Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1864-04-27
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.

THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
The Army of the Potomac has now had
long period of rest from battle. 1t is
over nine months since it fought general
engagement. and that was on the soil Of
Pennsylvania. These nine months it has
mainly passed in camp, though in Octo-
Der last, and the two months folio wing. it
did some heavy marching and counter
marching, and parts Of it had encounters
with bodies of rebels. But its achieve
ments since last July. have been inconse-
queutal, and it is now planted near the
position it assumed utter the victory Of
Getty sburgh.
Events indicate that the Army of the
Potomac will soon again measure swords
with its old adversary. 1t is now being
prepared, and is preparing itself, for the
great contest-prepared by improvement
of its organization, additions to its num-
bers, etc. At its last battle it was CON-
manded by soldier without experience
as leader Of an army; and who took the
command in an emergency and under cir
cumstances such as would test the highest
genns At its last battle it had no Co.
operating columns, and hardly any re-
serve. Now it will fight under an expe-
rienccd leader. who has had time and op.
portunity to get it we'll in hand, and
who has forces to spare to place in advan-
tageous positions Of cooperation.
If Lieut. Gen. Grant is preparing his
gallant army for battle, so is Gen. Lee
preparing his forces We believe that
LIE commands larger and better army
to-day than he ever did before. We are
sorry to see some journals speaking of the
main rebel army as weak, dispiritcd,
and de,noralized rabble.' There is no
reason to believe it either demoralized,
dispiritcd or weak. There is every rea-
son to believe its condition the reverse of
this, IN each particular. Generalization
is the immediate result of route in the
field. and dispiritedness is the result of
despair of success. If Lees army was
fairly beaten at Gettysburgh. it was by
no means routed, and the thrce-fourths of
year that have interviewed since then,
has been amply sufficient to restore any
Of the military morale it may have lost
by discontinue in the field. 10 our Wis.,
ion and reasoning, the failure of the reb
el cause seems certain. and therefore it is
quito proper that they should despair.
But though VIC have seen this from the
beginning. it is unfortunate that the reb-
els have not seen it, and there is less
ground than ever to believe that they see
it now. AS to the strength of Lees ar
my it has during tn. past winter, accord
ing to authentic estimates been some
thing less than sixty thousand. The con-
scripts who have been gathered in camps
during the winter. are now being forward
ed and the small detachments at posts are
being drawn in. In addition to these. we
have intelligence this morning by tele-
graph. of positive information having
been received at headquarters, that Long
streets force of some twelve thousand,
nave at last effected their junction with
Lees army. 1t is further reported that
troops from Joe Johnson's army. and from
Charleston, have began to arrive in Vir-
ginia. We are inclined to fully believe
that the greater part Of Beauregard's
Charleston army has been, or will pres
emily he, transferred to Virginia; for the
long cessation of operations against
Charleston. and the little prospect of their
speedy resumption. as we'll as the nccessi-
ties Of the situation. would lead the reb-
els to move these forces to the point of
action and of peril. But it seems unrea-
sonable to believe that any part of John
ston's army could to spared from Northern
Georgia; for the holding of Atlanta is
almost as important to the rebels as the
holding Of Richmond, and Gen. Thomas,
who has first class army at Chattanoo-
ga, would undoubtedly seize the opportu-
nifty offered by the weakening Of John
~p a81a er sa eFasa e4 = {.