St. Mary's gazette., 1864-05-19

After ten days of continuous fighting,
with an aggregate loss to the combatants
Of at least 100, 900 men, the struggle in
Virginia has temporarily ceased, each ar
my, we arc now told, occupying It's CID
position. and each awaiting and receiving
heavy rcinfnrcements. Since Thursday
asst, ouly slight sk;rmi.hiag has ensucd,
neither side bling gamer or loser by it
About so eco men, VIC ale told, are bei--.s
sen. forward to Grant, whilst Lee is being
reinforced from North Carolina auI the
Gulf States. Lee cla;ms, in his official
dispatches to Richmond, to have repulsod,
thus fa'. every assault the enemy, whilst
he admits that the fighting has been ohsti-
nate in the extreme. On The other hand.
it is claimed at the North that Grant has
been the gamer in the late battles, and his
ultimate success is regarded as certain.
Our own impression is, that the great con-
Test for the mastery remains yet to be
fought. Both armies are yet large, their
organization and morale are reported as
perfect, and fresh troops are rallying to
both standards. Many more days of des-
perate fighting are yet to ensue, and tae
final result is still matter for conjecture
The wager, like that at Waterloo. may
lead to empire or the prison house, and well
the ''rebcl' Generals know it, They have
placed their lives and fortunes on the cast,
and must boldly stand The hazard of the
die.
: We have little to chronicle from Gen.
Buffers Department. His dispatches
have been like angels visits of late; albeit,
everything is progressing well on the south
side of the James. II is now conceded,
however, that neither Petersburg has been
captured. nor Fort Darling occupied, both
IF which exploits we had expected he
would have, ere this, performed. The
stubborn Resistance made by Lee, howev
or, has greatly iuterfered with the pro
Era,nlGe of Gen Butler, and his failure.
thus far, to accomplish more may be at
tributed to the Inability Of Gen. Grant to
mole actively cooperate with him. At
latest accounts Gen. Butler was simply
holding his entrenchcd position on the
James, without making offensive demon
STATIONS in any direction.
Reports from Northern Georgia show
several days heavy lighting bctweea Gems.
Sherman aud Johnston, with an aggregate
Federal loss of G, 000men. Gen. Johnston,
however, has been forced to retreat from
his late strong positions, and Resaea has
been occupied by the Federal troops. Gen.
Sherman is rapidly pursuing, and claims
10 have captured LOCO prisoners in the
occupation of Resaca. Johnston is suppo-
sed to he retreating on Atlanta, ard has a
force, it is estimated, of about sc, O00
men. Other advices from the scene of ac-
ton, however, claim that Johnston will
ret reat hot q short distance, and will
give battle to his pursuers. whenever a
strong position shall be reached 1t is not
claimed that he has been routed. but his
retreat was superinduced by flank move
ment upon his position by Gen. Sherman.
Late intelligence from Charleston shows
that the attack upon Sumter was renewed
| by The iron clads aud land batteries, on The
l4.h inst &, and that the Confcderaies were
vigorously responding. Fort Sumter is
reported as formidable as ever. having been
/ greatly strengthened during the h,'e inac-
,ivity Of the Federal gunboais aud batteries
The nens from the trans Mississippi de-
rartments is uaimportant. Southern pa
pers claim that Zen Steel has Surrendered
his entire command--9. 600 strjng-tO
Dic., Taylor; but this report is pronounced
wholly untrue. 10 q late dispatch from Sec