Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-05-06
Tho War Opera,,ou, Of the year.

From the U. s. Army and Navy Journal
The year thus far has seen less action in our
armies than the first quarter in any of the fore.
going years of the war. This may be partially
owing to the fact that the field ofactivity is now
more limited than formerly, that the forces of both
beligerents are better concentrated and, above
ALL 10 the fact that the valuelessness of small de-
sultory and indecisiye actions are better under
stood now than ever before. The two main ar
mics Of the Union and the two main armies of the
rebels are, each of them, composed OF stupendous
masses of men, and the principal of our minor ar.
mics act as cooperating forces with the main
bodies, instead Of independent expeditionary
columns, IA formerly. A large number of our
battles and fights in other times were the result
simply Of the enterprise of one OF the other of the
numerous commanders of separate departments
and armies, and had but little bearing upon the
fundamental operations of the grand issue of the
war. Gen. Banks might fight in the valley, Gen
Fremont in the mountains Gen. Burnside near
the seaboard, and half a-dozen other generals in
tide-waler Of Virginia. without any direct bearing
upon the work of the army of the Potomac, and
without any cooperation or unity of purpose.
so there were battles in Missouri Arkansas Ken
lucky and Tennessee which apparently had no
other AIM and certainly had no other effect, than
to show that our soldiers would fight with heroic
spirit whenever there was foe to confront them
Lltterly circumstances have made such affairs of
| rare occurrence, and now il is almost impossible
now single military head of all our forces, who
it is understood, freely controls and both ofo
great armies together with all detached military
bodies, and who will so operate the whole as 10
unity their purpose and produce comprehensive
harmony OF action Now, for the first time, is the
greatest effort of the nations army possible, and
now. fortunately, we have both our great armies
planted in positions where victory for either OF
them, worthy.of the name, must be largely deci.
sve of the fate ofthe Southern Confederacy. We
have 4 superb position At Chattanooga and avic-
tory over Joe Johnson-though as yet we are
hardly prepared to take advantage Of it-a vic.
tory such some of Gen. Grants previous tri'
umph, and achieved Ut the proper moment would
carry our Western army TO Atalanta, not in
deed TO Augusta, and would make valueless all
further rebel struggles west OF the line Of the Sd
yannah river. So, again, a victory over Lees
army would now be much more disastrous mat
ter TO the Confederary than ii would have been at
any previous time; and that mainly because the
productive capacity OF the South, as regards nen,
is now exhausted Were the Lieutenant Gen
eral TO break Lees army as he broke Bragg's at
Chattanooga, it will never be itself again. 1t
might reform once more il is true, OF the south
bank OF the James. or on the Roanoke. And al
most to II surety, it would; for 1t would be an
extraordinary circumstance were an army of such
solidi,y and spirit TO be totally demolished by one
blow however great Butts thnned and reeing
columns could never more stand full and strong
their spirit would be more than mortal if
1t did not begin TO fail We take 1t that it is con-
cluSiyely proved that the whole able bodied popu
lation OF the South is now In their army, as this
appears, not only by the unanimous assertion Of
persons from that section, but is shown by the
debates in the rebel Congress, and by the as
founding CONSUMPTION measures apopted in that
body. and everywhere rigidly enforced,
II is now nine months since the Army of the
Potomac fought general battle, and that was on
-
the Western army marched into Chattanooga,
and the last battle for the possession of that
stronghold was fought in November. Both
armies have done some good work since then,
but it has been fruitess. Both of them are now
stronger than at the thine OF their last trial and
triumph; and we judge that one of the two rebel
armies-that under Lee-is stronger than II has
been any time since its last encounter. The sea-
son when the years campaign must necessarily
open is rapidly approaching, and there Ia all keli
hood that il will be very decisive one for the
enemy. 1t is well that the energies Of our army
and the lives of our men have not been wasted
of late in small desultory and Improbable
efforts.
fidential man of the British Government, and TO
his care is entrusted the printing of papers that
il would not be safe 10 risk out of doors. When
the composing. room was in the cellar of the old
Foreign Office in Fluyder street, at the back Of
the house in Downing street, compositors and
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