Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-06-21

On the "a Of February, 1862, President
Lincoln addressed letter to Gen. Melted
Ian, in which he said
"You and | have distinct and different
plans for = movement Of the army OF Tie
Potomac. Your, to be done BY the Chesa
peake &c. , mine to move directly
to poin, on The railroad southwest Of Man
Xssas.
This is the somewhat celebrated my
plan of Lincoln, and is usually known as
the Overland Route to Richmond. As IS
well known, Gen Mcclellan did not adopt
this route. but successive Generals have
from time to time attempted it, in Difference
to the wishes Of the President. Pope, Burn
side and Hooker each tried and each gave
up the effort, after having met with the
most fearful losses.
Gen Giant vas appointed, and in obedi-
encc to IN; pan" ne attempted the Over
land Route. and for the first time in tle lii
tory of this war, the labor has been accom-
plishcl The overland campaign was begun
and has been carried through to is compile
ton for the first, and probably The last,
my plan has been executed aud the wish
es Of the Prcsid,u; gratiied. When Grant
reac!cd .Ialut river. the overland route was
cpmple.cd; my plan va, thoroughly.
faithfully au,! unrecn;insly wrought ont
from It's very beginning 70 It's end.
l.tt Us leol. Tor a moment At what the
corn.ry has gained J.. tti, complete and
stern execution Of my plan" When Gen.
Grant, on last MonIay q ,sed Jane rlHef,
Lc iin's.lcd the overland route, and III the
same moment he vas not one Jet nearer the
capture of Richmond t.ian he WAS til" dag
hc comnepeei "my plan" ~ crossing the
kapidan. He could have embarked his men
nj Alexandria, and landed them 1t Fort Pow
dredS, withou. burning an ounce oi powder
1t is only since he crossed at these PAGES
that Richmond has been seriously threat
encd therefore, ali that occurred Lctwccn
the Eapdan and James river was so much
ciiogs, time and ME wasted
Why did Grant, therefore, take this over
land route to reach, at tremendous Sacri
flee, point which he could have reached il
hall the time and ut no expense Of life what.
ever Because Mr. Lincoln insisted upon
the adoption ofthis overland route Mct'lci-
Ian saw its character, and refused to adopt
1t; Burnside and Hooker tried ii and iailcd,
but Grant, knowing tina, the ouly manner
in which he could secure co cooperation from
the Administration was by yielding to its
plans, determined 10 take the overland route.
Tie knew It's tremendous costlincss, but
promised all the rcintorccmcnts he needed,
be started and succeeded. He fought his
way inch by inch, and when ne reached the
James river. the goal was won, the overland
route was finished and my plan y had
been cxhaustivcly executed.
Now what doubt can there be as to VIII,
Is responsible for al, the awful sacrifices be-
tween the Rapidan and James rivers. and
for which we have not gained one singl,
compensatory advantage. 1t is Abraham
Lincoln. twas his plan, and to accomplish
it he drove Burnside into the shambles n,
Fredericksburg, Hooker into the slaughter
pens at Chancellorville, and Grant into the
bloody labyrin,hs of the Wil,lness. against
the bristling Notifications at Spottsylvania
and upon the deadly, impregnable works OF
the Chickahominv.
Wehope Mr.. Lincoln is at length satisfied
After laboring for two years to have IN,
plan executed. he has finally been success
tni Every detail Of "my plan " has beer
carried out. The country has gained moth
ing, it has lost O. 600 men in ;hc final exc
cuton Vi the plan. But the overland rout,
has been fully tested, and hereafter it ma,
be hoped that the nation will suffer no NOR
losses in this direction. In ALL "mv plan
has cost the country 100000 men, and attc
most thorough trial, has failed.
Let tllc people breathe more easily; the,
cannot possibly be called upon for fu the
sacrifices of the kind Mr.. Lncoln's genius
for strategy having been appcascd with tn,
slau.shte. 1T l2o, oUo mcn, It is reasonable t,
suppose that the end has comc-Ch;coq,
Times