Wilmington journal., 1864-10-27

The Failure OF Grant. Last Move AgaInss Rich
mond-Is Causss-shsridan 10 be TIansf rrsd ~
the Rapid Ann.
The New York Mercury confesses that Grants re-
cent operations Immediately against Richmond have
met with unfortunate check" but not so disastrous
as to endanger final 1t goes to give his
tory of the movement by which Grant expected to crack
the Richmond egg at both ends
The reason for the partial failure may be attributed
primarily the blunders of certain corps commanders,
but mainly to the unfortunate state of the weather
which has made the roads heavy that large bodies OF
troops could not with celebrity, and consequently
both wings had to be halted and the positions already
seized entrenched. His scheme at the outset to
advance both his wings against either flank of the
rebels to operate with two corps on the north bank
of the James suddenly and secretly to carry the
eastern defences of Richmond by a coup de man.
Aso to move two corps the left in such manner as
to seiza and hold the Southsde railroad This would
have compelled the immediate evacuation OF Petersburg
as that place would truly have been rendered unten-
able in military view, and Lee would, for safety,
have withdrawn his army within the defences of Rich
mond and disposed his troops as to defend the Dan
vile road-a line of communications which would then
have been invested with the utmost Importance. The
movement the right however, resulted in the posses
sion of some minor defences at Chaffins farm while
that on she left failed for want OF vim the part OF the
officers directing it. The hopeful tone of Gen. Grants
early dispatches have not been borne out but there is
still no cause for great encouragement. The Army OF
the oomac has not been defeated but have,on the
rarY been vctOrO9 to the extent that they have gOne
and both wings are in such position that should equal
success attend the next extension of the nes the right
will be placed within sight of the Immediate defences of
the rebd capital, while the left will be put in full pos
session of the Southside railroad and thus the original
plans of General Grant be fully executed.
New combinations have recently been made by Gen.
Grant which have for their object immediate eff en-
movement against Lees army and the rebel capital
These are less than the transer of Sheridan s army
from the Shenandoah Valley to the position former ly
held by General Meade on the line Of the Rapid Ann,
| L.-o vi
The rebel papers claim that Sheridan has been deea ted
by EAry and compelled to fall back to Harrisonburg.
But believed that this is untrue and that the ret
rograde movement was really in pursuance Of insruc-
ons from General Grant, who has ordered him to move
northVard through the gaps In the Blue Rl1gc Dto h
Llray Valley, and thence, when preparations ben
made to supply him, to advance upon Warrenson and
endeavor to obtain possession OF GordonsVle 1t will
be observed that the Orange aad Alexandria road is
already being repaired and rails laid thai suppl es
Can be transported readily and rapidly to Warrenton.
When this is done, the forward movement ct General
Sheridan will be resumed with army largely rein-
1 forced.
When General Meade held the line Of the Rapid
Anr, the point which has been selected Geaera
SberGans new base, although lie had enemy in his
front In strong force the rebels ma ie attempt to
enter the Shenandoah Valley for the purpose of in7ad-
ing Maryland or threatening Washington for the
that such course would expose Them to be cut Oft in
the rear owing to the facility with which pursuing
column could move irto the Valley through the gaps in
the Blua Ridge 1fiis Is precisely the pan lald out py
General Mcclellan and which, had he been permitted
to carry out, would have resulted in the capture Of
f Richmond and the defeat of Lees army. He wished
to place column the line OF the Rapid Ann as an
army of observation, which would at the same tim3 de-
fend Washington and prevent the invasion of the
Shenandoah Valley Maryland, while with the mair
body of his army, he took position on the south sot
of the James river aud operated against Richmond anc
the communications of the rebel capital.
, The rebel papers report defeat of Gen. Burbridge
at Saltville, in Southwestern Virginia, and state tha
he has been operating in that quarter with force
six thousand This shows that he has penetrated
the designs of General Grant and has large iorce
under Echos and Breckenridge, to check the movement
on Lynchburg by the line of the Virginia and Tennes
see road General Shermans presence in Nashville al
that time however, aid the movement of this force
der Gen. Burbridge, have great significance; and the
readers of this correspondence will remember that the
plan Corporations revealed bysecret occurrences was fully
0 foreshadowed some weeks ago by your Washington
correspondent The advance OF General Burbrldge
may be considered merely in the light OF reconois
anca, and bis repulse is of little Importance Genera
Sherman will soon be ready to move force throug1
East Tennessee and Virginia which will sweep back
the bodies of rebel troops now endeaYoipg 10 guard