Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-08-26

W AsHlNGlONt august
Less than three weeks have elapsed since our
disastrous repulse before Petersburg on the Both
ult vet. In that lutte space of time General
Grant has succeeded in making three more bril-
liant failures He first attempted to move the
10th corps, now commanded by Gen. Birney,
and Gen Hancock's 81 corps. from Petersburg
to Washington, without the knowledge of the
enemy. That failed. The design was discov
cred, and abandoned, after the embarkatioa of
the troops He then attempted to advance ON
Richmond from Malvern Hills, on the 18th inst
knowing that the Confederate force, both at that
city and Petersburg, was comparatively small.
This resulted ia decided failure, with heavy
loss on our part. But the greatest failure of
these three is his campaign in the Shenandoah
Valley. which has already been brought to a
sudden and inglorious termination. Your read
ers will remember that the great Ulysses went
up to Harpers Ferry on the 9th inst, and ar
ranged all the details of this campaign himself.
Gen Sheridan, with his enormous force of over
80 900 men, has literally carried out Grants Or
ders: vet the campaign has proved to be a
wretcbed and most humiliating failure.
Grants great error in this whole business has
consisted in his keeping his army tina James
river after il bad become so palpably evident TO
every military mind that the expedition against
Richmond had itself become such 4 hopeless
failure The only opportunity that he ever had
of taking Richmond was between the 10Th and
Doth of June. when, with the whole of his large
army, he might have done so from the direction
of Malvern Hills, provided that he had received
proper support from the navy. not otherwise
But that golden opportunity he threw away, and
he has never had another The siege of Peters
burr was entirely work of supererogatlon, so
far a. the capture of Richmond.is concerned
There was not toe slightest necessity that Peters
E-40 -,
be attacked General Grant admits this himself
now. by leaving Petersburg untsken and begin
ming a direct attack on Richmond But the six
~ seven DAYS that he has wasted in his foolish
operations before Petersburg have given TO the
enemy al TIE time and opportunity required by
the latter in order 70 secure the success Of the
plans which Gen Lee bad formed good Gen
crsl would have penetrated and defea ed those
plans with one half the force that Grant has had.
After Hancock corps had been embarked on
board of transports, on the ls;h inst for " ash
iDgton. General Grant received i telegraphic
dispatch from the War Department. giving him
information respecting the rebel forces in the
Shenandoah Valley. This information was
correct, bu, the inference drawn from il by the
President and bis three military advisers-Hal-
leck. Stanton and Hitchcock-was entirely erro
neous. This inference was based upon the great
strength 1T Sheridans forces, and upon the rea
sonabie expectations that grew therefrom. Act
Ing on this information, however, and on the
suggestions bv which IL was accompanied, Gen
Grant. a, the last moment, cOuntermaDded the
orders 70 Hancock and directed him 10 sail. first
down the river - deceive the enemy, with his
bands playing gaiiy. and then up stream TO
Deep Bottom, and to land his troops there.
These orders were obeyed, AID on the l4th Gen
Grant himself, and Gen Meade. crossed over
with the leth corps, aId found that he had there.
including Fosters division of the 10Th corps
which was already there, force of over 10000
troops including cavalry and artillery. These
troops. to5, particularly Hancock corps, were
the very elite OF the army. With these troops
Gen. Grant did. on the l4th OF August, what be
ought 10 have done with his whole army on the
10th OF June. namely: he attempted 10 reach
Richmond from the east The attempt was
made with the foil force of these 80 900 veteran
troops. led by the gallant Hancock in person.
Your readers may be sure that whatever was
possible to be accomplished by such troops under
such a leader. was done. And vet the pain
ful fac, must be told-nothing at all was accom-
plished