The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-02-29


and Hiats for che Goveraaent.
The intercepted letter which we publish TO.
day. from an intelligent and evidently well
informed lady of Richmond TO q sister in Ken.
lucky, furnishes not only Q very interesting
but an exceedingly valuable, inside view Of the
rebellion at this time. Indeed, such is the i'm
portance of some of the facts thus communi-
Gated that we would commend them to the
special attention Of the government.
For instance, it appears that the rebel CAPT.
tai is guarded by very small force, consisting
of two companies of heavy artillery, five light
batteries, two companies Of cavalry and about
four thousand citizen soldiers or home guards;
and that, while part of North Carolina regi-
ment is charged with the protection Of the line
of the Chickahominy, the garrison Of Fort OAR
ling, on the James river, has been reduced to
seven hundred and fifty men. It further ap-
pears that "the citizen soldiers are not to be
relied on" and that 1t is believed "that the
appearance of any considerable force of Yam
KEGS would be the signal for general STAN
pede." Do not these details furnish an invit-
ing hint for a heavy reconnaissance to the In
the south side Of James river, by way Of Peters
burgs Such an expedition need not be made
to depend for its success upon the chances of q
surprise. On the contrary, there are troops
enough in the department of General Butler to
take Richmond in q regular military move
ment.
We assume, of course, that in support Of
such an enterprise General Meade will 80 ac-
lively occupy the army Of Lee, now reduced to
some forty-fve thousand men, that Richmond
will get no help from that quarter. II we wait
another month Lees army, under the sweeping
CONSUMPTION act lately passed by the rebel
Congress, and by achievements of veterans
from Beauregard and from North Carolina
may be increased to seventy-fve or eighty
thousand men, and Stuart's cavalry, now 'gone
to grass" or in search of grass, may return in
creased in numbers and efficiency. But why
should the military Directory at Washington
wait for these reinforcements to the enemy in
Virginia, when, by moving at once upon Lee
and upon Richmond, the main army Of the re-
bellion and the rebel capital may both be dis
posed of We have never been able to com.
prehend this persistent beating about the edges
OF the rebellion when q we'll directed blow at
Richmond, in dislodging the rebel government
and in sending it adrift would bring confusion
and dissolution upon the whole concern.
Again: the army of Joe Johnston in Georgia
is represented at thirty-fve thousand men, and
the cooperating army Of Longstreet at tweaty
thousand, making an aggregate Of fifty-fve
thousand. This is not quite equal to the OPP
posing forces Of General Grant. But suppose
that, while Johnston is drawing our army
down into Georgia, and Grant is pushing
on, under the belief that General Meade
will be allowed to take care of Lee--sup-
pose that General Meade is detained on
the Rapidan waiting for good weather and good
roads, and is thus kept waiting until Lee, with
twenty or thirty thousand men, has joined
Longstreet, and both have joined Johnston,
may not all the fair prospects Of this spring
campaign be upset in single great disaster?
We are warned that JEFF. Davis ''does not in
tend to wait for the Yankees to advance, but
will concentrate bis armies and strike where
least expected in overwhelming numbers"
He can now only pursue his old game Of concen-
tration against Meade or Grant; but to prevent
it against either it is only necessary that the
Army Of the Potomac should move against Lee
with . simultaneous movement by General But
Ter against Richmond.
The winter has been comparatively dry, and
the spring, therefore, may be unusually wet.
The roads in Southwestern Virginia are in
better condition now for army movements than
they will be, we venture to predict, in April
and May. Thus if the Army Of the Potomac
shall be kept waiting few weeks longer its
services may be lost till June, while the bulk
Of the army Of Lee may be elsewhere actively
employed. Now lie the time for an advance
from General Buffers department and by the
Army Of the Potomac.
Emo ny la.aa al