Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-14


army sustained, and to the extent to which
we were weakened. And then, too, will be
seen the shameful duplicity Of the promise
made by the Secretary Of War. SO teariul
were our losses-so impetuous and at times
so resistless were the charges made by the
rebels, that General Grant was obliged to
send for Burnside's corps-for the reserve
corps-before the closeo the day. We had,
indeed, held our own, though at q frightful
sacrifice, without that corps. But the fact
that General Grant had a corps de rese've
alone saved his overland campaign from
sharing the fate Of Pope's, and Hooker's,
and Burnside's, 1t was the presence OF that
corps alone which enabled General Grant
to assume the offensive on Friday. Having
commenced the movement on Richmond,
General Grant could not now draw back.
But 1t was the presence of Burnside's corps
alone that made him strong enough to make
the attack which he did on the 9th. This
fact, among others, will be concealed as long
as possible, but it will come out at last.
GENERAL. LEE LEARNS WHAT GENERAL GRANT
INTENDS TO DO ON THE PENINSULA.
On the morning Of the 9Th, General Lee
received definite Intelligence of the move
ments on the peninsula. All the troops and
Union vessels on the York river had been
Withdrawn down that stream, and had sail
ed up the James river, and on the afternoon
of the 9TH had been landed, not on the left
but on the right bank of the James river,
above City Point. 1t must have been with
a sigh of relief that General Lee read the
dispatch that conveyed to him these tidings,
for it was as much as saying that Grant had
blundered in his strategy, and had taken
false, and to him fatal step. For upon
that landing depends the fate OF the cam
tho
paign on the peninsula was now fully de-
veloped. 1t was the plan which General
Lee hoped, but hardly dared to believe $50
high is his respect for General Grant,, that
the latter would adopt; and it relieved the
former from all anxiety. Buffers troops
might safely be left to- the care of General
Beauregard; and all that General Lee need
do on this day was to hold General Grants
army in check, and prevent them, for twen-
ty-four hours more, from advancing any
further southwark. There was no danger
now of a junction between the Union troops
on the Rapidan and those south Of the James
river.
GEN. LEES ARMY STANDS ON THE DEFENs-
I'VE.
On the 9th, therefore, Gen. Lee gave to
his troops the easier task (easier compared
with their efforts OF the day before) of sim
ply repelling the attacks made upon their
intrenched lines by the Union troops. The
immense extent and great strength of these
intrenchments enabled them to do this
with comparatively little loss, while the
Union army again suffered severely. Here
again, when the full accounts come in, the
country will be appalled, at the long list of
killed and wounded in fruitless attempts to
force the enemy from his position, for
nightfall Gen. Lee held his position unshak-
en-.
GENERAL LEES STRATEGIC MOVEMENT.
That night, however, his preparations
having been all made beforehand, he moved
his whole army in silence and in perfect Or
der, to his second defensive line (laid down
on the map which you received on the Sth)
on the right bank of the North Anna river.
There his army is at present intrenched;
and there General Grant will have to adj
vance to fight him. This, as you will see
by my letter of April %, is what General
Lee intended from the first. And here Gen
eral Grants troubles about his supplies will
begin. He will be too far from Washington
to receive them overland; and to make
Aqua creek his base will be open to the
same objection. He will be forced to use
the York river and one of its branches; and
to do this with absolute security will re-
quire the presence of nearly all the gum
boats now in the James river. .,
GEN. LEES ARMY WILL NOT RETREAT TO
RICHMOND.
Thus it is evident that SO far from being
near its end, the campaign against Rich
mond has just begun, and that all the adj
vantage, thus far, remains with the rebels.
Gen. Lee has succeeded in his original plan
of drawing Gen. Grants main army far
away from it's base, where it must fight at
a disadvantage; and of preventing its juno
ton with the important auxiliary column
of Gen. Butler. In conclusion L may add
that in no event will Gen. Lees army re-
tire within the defenses of Richmond. The
defense of the city was, from the begin
ming of this campaign, entrusted to the
troops under Gen. Beauregard. Gen. Lee is
believed to have in view movement in an
entirely different direction.
DRUID.