The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-17

son for Successful Operations Passing
AWay-The TedernIs Contracting their
Lines the Lett ana Right-A Canal
Through Dutch Gap, &c.
Prom ns Ri.1noai F.-a7l'rsr, .-ugr. %.
Matters are growing comparatively ruiet in
front OF Petersburg, the enemy having ceased his
shelling Of the city. A Petersburg paper says
of the situation
A quiet rcigns along she lines. In fact, IL We
may so express ourselves, yesterday was the
quietest day OF the siege, and passed away uu-
! marked even by the usual shcllins, mortar and
picket firing.
The enemy has shown himself to be very
kindly disposed towards the city during the past
ten days. five may except a few stray shots,
! he has not thrown any shells in The corporate
| limits since last Monday week.
This quiet N, Of course, ineNpliclble, and, Tor
| all we know, the enemy may be secretly con
cOCting some diabOlcd scheme, in the shape Of
| another brilliant movement" for our benefit.
| Grant certainly is not idle. Il would be disas-
| trous 10 him 10 remain so. The season for sue
cessful operations Is rapidly slipping away, and
| If he loses the opportunity he himself is lost.
| THE rEDTRALs CONTRACTING THEIR LINES.
We learn from the best authority that the
| enemy has contracted his lines considerably on
| his lCft-Our right and has withdrawn his pick
| eta some distance from the points recently occu-
| pied by them. The enemy Is also seen in greatly
| diminished force on our right, which strongly in
dicates that he has withdrawn troops from that
| direction.
Everything indicates that She great Yankee
| army, which but recently prosecuted offensive
| operations 50 vigorously, are now throwing them
| selves on the defensive.
This is evident not only in tho contraction of
their lines, which they 30 recently and so boldly
! extended, but in the diminished numbers which
they present to our 'front.' and the at least partial
cessation Of active movements.
Dircuso DUTCH Gar.
| From. he RiriH.u3 HbtI, .Ilg.plg.
| 1t is rumored, with what truth we know not,
! that the Yankees are cutting canal across the
| narrow neck OF land formed by a bend in the
! James, aud known as Dutch Gap This is done,
| we presume, with the f)rOru hope OF danking
| our position 1t HOwlttt's. Let them dig; but
they will soon discover that ditohin,, like mining,
| did very well in tho vicinity OF NCksburg, but
neither can be successfully prosecuted anywhere
| IN The neghbOrhood Of the James The gap is
| only about half 4 mile in width, while by water
! the distance round the bend is seven miles.
II the Yankees are really dtChing at this
| point, as reported :hCy are only doing what the
| commercial men Of Richmond ought to have
! done long years ago. 1t was ever an impodiment
| In the way OF our trade, and the bend, which is
| shut Off from breezes from almost every quarter
| was always familiarly known by the sailors, who
| held il in special dread, as "Pull and be -"
! There may be some truth in the rUmOr, but We
are, nevertheless, inclined to believe that before
! many weeks have passed, Grant, instead OF
dtching on the james, beneath a blazing SUM-
! viii be making tracks before a victorious army,
in search OF a safe shelter behind the fortilca
| IlOns OF washington.
| TIE SITUATION An PETERsBURG CSCHANGED
\ gentleman by the ambulance train yester-
| day afternoon informs us that while chcOnic
quiet prevails in front, it is well ascertained that
| the Yankees are in heavy force changing their
| base, and seeking more propitious field OF ope-
| rati.n rs than the "shambles' Of Prince George
| and Dinwildie.
| The Express yesterday says
| "The situation seems unchanged, 90 far Js can
| be learned from observations on our lines. 4
| brave scout, who returned from the cneny's rear
| at a late hour Wednesday night says that there
| are undoubted evidences Of the dminution Of
| Grants army near Petersburg by the recent with
| drawal of forces. The greater portion, If not all
| of these Withdrawals, went down the James
river. IL is supposed chat they have been sent 10
the Upper Potomac but of this there is no posi-
| tive evidence"
| PRINCE GEORGE COURT HOUSE BURNED.
at is well known that the enemy have burned
| Prince George Court House. This was doue FROM
| mere wantonness, as even Grants land pirates
| viii scarcely have the hlriihOnd 20 contend that
| any military necessity required the performance
| OF so YllaDOus an outrage"
Let Early bear this in mind when he reaches
| the court house Of some populous Pennsylvania
| county. Retaliation without stint or mercy is an
| infallible remedy for Yankee vandalism.
MORE OF GR,NT's PROMISES
| Ulysses is trying 10 repress the impotence OF
| the people Of the North; 20 remove their doubts
of his success and dispel their unreasonable anti
| cipations, while modcsty promising them that he
| will accomplish certain results which no one upon
the face OF the earth honestly believes he Is capa-
be OF ehecting. Grant recently took sundry juleps
| with Governor Ramsey, of Minnesota aud during
their hobnobbing, he asked Ramsey to request
the people OF the North TO possess their souls with
| patience that all will come out right; that his
success is beyond doubt; that his grand plan has
been carried out so far successfully, aud is certain
| TO be successful in the end.
General Grant has never felt greater coaddence
OF success than he feels now; but II Is a stu PEN
| duus work that he has before him; and the peO-
| pie must not be unreasonable in their antcipa-
| lions; they must not expect that to be done in
| week which cannot be done in n month; for If
| they viii have patience thev will in due time be
ully repaid for the exercise OF that virtue by the
| splendid success that will crown the efforts of the
| Army OF the Potomac to overwhelm the chief
| army of the Rebellion. The destruction Of Lees
| army VIII be almost equal to the suppression of
the Rebellion. The people, therefore, can afford
| to wai', If that achievement is likely TO result
| from the present apparent inactivity-iOr 1t ia
| more apparent than real.
| coNJEcTuREs AS no GRANT's GNTENTroNs-HIs
PLANS FOR OPERATIONS IN THE VALLEY.
| Prom the Richmond ETamiasr, 4ugusfIs
Grant has sent away to the valley of Virginia
| ayery considerable portion of his Army Of the
| Potomac which has been operating on 'this line
! all summer" 1t is not however, yet possible 10
say positively whether he designs TO abandon
| entirely his position before Petersburg. We do
| not think he will abandon il, until the presence
| of every man he can muster is imperatiyely de-
| m0nued elsewhere. In the meantime much of
bis force as is left on the AppomattoX will keep
close in their impregnable earthworl1s, bang away
| pretty leisuIely at Petersburg, and thus keep up
show of besieging that town.
IL is very clear what are Grants plans in the
! valley. lie proposes to menace Early with
heavy force in front, while he sends down from
| Alexandra or Leesburg heavy column, proba-
| bly, consisting of corps just detached from the
| army at Petersburg, TO run through one of the
| gaps 10 the Blue Ridge, turn our flank or strike
us in the rear This Is very pretty plan il It
could be carried out.
| From the present aspect Of afIairs we feel atl-
thorzed TO entertain the hope that the seat OF war
| will, at no distant day, be transferred from our
immediate neighborhood Those who consider
Grant committed TO "fghting it out on this line
all summer do not bear in mind that Grant in
making this declaration, was discreet enough not
TO define what he meant by "this line"
We and the world understood him TO mean a
straight line drawn from Germanna ford to the
city OF Richmond; but he may now say lac had
reference to line which might be drawn in
countless ziezags and over such an extent Of
country as might be demanded by the exigences
of the military situation II m
THE SMELLING or PETERSBURG.
The enemy resumed the shelling Of Petersburg
,r