The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-07-02
- Great Campaign 80. Military
1sSeview Of the Situation before
SsfArsbur8.

- SITUATION IN us 0ENEnAA AoFEVIo
= pnsSarded in it's most general relations
HUyesent situation of the armies opera
y !SI AGAINST Richmond, presents an aspect
l an.sStical With that which has alreapy thrict
o =. ns-in front of Spottsylvania Cour
n y. before the lines of the South Anns
avI an the Chickahominy.
n ~, n strategic problem, executed with en-
u e success, has given way to tactica
~ aIlSshiem. which stubbornly bids defianct
! ar efforts to solve. In = stroke Of mas
s y ri reneralship, this army was taken W
~: The Chickahominy, conveyed over al
nir..,val of over fifty miles, transported
n u~ns two formidable rivers, and in two
~ was planted before Petersburg-tht
~ 70 Richmond. But, Petersburg, the
XIV merited prize OF the most boldly
n.'sesived and the most brilliantly executed
os;iitsrv conception of the war, by one o.
49, yexatious accidents which checker
= history of military operations, failed te
ron. In vain stroke of genius out
.atad the astute General who commands
- foremost army of the rebellion, threw
"a from his central position to one exte.
- to US, delayed him two days, and
,nueht this army in front Of Petersburg
sar.Snd-twenty hours before man OF the
any had crossed the James river.
me defences Of Petersburg fell prize
.the rapidity of this great movement
y line OF works, formidable IN character
"A Of old construction, was carried, OF
~ cher surprised and taken by our advanced
rnunn. A few militia and old men and
s,vs az the town hastily gathered up for
~ occasion, were all that met Gen. Smith
!, - : line of works south of Petersburg,
-hich. if properly garrisoned, could have
ADO defiance to the whole army OF the
poton,ac. and must have reduced us to the
..scessity of siege operations. Butler, too,
\ the north side of the Appomattox,
NIKE through the imperfect obstacle be
net and seized the main line of railroad
communication leading. from Richmond.
Newer was the C&sarian maxim, "COunt
,athine done till all is dOne," more strik-
ssly illustrated. A few hours more day
81. the arrival of q column Of troops,
3slayed few miles back, would have Sc
nred these conquests TO US as a permanent
secession. At 7:30 o'clock in the evening
{ wednesday last, Gen. Smith, with Q
imple skirmish line, took the whole line
Il field works covered by his front. Had
he psearranged programme been carried
mt whereby another corps was to have
ynnected and co-operated with him, the
Mole line would have been taken, and
aevicaory followed up, Petersburg would
ut.nighf have been in our hands.
How this design failed of realization j.
suthy Of explanation.
sow WE FAILED TO TAKE PETERSBURG.
When early on Wednesday morning, the
sund corps had effected the passage Of the
J,mes River at Windmill Point, Gen. Han.
cock was met by dispatch from the Com.
m,nding General directing him that, i
uvsions had arrived, he should ration
|hh men before proceeding toward Peters.
bury Just at this time he received infor.
|naton, seemingly reliable, and conveyed
lbeieve, by an engineer officer who haG
lat come up from the pontoon bridge, Il
|he effect that the transports had arrived
With supplies. This fact Gen. Hancock
to the Commanding Gen
|nl, stating that he would soon begin issu
|sg rations, and would then move forward
l. directed. 40
The information proved to be mistak,
4 hmentable mistake-the transport.
! ID not arrived. Yet this simple error
used delay in the movement of Han
Gk's corps of five hours and a half. Hi,
sumn joined Gen. Smiths troops at
.lock on the morning of Thursday. Blu
Mhe been up earlier by the difference
nd Of i've and a half hours, he would
am reached the front at 7:3O on the even.
Ig of Wednesday, which was precisely
be moment at which Gen. Smith made
Aittack!
thursday morning revealed a new acto,
the stage-a new element introd uced in.
the problem.
While our troops were coming up during
y night, Beauregard also came up, and
Reconnaissance Of Thursday morning
reloped him in force in a line hastily
snwn up during the night, and little
osr 10 the town, but still strong enough
caeck our advance. The militia was re.
rN-Beauregard's force, numbering
rHy thousand men, and reinforced by
ia addition of Bushrod JohnsOn's com.
md, took their places. Men Of very diff
at mettle these, from the crude soldiers
whom the defence of Petersburg had
70 intrusted.
sis true the assaults of the two succeed
ydays drove the enemy from their tenn
my position, but it was only to fall back
s,line hugging the town, which Beau
md was preparing in the meanwhile
axhich, constantly strengthened during
anterval that has since elapsed, stands
sne US and the desired point as formid
aAn obstacle as any we have yet en-
Entered,
ms line was assaulted along our entire
u! on Saturday last in an engagement
"details Of which / shall presently re
Mt The attack was similar in charac
sol that made on the lines Of the Chick.
sniny on the Sd inst. 1t resulted, like
IN serious loss Of life, and its issue
.sm similar kind-that is we failed tt
yr! our point.
!. aake untoward foutrne attend the at.
saM Gen. Butler on that portion Of the
- position lying north of the Apo.
s!. Meeting, like Smith, with but fee
Instance from the local troops in the
- On Thursday, he seized the Peters
g and Richmond Railroad, and de-
~!M 1t IN part; but Longstreet's arrival
peeled General Butler to withdraw his
A1uand to his original line.
Ia BEFORE PETERSBURG.
.aas II was that this golden moment was
n Aud In this situation the united ar
Ivy Meade and Butler now envelope
sO1rg in about the quadrant of cir
Oatier's force (the 10th and 18th army
tmr oeing placed north of the Appomat-
n1 acng Petersburg on the eastern side.
~ae army Of the Potomac fronting il
~ ne south, in q line stretching from
ISxRpomattox across the Petersburg and
1 Railroad, where our left rests on
much that you may see we are not
In 'vscurg, - you fancied day or two
L. ~ We are Surprisingly near 1t. The
~ rebel works, on q commanding
lGx09th Of the city, taken by Smith on
IN are but two miles from Peters
M s9o thence one looks right into the
tN.de City," which lies in the valley