Maysville weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1864-1866, 1864-07-14
Washington Correspondent of the Cincinnati

In a recent letter, l stated that there would |
| be a general concentration of the forces OF
the FederaIs and Confederates in the neigh |
borhood of Richmond, and that there the
great final battle of the war would be
fought. Ispeak knowingly when l say that
all our available forces are being brought
! from Louisiana and Mississippi to reinforce
| General Grant. All Sherm ans army would
be ordered to the James River were 1t re-
lieved of its present position. The war Is to
be ended on Virginia soil.
1t is conceded by Mr.. Lincoln himself
that Richmond will not be taken this year,
and he says we must have another years
sharp war before this rebellion can be put
down. With three or four hundred thou
sand more men, be is sure the South can
be conquered in another year. We have
had that sort of talk from the commence
meni; and are farther.off to-day from con-
qusring peace by force of arms, than when
the battle of Bull Run was fought. Mr..
Lincoln says. too many precious lives have
been sacrificed to permit the war to end un-
successfully. That is like the player at the
gambling table, who had lost the most of his
fortune, and was determined to risk the bal
nee, in the hope of regaining what he had
already lost. Mr.. Lincoln, having brought
! the country to the verge of ruin. IS deter
mined to risk the last dollar and the last
man in hopes of recovering what is lost
No! but of re- electing himself TO the Presl-
deDcy, aud putting the negroes on an equal
lity with the whites. More men by the
hundreds Of thousands, and more money by
the thousands of millions, are demanded for
the purpose of being squandered in the ac-
mplishment of an impossi billty. Inc
South cannot be conquered, and the sooner
the people of the North make up their
minds to that the better for themselves and
children. What the armies we have al
ready raised have failed to accomplish, 1t IS
criminal folly TO suppose can be accomplish
ed by any that may be raised hereafter.
The Army of Potomac is not what it was
when it crossed the Rapidan in May, either
in spirit or in mum bers. One fact is signlh
cant. The Surgeon General has communl-
Gated to the corps commanders that great
numbers of the soldiers mutilate themselves
for the purpose Of getting out of the service.
General Burnside has been foolish enough
to allow this fact to be made public. After
the Russian Campaign, Surgeon General
Dumas communicated a similar fact to n d
poleon about his troops. Napoleon enjoin-
ed him not to make the fact public, as Its
publication would injure more than the loss
Of battle. This circumstance shows that
the spirit of the army is failing it-that Its
enthusiasm has died out, and that the troops
are tired of the war. The disasters that
have attended the army since it crossed the
Rapidan, and the unhealthy location OF the
army, and the apparent hopelessness oil
taking Richmond deprive the army OF much
of its efficiency.
Nor have the late raids by our troops been
calculate to inspirt the army. Shsridan's
was disastrous; Hunters was more so, and
Wilson's worse, if any thing, than either.
Wilson and Kautz together lost nearly all
their command, nearly eight thousand.-
Some of tne missing m ay yet fad their way
back to camp. The defeat was bad one;
and the object Of the expedition was IN It's
main feature, failure. The Danville road
was not cut; nor were the other roads, re-
ported to have been destroyed, as much in
iured as has been represented. Exaggerated
stories of damages done must be gotten up
aud circulated to relieve the disaster of its
bitterness. The Fitzpatrick raid is fair
sample of the whole. 1t is reported we
brought in Gas some of the points of the
Kautz expedition) some three bundled ne
groes; That can hardly be possible, since
it was with the greatest difficulty our troops
could themselves escape, having to cut their
way through the rebel lines. - But if true,
what dear exchange! We admit a loss of
at least one thousand killed. These were
white men; and we got for them three hun
=.
nv 10 that way, but what of the white race?
Besides the men, Wilson and Klutz lost
seventeen cannon ana caisons, two hundred
ambulance wagons, about one thousand
horses &c. am informed the cause of he
disaster was the want of discipline among
the men, who left the ranks and roamed
about. plundering private houses. raplng
women. and driving off negroes. venture
to saw that nothing in the history OF the war
mot excepting Sherman's raid into M isis
sippi) will compare with this for disregard
of ali the rules Of civilized warfare;
No one seems to know much about the
raid into Northern Maryland. This much
NAV be set down as certain: the raiders are
none other than the troops who, under Ear
Iy, whipped Hunter so badly. So soon as
they had driye en- Hunter across the Green
briar. thew put Immediately for Martinsburg
and Win chester. At the former place two
large trains of ammunition aud immense
stores were captured, two whole amounting
to near two millions of dollars in value, all
of which was Immediately put in wagons
aud sent to Staunton. The presumption Is
thew came for no other object than to get
Gov eminent stores, horses, goods, and other
army plumber. Like all other raids, this
one will have no effect on the hnal result.
1t will scare, hsrrass and injure private per-
sons, and that is about all any raid has yet
done, except great loss to the parties making
them. Such, at least, has been the expert
ence on our side.
Many here think this raid of Early Is
reconnaissance in force, the dvaunt courier
of heavy force about to pounce on this
city. / do not think 60. The time has not
arrived for Lee to make such demonstra-
ton. l have no doubt he has been prepar-
ing for it for month past; but Grant is not
! vet sufficiently weakened to make it safe
r r.. - looya tba paiahhorhood Of Rich