Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-06-25

the dsy. A number OF casualties occurred, among
them Col. Egan, 40ih New York, commanding I'd Br-
gade, Birney's Division, was severely wounded, and
Lieut.. Col. Warner, of the same regiment.
o. the afternoon Of yesterday Gen. Burnside arrived
with the 9Th Corps aud took position to the left OF the
Cd and at P. N. charge by the latter was ordered
to attempt the capture OF important position OF the
enemy in its 'front.' Gen Smiths Corps also making an
advance at the Same time, and opening IRE from ID
batteries General Brney with two Brigades OF Gene
raj Gibbons Division, and the Brigades of Colonel Bell
and Colonel Henry from Brooks Division, 18Th Corps,
formed the right Of the I'd Corps, and General Barlow
the left. The advance was made short time before
sunset and severe contest Immediately opened.
All the ground e med had to fght for, and the
principal works which we're the objects Of attack could
then be takeI but lines were cons deraoy ad-
varced and we obtained better position from which TO
make subsequent attack. The lat and 81 brgades OF
General BlroHs DIVISION which on the right sue
cseded in driving the enemy from his Itenched picket
line holding the rife pits. The I'd and All biigsdes,
on the left we're less successful Ga the right of this
corps, General BirneY effected an advance OF three
quarters of mile, and since that time he has held the
position there gained which within about 800 yards
OF the city
On this advance he captured over hundred prison
ere, representing EWels, Hl'sa Beauregards corps.
The casualties in this charge were very heavy, proba-
bly, not lees than 1900. AT o'clock this morning Gen.
Burnside in accordance with Instructions ordered an
attack on the main position, which had formed the oD-
fec. of attack last night.
During the night he had closed the right OF his line
on the left of General Barlow and the latter had orders
to act with him il be saw il could be done with sdvan
tsge General Potters division formed the frat line OF
Burnsides corps and the only portion of the corps
engaged although the remainder were in support aud
ready TO go 10 If needed.
The advance was made promptly at three A. NJ,
General BarloWs division advancing simultaneously with
Potter and closely connected with the right Of the lat
ter Not a gun was fired in the charge, and the works
we're carried at once the point of the bayonet Two
redoubs with two guns in each several hundred pris-
oners and three battle flags captured and the whole
was me rotult Of few minutes work. l. was brilliant
and valuable success.
charge was made this afternoon upon another rebel
position and advance made our men holding their
ground behind a crest or hill. This was the left of
line, and the troops engaged were WicoI division
Of the Ninth Corps.
GRANTS LAST NovEMENF-Irs MILITARY ASPECTS AND
oBJECrs-Irs PROBABLE REJECTS UP;N THE CAMPAIGN.
A correspondent of the New York Times (the came
who wrote the account Of the battle Of Cold HarbOr,
which ELECTED the denunciAtOns of the Herald) fur
nshes from Washington under date Of June l6 the
following:
In my letter on the battle of the Chickahominy IN.
deaVored to recognise the true military character and
bearings of that battle put record then the Opn.
ion that General Grant would make no further effort TO
pass the Chckahominy and hiuted that bis eyes
o. en- then alarmed GVayto lines and combinations more
bold than any ye. esSGyed."
Well, what could then only be thus obscurely fore
Swallowed, il TO day realized fact Indeed, / may
nov 20 further and state that from The very start the
transfer OF the army to the southsde of Richmond has
formed an integral part OF Gen. Grants plan of cam
pagn, and while the battle of the Chckahominy was
still in progress, the whole q-estol Of pontoonIng the
James River was deliberately discussed.
Aud now, recognizing the relations which his action
holds to the general plan of operations that it
sands defined the pivotal point Of the whole
pagn- il be too much for me to ask those presses
that abused for having 20 recognized it fortnight
ago, to take back their abuse
The battle Of the 0hickahominy was an experiment
made for specific purpose-o test the possibility OF an
assault on Richmond from the northern side. 1t was
experiment perfectly proper 10 be made, and 1t was
satisfactory 1t convinced every ref ctig mind that
nothing was 10 be gained. in that direction
This obvious TO every one aud every one waited
to see what card Gen. Grant would play next BUTT
was only those who knew something Of the boldness of
his military conceptions that could have ventured
tic pate repetition OF the Vcksburg strategy, the same
strategy the aud city only on far grauder scale.
This splendid stroke, comparable only to Moreau'S
plssa;e Of the Rhine and fink march on Ulm, anes
to-day accomplished fact the army of the Potomac,
taken up as in the of giant was trapspor ed
nom the Ohcahominy and planted SOU of the James
river and south Of edmond.
Now begins q new &C. in he grand war drama. We
shall operate new and uninterrupted lines, looking to
new and hitherto unsainsble results think there are
few military who do not feel thas the prsseot
position OF the army Of the Potomac gives to
indulge brighter hopes Of Ultimate success than las
been possible any time since the war b"gan
Tue South side Is the true line of opera ion against
Richmond looking to great Interior results. OF the
three cardinal maxims OF strategy the most important
Of all prescrbes ITO operate the enemy's communi.
citions without endsngerng your own" Now the ope-
raons of the Virginia campaign have been conducted
under circumstance that made 1t impossible to apply
this principle.
General Grant has aimed assiduously TO bring on a
great decisive field fight with the hope Of crushing the
Rebel army. But from the nature OF the country, its
prodigous fsctes for defence, aud the skill OF the OPP
posing General this has been impossible. We gained
Victories We steadily pushed the enemy back aud in
unparalleled campaign Of tweny-nne days, forced Lac
from the Rlpidan to the front OF Richmond but no
decisive results were accomplished.
Lees army is an army Of veterans; il is an nstru-
mont sharpehed to perfect edge. You turn its TANKS;
we'll its tanks made to be turned this effects little
or nothing. All that reckon as gained, there
fore, ia the loss Of life inflicted the enemy, and of
having reached point thus the objective but
military results In loss of life, We undoubtedly
suffering more than the Rebels; think we may fairly
say in the proportion of Eve to their three.
New it is obvious that We could not have long stood
thus Whatever preponderapce Of numbers we might
have would soon disappear-would soon become an in
equality, and presently inerOrity The Rebel army
might have been worn away by attron, but we should
ourselves have been exhausted in tho process. The
hammer would have been broken by the anvil
By the present move new order Of operations
begins We not only threaten the communications of
the enemy, plant ourselves across his communica
tions. The communications Of the Rebel army the
great lines of railroad by Petersburg and Danvie and
their connections.
Richmond, as . city; Richmond, military centre,
is strictly dependent these for its supplies Cut it
of from these and you have tourniquet around its throat
II msy have a months' supplies, or three months or
six months but thess exhausted, it mu succumb. II
Lee allows himself to be shut up within Richmond,
there ORE tho problem reduces itself to repetition of
Vicksburg over again. Will no do soS That is a
question
But this is the pless alternative to which Lee is now
reducedto stay in Richmond and suffer the fatal lines
OF decentralization to be drawn around him. to
out of his works and give battle. Non fair field fight
is precisely whGt tie Arg of the Potomac invites and
welcomes; IL sOiH gladly glue tie rsbsis for man.
and engage to defeat them initial.
IfLee Is un wiling to run this risk he re;res within the