The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-08-26
FRIDAY MORNING -. .,.,.,.

-
r, moving by his iefs upon the Weldon railroad,
Grant has merely continued ;he nhanTasre winch he
commenced ., the wilderness last May, and has
n.vor abandoned from that day 10 tins. lie has at
iaS, reached a position from which he may give us
some trouble by operating on the Dsnvie r'uiroad'
through parties of raiders, il our leaders shoad ie-
h. their vigilance. which we well assured that
,hev will not do and If tina, road itself he not in
dafensiblc condition, which, We are assured, 1t Is.
Apart from the danger to be appfchenaed to the
railroad in question, do not that he has APP
nroaeb,i any nearer his Object than he was before
the battle OF Sunday last He is actually farther on
from Petersburg ana the chances OF soalng it"fe no
,,,,,.r now than they were then. by extending ms
line no w,,k,ns il, of course, and renders II more
liable 10 he attacked at disadvantage Though h"
onla anentty cut us oil from all communication
with The South he could affect our supplies in any
great degree; and that he cannot DO even though he
should take and permanently hold the Danville
railroad OF itself, the Weldon railroad has, for
some time past, been OF little or no practical value
to us
From a very remarkable article in the Enquire, Of
Yesterday, learn general truths which ought to
set at rest every apprehension which the public may
entertain with regard TO the consequences likely to
result from tho occupation OF the Weldon rsiiroad
Oar trae communication with the South the winter
OF that article says, and says truly, is beyond the
reach Of Grant. his army, and his gang of thieves
that 10 by the name of raiders. Ii the Danvillc
railroad he cut, the communication OF the South
with Lynchburg still remains intact, and it may be
extended 10 Rae hmond by the canal ami the Central
railroad But We are not so dependent On the South
for provisions as the Yankees imagine The har-
vests OF the James and the Rivanna rivers, and Of
the Valley, have been abundant, and are all gath
cred in. Though the communication with the South
were entirely destroyed there is still an ahundan'
supply for the subsistence of our armies. The Yam
kea idea of starving ont and forcing US 10 aban-
don cur positions by tearing up railroad tracksand
cutting the bridges not only preposterous Of itself
but has been them the source OF enormous loss iii
mon, horses, artillery, and the materials generally
# war. In the meantime, the railroads thus torn
UP are repaired before any serious inconvenience
arise from the want of their services and long be-
fore the army would be in starving condition,
it solely dependent on them for supplies. This
was demonstrated beyond the possibility OF a mis-
take durnAthc current summer after the raids OF
Sheridan and Hunter. The repairs on the Danyille
road were completed in nineteen days, and those on
the Central within the same space of time. The
pairs the Lynchburg and Tennessee road were
pushed and finished with energy and expedition
which have in them something portcntous. In the
raid Of May, twenty-three bridges-among them the
bridge over New river, eighteen hundred feet long
and sixty feet hish-was burned. Although the
timber. with which this bridge reSlired
was, At the time of its destruction growing III
the woods, the materials were provided and
the work executed i'll nineteen days. When,
in the middle of June, Hunter made his raid,
he fatterod himself that he had done the work
on this road efectually 1he work of destruction .
says the Ba2HTe,, twas thoroughly Organized
Brigades tore up the track, mechanics, detailed ana
provided with tools Tor the purpose, piled burnt,
and destroyed the cross-ties and rail with much
system had been employed in the Construction OF
the road. They destroyed every bridge from Lynch
burg to Salem, distance OF sixty miles, and rem
dere Il necessary to replace from fifteen thousand
to twenty thousand crosstles. The rails had been
heated, bent and twisted and were straitcaei and
replaced. The timber for these bridges and cross
ties as well for woodshed1 and water-tanks and
other necessary structures, growing in the woods
when the raid occurred. The enemy had destroyed
four thousand lineal feet of bridging One of these
feet high. The whole Of these repairs except the
principal bridge, finished In nineteen DAYS and
thefoad in running order from Lynchbufg to
Bristol within less than sixty days from the day of
ite destruction
We make this quotation, not only to show what
energy and enterprise d. but to prove that our
with the South, by means of the
Danville railroad, cannot be destroyed IA long as
dine
ing it. Permanent occupation is the only thing that
can effect it, and We hardly think that possible just
at this time. Even should the High bridge on tn e
Southside railroad be destroyed, temporary road
could be made around the track or the Danville
railroad could be reached from the Southside by
road from Farmyille to Keysville. Much anxiety
has been felt with regard to the existence of rail-
road iron in sufficient quantities to repair these
roads they broken up; but it need 10 longer
be felt Steps have already been taken at Lynch
burg for rerolling old railroad iron. and no doubt
similar arrangements will be made here and else
where. In a short time, railroad iron may be made
abundant, at least for all the purposes of war.
For most of the facts here stated are indebted
20 the article in the Enquirer, supposed TO have
been written by an eminent citizen Of Virginia |
ong distinguished by his Thorough knowledge of the
esources OF the State and his zeal in the cause of
internal improvement. We hail the opinion that |
,ur railroads cannot be long kept out of use BY |
means Of raids, the important, because we |
believe it is supported it it not originally in
'pred, by men of the largest experience and the i
highest practical ability. That is the only element
n the question Of Grants present position which /
need give US the slightest uIeasness. II he cannot
disable the Danvle railroad effectually to cut
IS of from the South-if he cannot cut us OFF from
he South even By disabling the Danvle railroad |
if he cannot starve out our army
wen though he should cut off our communication
NTH the South, then we have nothing serious to
,pprehend from his late movement 1t takes him
tut OF the low grounds OF the Appomattox and |
places him In healthier position. That is some
hing, but it Is all. 1t does not give him Peters
burg, nor docs it advance him in his progress TO-
wards its capture.
In the Wing Of yesterday was published letter
from Francis P. Blair to Edward Everett, dated
August Path, 1862, the original of which is in the
possession Of the editor Of the Wig At the time.
Everett appears to have been seeking some mission,
probably that to France, and had applied to Blair