Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-06-23
From New York News Correspondent

(From New York News Correspondent
WAsHINGvoN June IL, 1864.
am aware that the American people are ex-
pected TO 90 into spaSm OF rejoicing to-day be-
cause General Grants army has made another
flank movement, ana has now got on the south
side of the James river. | see nothing to rejoice
at, in that fact. beyond one single circumstance.
On the other hand in the light OF the facts in my
possession fear that the movement is but the
prelude to a great misfortune to our army The
only feature about the movement, at which sen
ssible people rejoice, is that by making 1t,
the lives of twenty thousand of our soldiers have
been saved. which would otherwise have been
sacrificed in vain and continued attempts TO force
the Confederate works on the Chickahominy;
and that by taking it in the manner and by the
route which he was forced to take. and which he
did not intend to take. General Grant avoided
series of disastrous conflicts which must have
taken place il he had crossed the Chekahominy
as high up Bottoms Bridge as he had intended
TO, and endeavored to reach the James river by
way OF the Seven Pines or by the White Oak
Swamp roads. BY being compelled 10 keep that
swamp on his right, and by crossing considera
bic distance lower down he has probably saved
the lives OF ten thousand OF his soldiers
have reason to believe that Gen. Lee. when
he knew. ON the 10Th OF June. that General
House and the Chckahominy. knew also that
he would move Immediately TO the James river,
hut expected that he would move by the roads
which Mcclellan took IN the seven days' retreat:
leaving Malvern Ilill on his left This would
only have been a march OF ten miles from Bot
toms Bridge From the mouth of Bailey : run,
thirteen miles above Harrison's Landing, he
could have approached the Confederate capital
from the southeast, and would have encountered
The outer line of works at point three or four
miles west of the Seven Pines.
And here | may say that II the expedition
agains, Richmond is persisted init the siege o,
that city is really undertaken Tor IL cannot be
/ taken without a long sege,) the lighting will ter
/ inmate at that precise point At all other points,
/ north, west and south OF the James river the
/ city will ho found impregnabe. | do not say
that il can be taken at all. although Mr Lincoln
! saws that il must be taken. But if il is taken
IL must be over the slain bodies of twenty
thousand combatants on each side. and the en-
trance must be effected at this point. The
hard fighting must come back to this point in
the end. aud il is only for the present that
/ Gen Grant has avoided il. But TO return
Gen Lee. as | learn knowing 10y the 10Th of
Juue that Gen Grant would certainly attempt TO
move his army 20 the James river, made such
changes in the position of his forces as would
enable him TO intercept and attack the Federal
| forces in flank while the movement was in pro
gress He withdrew his left wing from the
vincity of Gaines Mil, brought it across the
Chckahominy at New Bridge. and caused il To
march. by way of Savage Station, to point on
the Charles City road, where il could hold both
that road and the Quaker City road. The con
sequence of this movement would be that If
Gen Grant should force the passage of Bottom :
| Bridge and direct the head of his columns toward
Malvern Hill PREACHING which would give him a
very strong posiuon.) he could not even reach
the Quaker road without encOuntering the
whole strength of the Confederate army at a
point probably just south OF the White Oak
Swamp With the man BODY Of his army. Gen
Lee continued to hold the south bank of the
Chickahominy. from Summers Bridge to point
considerably below Bottoms Bridge
The consequences of this would have been,
that il General Grant had attempted 10 cross at
Bottoms Bridge severe action would have
taken place there. and thus the movement to-
ward the james river would have been initiated
bv a battle which OF itself might have resulted
in a repulse aud defeat of the Federal army.
For the whole strength of the Confederate forces
would have been concentrated there. and the
ground being open aud level, large bodies OF
Confederate troops would have been massed to-
gether and hurled upon Grants columns. II,
however the large force OF the latter had cnab ed
/
the roads taken by General Mcclellan, toward
Malvern Hills he would again have encountered
the Confederate army at the head OF the Quaker
road and been compelled TO fight second des
perate battle If the Confederate commando
| torseep that even this obstacle would not stay
the progress of the Federal army. he would have
marched rapidly to Malvern Hill. and gained
that position first. so that third battle would
have e. be fought by General Grant before ne
would have reached the james river. And in
what condition would his army have reached u
after three such battles as these!
Gen. Grant ascertained that Gen Lee made
these dispositions The engineer officers who
are with hin, Gen McCelans old engineers
who know the Typographical features OF al the
roads and points that have mentioned, TO Gouol
laid before him the consequences that would re-
suit from an attempt 20 reach the james river
by that route. And il was owing TO the force OF
these considerations tha, Gen. Grant moved his
army on TIE north side Of the Chickahominy al
the way down 20 the Long Bridge and Jones
Bridge. aud marched 10 the James river b. The
long aud circuitous route by way OF Charles
City tnd Nilcox's Wharf Thus the simple dis
position that Gen Lee made prevented General
Grant from attempting 10 force passage 20 the
james Hver by the route which ne had intended
% take and forced him 10 adopt one far lower
down, but the adoption Of which saved hlm
three bloody battles
\ know that your readers viii feel surprised at
the fact that Gen. Lee permitted the movement
! OF Gen. Grants army 20 the south side Of the
James river TO be made without molestaiion
But the lapse OF few days Sill determine the
reason with sufficient clearness.
Unless my Information Is entirely AZ fault, the
Confederate leaders expected IRON the first that
the principal attack on Richmond, when il was
made would be made upon the south side and