The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-08-20
The, Foreign News.
Honolulu, Aug. 10, 1851.

ties again. and made one of those rapid Hank
movements. Tor which he is becoming famous.
The cause Of the quiet in the army OF the Poto-
mae during july IS attributed, not To any want
of determination ON the part of Grant 70 adj
vance. bu, 10 the fact that the roads were 50
dusry, and water 50 scarce, as 10 render II next
to impossible for the army to move about, ex-
posed 10 the intO!erable heat OF that section.
Rains having fallen about the middle of July.
SO as to remove these obstacles to action, Grant
prepared To carry forward his plans tor the
attack of Petersburg and Richmond.
A5Ou: July 27, ne again crossed with one
corps Of his army from the south u tine north
bank OF the River James, above Bermuda Hun
dred This appears to have been done 50 quietly
that the rebels on the north bank We're sur
prisri, and the telegraph states that - three
brigs.des were captured" Such movements have
never been recorded in the annals of war, rs
thesc of Grant. Here il L stream 1000 feet
wide and 81 feet deep, without u bridge, over
which is hastily laid 4 p%ontoon, "a bridge made
Of beats and covered with planks) and 2O.OOO
or - 600 men, horses and artillery, Zone army
corps.) marched over, 80 rapidly ms not TO en-
Counter any serious opposition from the enemy
till it IS fairly across. This is all done in the
very face OF Il powerful army.
A. near as we can learn from the advices
received, that part of Grants army which is on
the north bank of the James. holds possession
from opposite Fort Darling. which is eight miles
from Richmond to Malvern Hill, where the last
battle of Mcclellan was fought in 1862. Union
g~uneoa;s of course defend the positions held.
Fort Darling is now covered by over 100 Union
guns, but it will have TO be captured before
- o.J ;r,.,Iaia rap rnv mist ~ nm
the river.
B. referring to a map it will be easy to trace
the positions held by the Union army. Its left
WING rests on or near the Weldon railroad, one
mile south Of Petersburg, thence it holds to
City Point and also Bermuda Hundred, on the
SOUTH bank of the james, and then on the north
banl of the James. from Malvern Hill to oppo-
site Fort Darling. As We look at it, Grant
poss sses n great advantage over Lee. inasmuch
as tie latter has three important points to guard
st ouce. twenty-five miles apart. viz Richmond,
Fort Darling and Petersburg. If either of these
positions il weakened, it is done at great risk,
for Grant can throw against it all his army, and
thus stand a chance of capturing it. The pos
session Of Fort Darling commands the railroad
communication between Richmond and Peters
burg. as /; i near the road. Its possession,
therefore, Is important 70 either combatant, and
its loss by the rebels would almost surely be fol-
lowed by the capture of one or both the cities
invested By Grant. The Union army possesses
also superior advantages in having open river
communication To obtain supplies, as we'll as for
its var vessels to cooperate in any engagements.
Graus. therefore, has the best of the game in
position and also of open communication, and
nothing but superior force can drive him away
from his position. That. we do not believe the
rebels possess. The issue, therefore, so far az
Richmond i concerned. is now narrowed down
20 a question Of time and ability on the part Of
the gebels 70 carry on a long siege. We have
no fears Of the result. Every foot that Grant
now advances, forward or sideways, he can keep,
ard ans Of the three points of attack now held
By tae rebels. must soon give way, for each is
equally exposed to his whole army.
Tho raid Of the rebels under Breckenridge into
Pennsylvania caused some CONSERVATION in that
state. There were said TO be about 5000 in it.
The sebels in carrying of their plumber taken in
the fIrmer raid in Maryland. having been press
el to closely By the Union forces. turned on
their pursuers, and drove them back, and con-
tinuei their march North into Pennsylvania.
Here they were met and repulsed, and at the
latss5 aivices were crossing over into Virginia
abovi Harper's Ferry.
Gen. Sherman Is progressing successfully in
Georgia, rs is shown by the rebel Government
shelving It's best general-JOhnston-for enticing
Sherman into the heart Of Georgia, and then be-
ing unable TO hold Atlanta against the Union
army. Once established in the center Of that
State, with an army OF 100. 900, Sherman can
send cut expeditions into any quarter, and de-
stroy the various means of support, which have
20 long KEEP; up the rebellion. The bulk of the
slaves are crowded into that State, and will of
course be released az the Union armies advance.
Taxing a glance back at the civil war, say for
only shree months, to May lst. no one can deny
that the position Of affairs has changed very
much IN favor Of the National Government.
1heE- Lee was strongly entrenched with a large
army within 4 days march Of Washington, and
with perfect railroad communication 70 every
part If the South. Now he IL driven into Rich
m1nd, On the defensive, his army reduced, with
out T. prospect Of reinforcernents to any extent.
HI communications with the South broken. and
famine staring him in tbe face. THIN. Johnston
"@id = strong p0-ition with "a large army before
'HatLanoDSt. threatening to invade Tennessee,
with perfect railroad communication with all
parts Of che Gulf States. Now, driven back to