The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-06-29
What.the Richmond Papers
Sev

from the Eichmond Enquirer, June 18th.
Grant can now hardly be said to be ma
king a desperate move. His desperation
extended itself at Cold Harbor, and no
better field will present itself hereafter
Certainly not on the South side. He be-
gins now virtually a new campaign, and
his fight is that of a defeated man,
though, like Mcclellan, he will not ac-
knowledge it. Various surmises are afoat
as to his new course of Operations the
most popular of which seems to be that
lie aoakmake a grand attempt to ddOance
in three column ms, one on Petersburg from.
cry Peiat. one upon Drugs Bluff from
Bermuda Hundred, an" one upon Rich
mon& from M1lUern Hill.
A gentleman from White House re-
ports that fourteen steamers left that
place on the night of the 18th. laden
with negro soldiers, being the last of
Grants troops at that place. He reports
Grants troops greatly demoralized, wan
dering about in the neighborhcod of Old
Church. stealing provisions and jewelry,
and burning the houses of poor lecple:--
Some of the troops openly avow that
Grant has no possible -cba"ce Of captur-
ing Richmond. Our informant heard
one of the Yankees say that "Grant
might as well try to take hell as Rich
mond." The slaughter of the enemy by
our cavalry is SAID to be immense. Ross
cavalry alone have killed over fifty officers
recently.
IFrom the Richmond Sentinel. June I5th,I
1t has already been told how Grant has
again retreated and again changed his
base. Grant is not only whipped, but
confcsses it. A little while ago he said
he would fight it ont on the Fredericks-
burg line if it took him all summer. He
has since skunk away from Lees front
several times, afraid to fight him He
Inundated himself to look for MeClellan's
track on the Peninsula, but was not able
to gain his position. He cha nged his
base to the White House, aud is now
hunting for the James "W hat is the
matter with the man ?" Why does lie
run about in this manner 2" 1~
Grant is. afraid of Lees army. lie
has come to, take Richmond, and is afraid
of the army that defends it. A fine pos
pect Of success, to be sure. The merits
Of the james river as a base of operations
against Richmond is now a matter OF in
terest. Will Grant improve his prospects
of taking Richmond by that line So.
far as authority can settle thai question,
its weight is all on one side. dcCle]lan,
the map before him, chose the Peninsula
proach-Commander-in-Chief Lincoln,
indeed, dissenting in favor of an advance
from the lower Rappahanuock. Burn
side, with a like option, chose Fredericks-
burg as his base; Hooker acted on the
$500 11.oo Aaa1a 0aloOfaI tho RonI
dan, as Pope had done before him
Grant came TO the command unembar-1
raised and untrammeled, by the prece-
dents and comments of others. He hun
red up the old roads to Richmond, through
the Wilderness and SpottsylvaDia Court
House, and avowed his Interchangeable pur-
pose to stick to that as his true line =
What a reflection upon the judgement
and military capacity of all these if the
line of the James be, after all, the best.
1t has been the last choice of all The men
whose business it was to make tie best
choice. The strong inference is that it
is the last and worst alternative McC.el-
Ian, in his adversity, praised the James;
Grant, who has spent eighty thousand
men to get to the James, may also think
it q beautiful river; but the world VIII
understand. Grant may annoy Gs from
the James. but Is not dangerous there
He has been playing lion he may turn
gallinipper; he may raid upon q water
tank, and he may capture a barn-a pig
sty but he cannot take cities We have
gates upon the James that he cannot
earrylaDd cannot pass. GGrant, In short,
lays down his high ambition, eonsults his
safety, and aims at small enterprises. The
man of destiny proclaims his failure to
the world. Who comes next in regard?