The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-05-17

We have never doubted the fact that
the rebels have concentrated nearly all
their available forces. outside of those
under command OF Joe Johnston, un-
der Lee, 10 North Virginia and ihat
Grant has been lighting nearly Lees
entire forces. We do not believe that
Beauregard has large army south Of
the James; and il he were not cut off
by Butler he could do little in reinfor-
cling Lee
The movement upon City Point was
unexpected, and but few troops we're
left in the vicinity of Petersburg; the
remainder had gone North. Our adj
vance up the Peninsula was looked for,
but not in great force; and Lee left but
few men in the rebel capital, relying
upon his ability 10 reinforce it, if seri-
ously threatened
A letter written late in April in the
Mobile Register, gives about as fair an
exposition of the situation as we have
yet seen. The writer says
What piece have we to play against
Burnside? There is Pickett, command
ing st Petersburg, and the general, who
ever he may be, commanding the forces
between Weldon and Wilmington, but
the two united are not strong enough
10 be regarded as anything more than
pawns. Longstreet, l think, l. the
knight on which Lee relies to check
Burnside's movement on his flank 10
my opinion, Longstreet is not going into
Kentucky, but is held in readiness to
appear in the valley, just as jackson
dad when Mcclellan was before Rich
mond, and Mcdowell lay at Fredsricks-
burg, ready to Join him.
IN reference to division Of forces,
the writer says:
But Lee will Go neither the one nor
the other Inslead # drilling he aiE
concentrate. lie viii not even spare
Pickett and Clingman to attend to
Nistar, advancing up the Peninsula
The Notifications around Richmond
being completed and connected by tel
egraph, he will entrust the defence Of
the capital to General Bragg at the
head OF the local forces and reserves, /
while Pickettand others confront Burn |
side at Port Royal or elsewhere; for, |
discovering the natural strength Of the |
country around Port Royal Burnside |
may move up the north bank of the /
Rappahannock and unite with Grants |
left wing extending toward Stafford |
Court House. Reinforced by Burnside |
and all the troops which can possibly |
be spared from the defences at Wash |
ington, will Grant, failing in his effort |
TO maneuvre Lee out of Virginia, and |
even out of Orange county, essay to |
carry by storm the fortified line of the |
Rapidan, as he did the much stronger |
positions of Lookout Mountain and /
Missionary Ridge-will he, think you,
attempt this bold task while Longstreet |
hangs on his right flank and rear? lie /
may, for luck has given him confidence, |
and time presses. Some "big thing |
unjust be done before the 7th of June, |
the time fixed for the meeting Of the |
Republican convention at Chicago. /
Moreover, Grant knows the value of 1
b6Hdness and counts upon the unfamil- /
iarity Of Lees army with the purely de- |
fensive attitude which it has assumed,
as an entire army, on but two occasions
at Fredericksburg and on the third
day of the second battle Of Manassas.
This evidence, and that published
elsewhere, ought to convince any ono,
that Lees whole army was engaged in
the eight days battles; and also, that
the rebel force south of the James is
insignificant in numbers, though strong
ly ,ntrenched, in excellent natural po-
sitions. Grant has beaten Lee with all
the men he could concentrate; and
since the battles, he has been reinforced
TO the extent of his losses. There is
no point between Spottsylvania and
Richmond, so strong as that from which
the rebels have been driven; and there
fore we may expect a speedy and glo-
rious termination of the present cam
paign.