Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-06-20
a eeneraI yglth an Idee.


Prom the New York Post.
When General Grant first came to Wash.
inRton, an old friend who happened to meet
him there, exclaimed, "Well, General, so
you're going to take Richmond2" Grant
replied, briefly, but significantly, ''I'll try
to whip Lee" General Grant has shown
from the beginning that he understood the
true value-Or srelative unimportance-of
Richmond. His answer involved the alter.
native that if Lees army were routed
Richmond must fall of course, aud of it.
self and every movement of the present
campaign has been made with that result
in view.
The fate of Richmond was really odeci-
ded in Thursdays aud Fridays battles in
the Wilderness. The question at issue
there was whether Lee could compel Grant
at whatever expense of men it might cost
him, to recross the Rapidau; for if he
could not do that, Lee understood very.
well that Richmond was gone. This was
the reason why the enemy has always
fought SO savagely the fret battle in every
Virginia campaign; the possession of Vir-
ginia rests upon the issue of the first fight.
When Lee was forced to fall back, Rich
monde fall was sure; it became then a
question, however, whether we should get
the empty town or whether the greater and
more comprehensive desire of Grant could
be satisfied.
Ever since the beginning OF the war the
rebels have had the advantage of central
position; we have been forced to attack
upon the circumference, and they have in
consequences been able to oppose rs effect.
tually with less numerous force, sending
Longstreet from Virginia to Georgia and
back again, and massing against us often,
BY tie help of their territorial superiority,
superior numbers at critical moments. At
Vicksburg Grant deprived the enemy of
this advantage by inserting himself adroit-
,ly and daringly between the forces OF Penn.
berton and Johnson he defeated first one
then the other by bringing up his whole
army against their separate halves, and his
forty thousand by this stroke of general
ship became superior to the enemy, whose
combined strength was over fifty thousand.
For once, we held the interior lines.
II that which was done on1a compare.
lively small field in Mississippi could be
achieved on the larger theatre Of war, il is
evident that important advantages would
accrue to US. Now the whole object of the
campaign since the battles Of the 9th and
eth of May has been 70 accomplish lust
this: to enable Grant to place Meade's
army, with secure base upon the James,
southwest of Richmond; and to do this
before Lee could slipaw from Richmond.
IT thetis done Grsnt.wtll stand between
Lee and Johnson, as formerly he stood be-
tween Pemberton and Johnson; he Will
have, in short, broughtthe,war to an issue
as decisive as the strategy behind Yicks-
burg was of that campaign. a4s. Il. q
Has he succeeded in this great and i'm
portant objec2 We cannot tell; but ell
looks favorable at present, and he has step
by step prepared the way With supreme
art. And If Lee has flown it remains Ger.
tain that he must abandon Virginia, and
shat Grant will at once pursue him into
North Carolina. But there is reason to
hope that Lee is still in Richmond, that
his own weakness, the demands Of the
Virginians, and political considerations,
have forced him TO attempt the defence of
that place. fi1f-9
We said that Grant had prepared the
way for this result with supreme art. He
had in the fret place to weaken Lee, and
establish moral superiority over him and
his armyj this was done effectually in the
bloody and for their purpose decisive bat
ties of the Wilderness and Spotteylvanis!
At the same time those battles forced Lee
to call in his outlying detachmenta, and
leave the Valley, with Stauuton, Lynch
burg and the southwestern part of the
state, open to Hunter, A7erill and Crook.
Sheridan aud Kautz, by their incessant ac-
tiyity, wore out and destroyed Lees caYaI-
~. Grant, meantime, has caused the
railroads leading into the Valley and TO.
wards Washington to be totally destroyed,
the ties being burned and the iron carried
of; This region is already 80 destitute
AID deserted that even e small force could
not live in it,or upon it. Thus be has made
it impossible for Lee to turn northWard
with the slightest hope of escaping the
pursuit of Grant, who has already beaten
him; who i0 now necessarily far stronger
than when he crossed the Rapidan, and
who would force upon him at once bat.
tie in which all the chances Wonld be
against Lee. .=.es
Having thus prepared the way, Grant
has, with admirable speed, transported his
army to the James river. That he wai
suffered by Lee 70 do this upmolested is q
matter of ast6nishment. Is the rebel ar.
my too weak to attsck in the open fisld
even part Of ours2 Or has, Lee made
haste to fly from Richmond south ward e
avoid being cutoff by Grant2 Or has ht
left q garrison in the city, and Withdravyu
his mSinSarmy to the SOUTHWEST Of the citv
TO act as slcoTps Of obserVatioR3 In tx
latter case he has only weakened his artn1
without gaining anything bat little time
he will be forced to fight by Grant, q
whom the James is now as useful as .tht
| Potomac was ak weeks ago; and Who cat
| fight with the same advantage near Rich
mond that he could near WsshioRton.
Il Finally, it ought 70 be. now evident 4
1 the most obtuse that the march from tn
iRspidan totthe Pamuukey, and the battle
fought on that line, were not useless ex
lpenditures of strength and life. that uha
Grant gained there now ensures tho aspe