, 1864-05-26
FROM WASHINGTON.


The Potomac Army-.-Its sftn.rtor-
Tho DanvI1lo and Rachnaona Rail-
road.-sndden Death--The Arkan.
sns Senator,-The Western Crops
A"0 A~a1eaa hAo'cnen.s'
IRON Cur hegular Correspondent
WAsMxaTos, May q, 1864.
TIE POTOMAC ARAr-Tug SITUATION.
The news of Lees retreat. receiyea here
m s.t1ra n;eht n rnn,t ha ao,c....5 -.
a"ts. ~ - e' - tuos 10 :, eonteoeso Wa y,
caused by flank movement Of Gen. Grant,
although such movement Yas. of conrse in
contemplation and on1v~ewaftad:+h +ha 49,
49, ~. ..o ~ Il. Hu W, 0"a "a.seu 1no nrSs
ua.0 a's ~ AZ 40 us'e1optaont' AT present
tne nlgnts arc quite nghI ten .rat Grant
hoped to be able to flank Lee in such man
ner IS to compel him to come ont and oire
haft1e IN h;a lcrant,a, oun o-onna. ~ - ets ~ =
~, ~ E'o1nol ~. -tae
maln polnt "!tn Gen' dfanE aWoys must be
the destruction Of Lees armT, Even the
rantrra ~ Richmond 1pfthort +ho 3ae+,,,
tta1 If Amt ,--ov 1.on1a - haot..
uoh VI 1nat army Houla al Desl Dc bns bar
Ten victory. Tho injury done to the rebels
nv that cantnre wnn1d he mora ,o,ro1 +ho,,
..otoa,1 - .S-.-. ="
"atet'se, ~ aone ~ AeeS army remains H.
tact. The willy rebel, 1t appears, got twenty
1QuT 0VU1B LIE EI61t Ol Ten. Gf04L, and When
Hancock. made his Reconnaissance IN force
insteadi of the rebel. army in fhe front h.
fopnd but few straerline ruerilIas The at.
tack Of Lee On Grant's richt an Thnrsdax
vaa nrnbablv a feint In cnncea1 hfa raa1
moyemEnt, II 80. lie rebel Genera1 disnlag.
ed the most consummata rnijitarv skilI
Rnt, what ransed lee tn maEe th;a ratro.
grade emoyementY There were either or M ner. ~
6ars a1t Of three reasons fnr II ". E;rst
another raid of Sheridan IN h7s comm1n;os,,
tinns. serond h3s faar ~ ~ heins @ tonIad -
cant. :Third tn detachmant e. sn.t;o3.
If 1is .Tmr ~ nftoc,r and r. ra.a;11o 1.1n 10
stroy The army Of Cen. Rnticr ~, ' tho sonth &
side Of Richmond ''1S 0""'.
It was rnrnore5 last even1no that General
Sheridan had again cut the Fredericbsbure
Whc was ,ns
It seems tn % me- thst there ~ won1d m % have been pu,
noro cs,,sa Tn- 7 aa,s ro+-aot Fno,~, Thaaeo,
1orar,iIe and snottsv3vanin m The occassnn Of
fhc former desrent m fhe roai than there
ca. he INV Hesidcs. Lee obtains probably
r. rrincfna1 nortion ar Ills enDplies by the
and this road has not yet been Injured.
tits more probable that Lee has retreated
on account OF the fear Of Grants funk move
ment, and for the purpose OF being nearer
bis base, and also 10 get all tho armies In
Richmand and vicinity, within more closely
cooperating distances Of each other. Thus
the nearer he gets to Kichnond-unless he
allows Grant to advance to the very fortia-
cations, and thus form junction On his
{Grant's) left with Butler-the shorter his
lines Of communication with his cooperating
armies and the longer those Of Gen. Grant.
Thus Gen. Grants advance to the North
Anna will takc INN 60 much farther from co.
place Lee within SO much nearer co-opera,
ting distence Of the forces opposed to them.
He has Low railroad communication to
stnunton{tn tue Wiley. and OF course free
fallfoao cgnmunlc41loh WIN tle army Mena'
ens 1eu. oau n.o.+ uS ~ WI 10 aisv mocn oet,
1T aols ~ ,I p11tes1 ~ @ nieeGmcAeoutG anu
t teun.onu u!a,' t.s'oaa' wv ess"e hauoser "uns-
Ion aug ncnmona' Io" any caSaty falds
OF tne gnion pa. n1my:
secretary siahton tnat nc feared Leo had dis
Patcaec lafge nony OF hls forces TO the
south side OF hlchmond, and that they were
pursuing MN molly, ont that ne could hold
On: Ilis indicates desperate struggle
going on IN that quarter, and tends to give
color to ne impression that Lee bad fallen
back IN order 70 DC ape 10 fnliict q despe-
rate blow on Gen. Buffers army. There ia
considerable anxiety here to learn further
from 1hat army But the last bulletin oil
Secretary Stanton says nothing whatever on
the subject OF its Situation or prospects. Be
Tore Inns reaches you, however, You VIII
Learn me Teal INQUIRE Wh!ca influenced Lee
IN DIS fet1oe1aoe movement,
All fhoEe from the 'front.' with Whom have
5petlsyi9anm as an almost lmpfcgunple one.
llaeeo1 !uog.ng ION me tunespesate Assaults
nmsa ~ huGceesluitJ nt1nssooa tne1ein. y
must tst natusay y I. na1S ssen se.y stsong, ano
~ 4ouus - nun l1aae 1 niuSu nl.unget ~ att
~ ns1n un1s NC nart aes.neo
| 10 ee pregnant Win mest lmportant events
20 lal u Tue fortunes ol toe army Oh the fo
l tomae are concerned.
THE DASFILE AND AlcHAoSD RAILROAD
Inc destruction OF the Richmond and Pe
tefs6nrg fafoad hy zen. BntleE, LETT tn:
1GoS1s oas one otae1 u'rScl une 0! Ta!roac
W1th 1he SCUM, w Inc hlchmond aud Dan
VIE taAloao put 70 make tnts tarougr
ioaa, II ongnL 20 De Gomplerea 70 Greens
~ - t'Ua haan 49, r. LIS, ao"exeI
| 70 oe eompleted b5 re iourth or July, Hu
1 tten tne pI!age on th1e [oad across tue Ap
| pomntfox River {cni1ed Grants Bridge) hui
been destFoyed, thus rendering the road un
\ +he Ssmana ~ Aha psfo-ehrrr toa5 aw ~ ~
tne oamaeS 20 lne c fetG.sonls Ioaa, noW Ing
menta. Il is . necesaity to them to to have @ thi
road, on account Of Its supplying them no
only with provisions, but reinforcemeuts 70
! for their nrmita in Virrinia ~
4'f eAe1 ~ 4'n14's s,4nr.', ~ ,ns.u,a LIN.
| ,,- NH rsu @N 1aA. ",I..
~. !. u; aoMnSeno' GtelA ~ Inc eeasn
died ana p
u1aay, y,st Mui1G H si.unY ~ 4ls c4adr: M. fattef
son. " Ioe aouse, Haq Jast 1eit hln, ana nat
eeafce!y Ieaeneo n's !ooglnss oe;ore not
was delivered to him Announcing bis friend
DEATH hr. Z. Was q very genial, pleasan
gentleman. Lie was one OF the phalaax o
true men who armed themselves and acte!
as aua.liattes Of the the few companies Of O