, 1864-05-23

The rebels announce that the roads destroy
ed by Sheridan are ali restored and In run
ming order az In, about US soon as we get the
accounts Of their destruction. The question
is whether they utter the truth In this asser-
tiou, or a lie for our particular benefit. It is
81 conrse IL their interest to make us believe
1Aat Lee Is all right rs Regards his connections
with his capital and depositions of SUD
Plies; since thus We are discouraged from
Pressing him Us hard us We othr.wise might:
and ut the sa1ue time By seeing how little all
our bard ridiLg las accomplished. we may be
dlscou1Iktd from repeating 1t. His asser-
tioDs may not therefore be true any more for
his making them.
Still there il more than one chance for their
being trne- a Railroad track Ii good deal
OF an Institution. 1t takes good while to
make it.; aDd though 1t Is commonly easier
10 destroy tLan 10 construct, il Il IL consider
able Of job to destroy Railroad track Tor
any considerable distance, 80 that with suit
able materials It hand, 1t cannot be repaired
Pulling up iron rails is pretty hard wsrk iu
hot cay; and iheu it is harder still TO hide
or destroy them, or even to bend or twist
them, fo as IL bc unit for rcluyiny .-ithuut
some It'll. time tor It i cavalry forcc.
therefore, riding rapidly over couatry, sud
fougl1 at every stop They make do not seem
to promise very extensive OF permanent
destruction 10 Esi!road. 1t woult seem
difficult to carry along the tools for such heavy
work; yet NJ euch rutds are accom- ;,suied
by artillery they doubtless hare implements
along for all the work they are able to do
PeEt.ps one OF thc complelest distractions
ofthis kind since the war begun was that BY
the rebels Wrought upon the road from CuI-
pepper North to Ceutrrville But this Was
done by large part OF Lee's army working
couple Of weeks. Here the Ties We're all de-
stroyed, the rails Ill bent in ererJ conceiva-
bic form, this culverts blown up, and The
road bed itself considerably derangcd by dig
ging Yct our Government repaired the
whole in less than : month.
Nevertheless, with nre brought to their
aid, h good dex eau be done Depots, water.
t4nks, rolling stock OF all kinds, whrre they
can be reached. eau soon be put beyond tue
power Of restoration. If the ties are burma
ble-and if not, dry wood Within reach may
supply their piaee-the rails can very soon
be put out Of shape by process very we'll
understood.
But since Riding was invented all parties
are on the lookout tur 1t, and without doubt
the rebels have made no small amount OF
provision against it. They have doubtless
iron rails piled up all along the roads upon
vl,cb thsv denend taken in most csse,
frou, ot,,.rs .nd hr.,,c,. rooas nv 49, ~
nn,~,.d Ths, ,sra ,a-r no.s1ntn hs;aras
S s,.tes .a4ssns n w., pooes e'.uss'
w." ~ 49, .s'. -. ~ oss VI ie~a
neoo' ~. ~ 49, 1'A" ."s Va uA"ast'
~. ia,aels eoulu lsaeu anu aesuoy .nese oe-
po1s o1 foaa euppneS, 1aeY Would lnulct |
permanent damage upon the rebellion.
We may rcsdily see In the light Of these |
facts what is the true a,m of raidtng, and how !
far It tends 10 SUCCESS. Bridges, culysrts
depots, watertanks ind rolling stock are ita
hres aim, and where the most lasting damage |
can be done. With all possible foresight these |
are damages not at once overcome. A bridge |
destroyed nccessitates slow and tedious |
crossing Of = stream: without water, engines
cannot be Fun- haliFoad fuel cannot be at
once replaced 4 track destroyed Is better
taan no1mng' ana may LAST long enough to
oe1eat an army. -
ont 70 render eheesaFe We need TO keep
A. gong. Ital4rms' disturoa and dsstracts
.ne enemy, and thus tends to ~eakea his
na.s nu. u needs too' 10 oe something
II ,a.,s. u mere taoe thfonen sne country. |
1onp sf,sr,. | wn'rl"'no leaving fts track