The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-03-03

EW lOhh AHhAAO, LII
rhe Array OF ths Pssom ac--c heersne
Sews-The Opeaaag Csmpaiga East
sna West.
In compliance with tho wishes Of che mill
tary authorities at Washington, we have for
several days refrained from the publication Of
the important move ments commenced from the
Army Of the Potomac on Saturday morning
last. and which have probably BY this time
eliminated in crushing yankee raid" into
Richmond. Relieved at length Of our obliga-
tons Of silence, we submit TO our readers the
details Of these great movements In their chro-
biological order, from the beginning 70 the
latest reports on hand from eur active cores
pondents in the field. Tho operations thus
disclosed will be found exceedingly interest
ing. evidently we'll considered. skilfully exc
cuted, and, 90 far ~ heard from, completely
and brilliantly successful.
The objects contemplated wore TO cut the
railroad communications between Lee and
Richmond, by which bis army 10 subsisted
from day to day; to destroy his depots Of
supplies in his rear; but, above oil, to engage
his attention - against threatened attack
upon his lines, 90 - to cover the advance OF
General Kilpatricks cavalry column by
another route beyond them without serious In
terruption. All this has been handsomely &C.
complished, and We are not without the hope
that Fitzpatrick has thus been enabled to solve
the problem OF tho release Of eur long suffer
ing soldiers held ~ prisoners in the rebel capt
tai. He may possibly fail; but we trust that
even greater results than the release Of our
soldiers at Richmond may crown his daring
but hopeful enterprise.
We dare say, too, that these movements are
but the preliminaries to decisive battle be-
tween the army OF General Meade aud that Of
General Lee. We think 1t most probable
however, that the heavy work Of the spring
campaign will not be commenced by the Army
Of the Potomac in Virginia, but by the army
Of General Thomas, in Georgia.
The Richmond Examiner of the 9th of Feb
ruary announces that 90 despatch was received
by the President def. Davis) yesterday from
General Johnston, stating that the enemy were
skirmishIng all along the lines, north and east
Of Dalton, and 1t is not doubted that they are
making general advance on Georgia" In
formation Of few days earlier has been re-
ceived from Chattanooga announcing that Gene
raj Thomas, having been considerably rein.
forced, was advancing upon Dalton, and that
severe engagement was believed to be impend-
ing. From these concurrent dispatches we con-
clude that to Gen. Thomas has been assigned
tho duty Of opening the ball; nor have we
any doubt of his ability and determination to
open it with one Of the grandest victories of
the war. The opposing army Of Johnston can
hardly exceed forty thousand men-a force de-
cdedly inferior in numbers and in every other
Thomas. II Longstreet, with his East Tennes-
see column Of twenty-five thousand men, in
stead Of hanging around Knoxville till CON-
PEELED to hurry off to Virginia, had moved
down to a junction with Johnston, the advance
Of General Thomas would have been some
what hazardous. As it is, we believe that the
absence Of Longstreet's column leaves John
ston as incapable Of arresting the advance Of
Thomas upon Dalton as Bragg was to hold his
position in front Of Chattanooga.
But why has Longstreet fallen back, as IL
for Richmond, when so urgently needed by
Johnston? We believe Il is because of the
late threatening advance Of General Butler up
the Richmond peninsula, in conjunction with
the more alarming demonstrations of our
Richmond to be in greater danger
than Atlanta, has recalled Longstreet to the
support Of Lee. Davis, it would thus appear
has been constrained to "dic in the last ditch"
at Richmond, even Of the hazard Of being
completely cut Of from Georgia, Alabama and
Mississippi. t
Thus much for the Army Of the Potomac as
a cooperative army with the central army Of
General Grant, under the immediate command
Of that other sterling soldier, General Thomas.
This Is great improvement upon the Washing
ton strategy of 1862, under which our armies in
the West were kept standing still while the
rebels from all quarters were concentrating at
Richmond to crush Mcclellan But what Of
General Sherman! We are glad to report
lieves US Of our late approximations con-
corning him. The Atlanta Appeal reports him
on the 22d Of February as near the Tombig-
bee river, in Alabama, and says:-"Sherm
with sudden and unexpected rapidly, has
moved against our weakest point. Mississippi
is the very Egypt of the confederacy, where,
if not elected, he can subsist till spring, and
do more damage than by winning a pitched
battle He is" the disturbed rebel editor con-
tinues, "making war upon our subsistence and
resources, which to destroy Is to defeat u.s.
The same authority further tells us that Shcr-
man marches in solid body, with bis artillery
in his front, in his rear and on his TANKS, and
his cavalry close under his guns. The rebel
General Polk had retired across the Tombig-
bee to Demopolis, where, If Sherman could be
decoycd across, he would be accommodated
with battle.
4.