The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-06-16

of the 80 OF JIM were Q0C OILY qIeaeuov'
81 rs Sxums to seSGrsle 9reds army
Srt s1so }st d eeassquenee 81 the loss
he sustained then, nd the Information that
he then acquired al 20 the strength 81 Sne'
Confederate works son that Inc the e1.'
tent and formidable character q the Jmme.
date defenses of Richmond, and the vast
number of troops which are at the disposai
Of General Lee, that his operations nave
come to q sudden stand still, and that he 10
preparing to abandon. the attempt TO cap,
ture Richmond by operations "on that line,
and to transfer bis army to point from
which he can approach the Confederate
capital from different direction. y o..'
IL is well known at Richmond that Gen'
eral Grant IS digging and intrenchlng on a
pretty large sea q. But the Confederates
do not regard this as an indication OF the
commencement of siege operations: IL may
be, General Grants intention to induce
them to believe 40. But they do not pe'
lieye it. If General Grant really intends
| to approach Richmond from the north or
the east. and to besiege it from either OF
those directions, the Confederate leaders
know that the best and most available
manner in which he can do so, is to cross 10
Bottoms Bridge and approach lt from the
east: and they know that General drant
knows this also. Fortunately for him, ne
has with him some, althoug n not all, OF the
best engineer, officers of: General McOle-
lans old army. This is no new business 70
them. They know every step OF the way
Tbey know the features, favorable and un~
favorable, of all the different approaches to
Richmond. They know that by crossing
at Bottoms Bridge the army can be
brought to the outer line of the Richmond
defenses without the loss of a man; and
that the army can be brought to the same
point by way of Cold ArboP, Gainesville.
1New Bridge and Mechanicsville Bridge, Il
Gen. Grant is willing to sacrifice twenty
thousand men in order to bring the army
there by that route.
The Confederate leaders believe, there
fore, that by this time Gen. Grant thinks
he has lost about as many men as he Cal
| well spare, and that sooner than force then
line of works on the Upper Chickahomln!
at the enormous expenditure of life thai
that would cost him, he will move his army
to Bottoms Bridge, and cross there. In
deed they believe that his movements art
directed to that end now, Ills.
I The Confederate leaders are impressed
with the belief that Grant will be obliged
to follow Gen. McClellan's plans in every
respect. They say that he has done so hith
erto. and that he must continue to do so
because by those plans alone can Richmond
ever be approached. They expect to sex
his army next, then, endeavoring to reacf
Richmond by way Of the Seven Pines, anc
falling to make any impression on thell
strong works from that direction, they ex'
pect to see the army striking for the James
river. If he attempts the latter movement
their determination is to attack him in the
! faux and rear, and to hurl the whole strength
of their army on the Union forces while the
latter are crossing the White Oak Swamp
If they can once get Grants whole army
engaged in real siege operations East o.
Richmond they will be we'll content. That
it is said, will at once relieve General Lees
main army from the necessity of taking any
further part in the defense of the city, ant
} will enable them to make an offensive move
ment toward the North.
There is one idea of which the popula
mind must be disabused. 1t is that th,
. works around Richmond can be taken by
assault, at great sacrifice of life perhaps
but still that they can be carried. Neve
was there greater error. l know tn
valor of our troops, for I have seen it a
b Williamsburg, at the Seven Pines, at Ssvag
!, Station, at Malvern Hills, at South Noun
tain, at Antietam. l know the gallantr,
of our officers and the skill of our generals
!, know from the fearful losses that hav
attended this campaign, that Gen. Gran
does not regard the lives Of his soldiers
5 any advantage is to be gained, and that b
6 speaks Of the loss of 5000 soldiers in an en-
gagement, including E colonies, as mot Sc
rious."
But I know something of the strength
0 and extent of the Notifications around Rich
, mond, and know that no troops in til
world could carry them by assault. Loo
Vat Fredericksburg. Look even at the at
tempt on the Sd of June to carry the enc
my's position. Look, on the other hand, a
Gettysburg, and see how fruitless was tn
attempt of the rebels there to carry on
position. Yet at Fredericksburg, the Who'll
strength Of the army of the Potomac faile
to carry the position by assault. At Col
Arbor, on the Sd, the whole strength O
Meade's army was unavailing to carry th
enemy,s position by assault. Even the frs
line Of outer works could not be held, be
cause, from second and stronger line, tn
, enemy concentrated their fire upon us
Yet the rebel works at Fredericksburg anc
Cold Arbor, and our WORKS at Gettysburg
were only impromtu affairs. The works
around Richmond have been constructed
for two years. All the engineering talen
in the Oonfederacy has been exhausted OF
them. Besuregard himself has given then
the fioishing touches, aud pronounces then
impregnable.
There is certain space before and a.
found each one, over which an ASSEMBLING
column must travel. No troops in the
world could survive the terrible fire tina,
would be concentrated upon them while
rushing over this space After Gen, Grant
then, has spent mauy weeks IN ditching
| and 1ip0in0 bic fo-asd D;>I,.1