The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-07-29
why Gen. Grants Army I. Inactive.

ester Democrat gives more cheering account
Of the military situation before Richmond than
we have seen before for several weeks. He
says:
The Army of the Potomac has never fought
more gallanlly or labored more faithfully and
theoretically than in the bait es and move
ments since the 4th of May. It is true, o
large, lanentably large, part of this brave and
devoted body has wasted away under the dire
destruction of life and limb in half dozen
general actions and innumerable affairs and
skirmishes. But its losses have been all but
made up by additions of old ane new troops,
ard those in the North that are watch
ing its fortunes with truly patriotic
anxiety, may rest assured that the host now
stretched in long deep intrenched lines in
from. of Petersburg will, when occasion comes,
battle again as valiantly as ever The
gallantry and power of endurance of the army
the main elements and conditions of success
remain unbrOken and undiminished, and
while feeling of disappointment among pa
triOts is natural in view of the want of decisive
results there is as yet no occasion for espond-
Ing or despair of q successful termination of
Gen. Grants campain. Let but the history of
the campaigns ending with the fall of Vicks-
burg and the battle Of Chattanooga be remem-
bered by those hat are growing faint of heart.
The offensive power of this army is neither
temporarily UdIdllZCO uOi mduCuIiy UiOhVus
That it is as great as ever will be demonstrated
to the country in striking manner before
many more days will have elapsed. The pres:
ent term of inaction is not and must not be ia
ken as a sign of weakness. The main body has
rested because. ' '-'
l. The commanding general meant to have
the lines of c. mmunicatiOn between the cotton
States aud Richmond south of the James brok-
: en- before he resumed the offensive. This work
was only finished with the return of General
Wilson,
g The tropical heat that has prevailed in
these parts for the last ten days rendered it
both matter of prudence and humanity to
keep the troops as quiet as possible.
8. The army. positively required a week or
two of recreation. In the haste and hurry and
increasing activity of the campaign north of
the James, and owing to the heavy loss of Of
ficers much inevitable arrangement had also
taken place IN various parts of the army, by
which its efficiency was to some extent i'm
paired. To remove this drawback short
term of comparative quietude was necessary.
There has been much improvement effected
since the army settled into relative rest in its
Entertainments about Petersburg. The hun
dreds and thousands of men who had become
sep rated from their commands by struggling
or otherwise have been gathered up and re-
turned to them. Regiments and brigades have
been consolidated and reassigned. A number
Oh new COIuIllaUucT6 have Uceu appointed. Inc
sickly have been removed.
In point of numbers the army has also been
the gamer by the temporary suspension of Of
fensive operations Thousands of GONZALES
cents have rejoined it; every day steamboat
loads of the slightly wounded in the earliest
days of the campaign are landing at City
Point.
l have said further above that the gallantry
and power of endurance of the army being un-
affected, there need be no fears as to the final
result of the campaign. 1t is true however
that no matter how gallant, numerous and
used to hardships and privatiOns an army may
be- its valOr, strength and efficiency will not
avail unless these qualities are made use of by
competent hands. Doubts as to the merits of
the generalship that has guided the army from
Culpepper to the front of Petersburg, especial.
lv in comparison with the leadership of the ar
my, have undoubtedly been raised in the
North, in the absence of positive success. war
ranting confident hopes of successful issue of
the campaign. The whole country knows
the rebel capital. That the able defence Lee
has so far made Of that objective should give
rise to belief in ability on his part superior TO
those OfOur commanders, is but natural. This
belief would be most effectualy dispelled, and
the claim of the latter to high order of gene
ralship fully established in toe eyes of the 10y
al people, were it wise and admissible for the
present stage of public affairs to give to the
world the inner history of the last two months.
Could all the facts in regard to the real objects
of tue campaign and the true causes of its incl
dental failuree be disclosed at this time, they
would constitute most conclusive proofthat the
plans by which our army has been guided were
as admirably conceived as any that have made
modern captains immortal, and that their mis-
carriages at times we've due solely to fault of
execution on the part OF sub-cOmmauders
which it was not in the power OF the command
ers to prevent. Were the exact and whole
truth revealed, the country would know, above
all, that there is not the slightest ground for
lessening the strong faith created by the tr
umphs of our arms in The Southwest, in the
great fitness of General Grant for the command
of great armies. ------