The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-05-06
The Rebels Puzzled.

From the remarks on our military prepa-
ratlons, which appear in late numbers of the
Richmond papers, We discover that the South
ern sages are not so ready as our own pe0-
pie TO accept the indications that Richmond
is TO be the objective of Gen.rai Grants op-
eratlons during the coming campaign. A..
the signs which have proved SO convincing
TO US are patent to them also. They too SCI
Lieutenant-G General Grant busy with his
preparations upon the Rapiian, they know
as well as We that General ". +. Smith Is
gathering his forces on the Peninsula The
Northern papers, full files of which, as they
state, are obligingly furnished to them by
flag Of truce boat. have promptly informed
them of the Reorganization IF the Amy oi
the Potomac, and $50 circlmslautially and
fully" as they tell US, " that i VS. no Giiii-
cult matter TO correctly estimate u Effective
strength" General Burnsidr.rney ada. "wri.es
letters which are published IL the New York
papers. that he is preparing a command for
eariy active operations, that Annapolis IS his
rendezvous, and We are further Informed. that
/ North Carolina is his destination" But ,h-
open manner in which our vast preparations
are notified 10 the rebel authorities. and iht
publicity given To General Grant. plans II
concentration SAVIOR too much Of csteata,ion
TO make them altogether easy. They have
learned az well as We that ostentation is not
the special weakness Of our Lieutenant-Grn-
eral, and the horrible suspicion breaks sud-
denly upon them that perhaps, after all, these
indications which seem 10 point so positively
% on 10 Richmond NAV be but intended to
deceive. General Grants presence with the
Army OF the Potomac. SAYS the Richmond
| Enquirer, - furnishes no criterion by which
0ae should decide that he is there for tht
purpose of commanding another advance up
on Richmond. Having commanded ia Ten
nessee and the West bu: very recently, and
having placed Sherman in immediate COM
mand, all necessary preparations for an ad-
vance against Johnston NAV be made there
lust as secretly as they have been openly con-
ducted in the East, and within few hours
the railroads transport Grant and his head
quarters from the field in the East 10 the
field in the West, and he sweeps down upon
Johnston, while the public in Virginia are
s'rslnlny their eyes 10 see his advance. o.
! their ears TO hear the distant thunders of his
approach"
As It is our mission 10 record and not T.
pro hesy. and least Of all for the ilen..i. o.
rcbei war councils, We leave them 10 study
out TINS problem for themselves We invite
them. however. 10 turn TO th- flies Of North
EN- papers and set their minds a. rest. L.
what one of them will they discover hin,
to justify their fears? Are Tot thew viii.
one consent interpreting he signs of the
times as indicating an advance on Richmond.
and have not ali the shara-Sc-nied CORES
pondents before this SCI ;hrir faces towgr,,
the Army of tie Potomac? Can i be in
the herrt # any General In disappoint these
calculations? Let them then gather th,ir
forces in Virginia and be prepared TO accep,
the gage of battle there and if the blow
should fall elsewhere and bring them 70 srie
let them remember that they could harll,
look fcr..any better treatmentfrom the Genera
whose " unchivalric and ungtnerous 'conIuci
so disappointed their ca,cuis,ion> at For
DoaelsUn. They nav possibly lind som,
comfort. too. by recurring TO the articles in
which they have proven, TO the satisfaction
OF themselves and of their readers. that IA,
Yankee soldier Grant is not much of a Ge,.
eral after all