The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1864-07-20
Review Of the virginia, Cansoisa

Review Of the Virgins CanDoiGn.
We cannot perhaps, perieru, more scccpssbts
service for majority Of 60 ders than 10 live
| them 4 condensed review q the Operations In
VirginisA 0~nts ION 10 Richmond vas under
taken With Aif the power that could possibly be
concentrated In one mans hands, and al the mill
sary resources Of The United states vere placed
1t his disposal for - asasd purpose Of cap
taring the rebel cspital, Y ,be concentrated
armies Of the United States we're equal 10 the
| achievements The great battle Of tlse1veflder-
ness vas the first IN the seriea ,of 80 1sbc.
tween 0snMt and Lee, and was fought u ~ Sth
9th aud III OF May, sd was stssndoA With al.
most unprecedented carnage 70 the lsdslAl army
Compelled TO change his intended coasse, Gran.
next pursued the route BY Spot,sy lvaaia epurs
house, and there again encountered LIZ on the
l 9th Of May, and suffered, /, Is said, = heavier
defeat than at the Wilderness. Grant then fell
back from the Pc TO the Ny, and, on the 18th
ult., made smother da,.k move, and wheeling
round placed lIs base at the White House Mean
time Lee, anticipating the purpose OF Grant, re-
tired on the interior line 10 the South Anna a nd
thence to the south side Of the Chick ahominy
Grant having his force on the north side. Up to
the 3oth OF May, several unimportaut actions
took place. But, on the Sd of June, was fought
one Of the hloodicst battles OF the war In all
the previous battles, the enemy loss far xeeo DIS
ours. - General Lees troops always fought be-
Mad breastworks, but IN this las, battle our loss
was small beyond all former precedeot, not e1
cseding 300. while that Of Tire enemy is estimated
At not less Than 1900. This battle VAS fought
At Grapevine bridge, a little above Bottom
bridge. The question has been asked, Why
did Grant bring his troops up, as is reported, ten
column, deep, TO such a slaughterpen before
Lees fortihcations? The answer given by the
army correspondent of the New York Tunes, is
that he had determined to advance upon Rich
moud directly, and having been foiled in every
previous attempt. this last effort was made MS All
"eIperiment, in accordance with his original
pla,, before resortlng to the change Of base, and
haTing found Lee ready to meet him here AS in
all his previous attempts, there was no alrerna
Give left but to change his entire plan OF opera
tions, which the Tunes correspondent intiniates
had been contemplated irounthe first. The same
writer says the battle was necessary to determine
whether Richmond should be attacked from the
north, apd Grants successive defeats at the W H.
derness. Spottsylsania aud the Grapevine bridge
we're all many expei iuents which hualiy sstse.
lied MIN that Richmond tmpregnable from
the north
Gu the 18th aud l4th Of June, Grant again re-
newed his usual flank movement to cover a de
feat, aud crossed his whole army to the south
side Of James river. Oa the 9th ult., general
Saith, with the greater part 0. Buffers forces,
assisted by Gen, Hancock, assauked the outer
works Of Petersburg, and, by the morning OF the
10th ult., succeeded In carrying the outer line,
shout one and halt miles iN,m The city. The
report of this partial success was photographed 10
the New York papers OF the 18th ut, rs the
taking Of Petersburg, and those yankee dis
patches gave us our inst intelligence Of that at
iack According TO the best iufo-nation We can
gather, Beaurcgard's forces were the only
troops then present Tor the defence OF Peters
burg. On the l7th, Grants whole army came up
and made three unsuccessful assaults, which were
repeated on the 18th ult., aud again rpul-ed
With an aokno~l lodged loss OF 800 men. BY that
Uar rfboptl N ri s.,fales sss.ie ~ th.a ax
appear TO have been situated as folioaE besure-
gard Ia the city with his troops directing thsdr-
fences; D. H. Hill, With his army, Was on the
east OF Petrrsburg, defending the approach oa
that side and with pow er 10 reinforce Besuregatd
at any time. Gen. Lees main forces appear TO
have been at that time in three divisions, one nj
| Petersburg cooperating with Beauregsrt, one
before Butler al Bermuda Hundreds, and one
holding the the railroad between Petersburg aud
| Richmond.
We may remark that according to our late
dates. D. H. Hill attacked the I'd aud 5th corps
commanded BY Hancock and Warren respectisc
". onlhe II nlt., defeating them and capturing
| a5 pieces OF artillery.
y la this briet review we must not omit the i'm
portrait point OF Lynchhurg GU the south SIDE
| railroad connected with Richmond by the ban
Vile read, which last communication the cnem,
has been eDdeavoring to destroy, aud Huntcf
Pope and others have been sent TO accoinIi.-i
that purpose. Our last accounts iniusan " tns
Huut.r iu,s been utterly defeated near Lynch
n -.st, l..a-. a6 ths.sx
sand prisoners snd all his artillery aud Sagoi
train. Breckinridge was IN pursuit Of thesnemyi
routed army, while another large rebel force va
moving up the Shenandoah valley. This, 1T sheuis
be borne in mind, Is the enemys account
| In this review We have omitted 10 auude y
Sheri,lan's raid upon the Richmond and frede'
k.Durg railroad, which came TO Dosi d'sas
,rou, eud. He is reported TO have been shippe'
In three successive sections ey Hampton mn
} Fi,xhurh Lee aud WIS retiring 70 tho lower dame
| with his shattered foecss.
i Such as the sisu.siop In Virginia at Our La
ACCOUNTS, and all the important facts are corrobe
rated the enepiy's own aaccup's- What =
sransp,,ed since, and up 10 the present time, N
D not probably be known to Us Tor near two week
Though we can scarcely douh, that the dsetsis
sui; has already been fought TO dssefnne tie n
s,l, n, Gt.ni . ION 10 Richmond" As far rs s'
,.,.n,. n. r.x. bed Us our ha We been ever
:, vhere suc,ea.ful 10 an extent never before 81
. ner,eacsd since the war commenced, aad Grant
= ior.es have exceeded those OF any o'hsf ie,is''
i, army Ia the attempt to reach hanmohe. Aht
losing more than ofe-third OF hif a4".' ~. ~
being defeated on all occasions. ~sshoa' 4'AAin
the slightest impression upon the rsaiu deteas'
= oil Richmond, or even reaching iiss'se detense
@ il can hardly be supposed that kirifmond y
much danger from the balance OF his iis.noraAise
and snl.,sred army. IGatve-t4n Se~s