nor
folk A large force will al the same time
operate from Fredericksburg or the present
camp of The Federal army on The Rapdan.
The Pe6insular column and the one or the
RaPidan will very probably be of nearly
( equal force, General Grant being famous for
+ dividing his armies into different columns
each directed against the same object
! Whichever way he goes however he will
4 find an alert and active enemy and plenty
/ of Notifications. He can scarcely begin
his advance before the middle of A pril. The
! equlnoctial storm il yet 10 come aud for ten
( days or two weeks the roads will be bad
/ II took Mcclellan three weeks TO transport
his army to{Yorktowu, AMI Grant has not
/ YET begun operations II he leaves Wash
inglon undeiended he may certainly expect
interference from Lincoln, and il he fingers
too long the COnlederates may lake the in
itialive out OF his hands and fix the CAM
! paign TO suit themselves II Grant has al
I ready made his plans he may depend that
the Coniederaies know Them, for such intel
ligence travels 10 Richmond with marvel
lous rapidty. Taking all things into con-
sidera;ion, General Grant will have obsti-
cles TO encounter IN HE campaign, far more
formidable than ever opposed him in the
West. The siege OF Richmond is not the
siege OF Wick sburg-Lee is not Pemberon,
and the war office al Washington is far too
close for comfou
1t is at length ascertained tEa' Alexandria,
town on the Red river, is thei i.o5ject OF the
combined expeditions of Banks from New
Orleans and Mcpherson from YicksbUrg
on transports, 10 concentrate al the mouth
of Red river 4 feet OF gun and mortar
boats under Admiral Porter is alres sdy
there.
We have authority for stating tha, not the
slightest indignilies have been offered to
Colonel Dahlyren's body, which the Con-
federales are abou. seuding TO Fortress
Monroe for his friends IN the North.
! An arrival from North Carolina, re
ports slighrskirmish near Newbern, bu
no serious collision.
There IS nothing of importance from tbs
army OF the Potomac. The reported raid
from the fredericksburg and the Sheusu
doah valley prove to be canards On Fri
day last the enemy assumed very threat
eninc appearance, bu' no serious attach
was made. The camp sqaiei again.
The Confederaies are n large force .
: 2ngsold. near Chattanooga. They oecn
pied the town but a short time since.