The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-06-12
Richmond and TlCksburg-A CeinDari.
son.


son.
The great battles Of last week, Of
which we have some accounts now, ap-
pear to have been second only to those
in the Wilderness, either as regards the
losses or pertinaeity Of the struggle
The advantages gained by US have not
been great, Elt the enemy has been
steadily driven back General Grant has
his forces in a favorable condition; and
up to the present time Lee has shown
a determination to dispute the posses
sion Of Richmond, and 10 defend his
capital, which is eminently satisfactory
for he can be beaten where he IS much
easier than if he we're to 90 to Lynch
burg
Those sanguine persons who imsgin-
ed that our army was going TO walk over
the course and put an end to to the re:
bellion and to Lees army in a few days,
begin to feel little discouraged; Grant
has now been a month hammering
away at Lee, they say he has fought 4
number Of severe battles; and yet he
has not decided the campaign. We
warned these persons before the army
began to move, that the struggle was
likely TO be severely contested and pro-
longed and we repeat our belief that
no decisive results can be or ought TO
be expected Immediately.
General Grant began his Vicksburg
campaign on the Goth Of April last
year. He moved with unexampled ra-
pidity; the enemy was not able to
make stubborn resistance; and yet it
was the Fourth of July before he com
pleted the campaign by the capture Of
Eicksburg. There were impatient and
discouraged men in those days, also,
who spoke despondingly Of Grants
chances Of success, and blamed him
and the Government for being too
slow; yet, as we look back at it, every
body thinks this campaign miracle Of
rapid dash
1t took Grants army last year nearly
as many days to get behind Vic<sburg
as the army of the Potomac has needed
to get within long cannon shot of
Richmond the resistance in Virginia
has been vastly more stubborn, the ar
my opposed to Grant much larger, the
preparations of strong works on the
way more complete; yet here, as in
Mississippi, Grant has compelled his
to retreat, day after day,
with severe loss l prisoners and guns.
and to day the two armies cOLf,Ont
each other, so near the rebel capital
that its inhabitants need no newspaper
to tell them when battle begins or
ends.
We notice that the rebel journals re-
peat now the stories they busily circu-
lated last year, of extraordinary losses
suffered by Grants army when he was
marching on Vicksburg. All their
assured US that our troops
were slaughtered by thousands, and
that the rebels lost comparatively few
men Nevertheless, then as now, Grant
continued TO advance, and the rebels to
fall back before him. Whatever, there
fore, the respondent may fear and the
rebel agents whisper about, the fact is
that, compared with the campaign Of
Ficksburg, the most brilliant and sue
cessful Of this century, the present
in Virginia does not, so far,
suffer But as the results, depending
upon this one are infinitely more i'm
portant, as the forces engaged are !
greater, and the struggle on a much
larger scale in every way, so we must
expect it to approach the decisive point
more slowly.
1t is a striking illustration of Gen. .
jrants manner Of planning a cam
1aign, that though a series Of the most /
lctive operations has been going on !.
low for nearly four weeks, the designs /
If our commander are not yet revealed /
o the enemy, and his combinations, .
hough by this time necessarily known, /
re still Of such a nature as to keep his /
in suspense and anxiety
Where will Grant strike the great /
,low2 In -'irginia, or in Georgia? If 7.
n Virginia, whereabouts near Rich /
nond, or farther to the southwest? If
n Georgia, then how and where? He .
has his choice, for he may, if he chooses /
o do so, and if the movements of the .
ebel armies favor the plan, send Sher-
nan toward the southeast from Atlanta, +
With such a force as would command /
hat whole region; or he may let Sher-
nan remain on the defensive, while |
he army Of the Potomac deals with .
zee; or finally, he may make a stimuli |
aneous advance. And the rebel lead |
rs must prepare for all Of these move
nents, for it is where they are least
and least strong that Grant .
viii strike them most heavily.
Lee, in the meantime, is making an 1
bile defence He has shown in this /
that he is a capable and res
,luto commander, and that defeat,
however it may affect his troops, does
Tot affect either his energy or his capa-
,ity. He has never before been OPP
,osed to a general like Grant he has
never been hammered at 50 persistent
y, or out manoeuvered so repeatedly; /
)ut with all this, he has not lost his
pirit, for he assumes the offensive at
very possible OCCASION and tries his
BEST, though with poor success latterly,
md with losses which he can hardly
lfford, to return blow for blow. But
irant appears to be slowly but surely
him, IS a skilltul whaleman
,arefully "works' a whale into the po-
ition where he can give him the death
,low; and that the whale meantime
ashes out with fiukes and jaws is not
rrvv,sssf,v n I D.