The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-05-29

articles, while Ia there q decided advance.
There continued activity 10 petroleum. but business
again restricted the nrmness Of holders Cotton
was nrmer On Change flour was moderately actve
and nve cents betteI Wheat steady, and prime
advanced cent while inferior dull and dropping.
Pork Toss active, but Armer Corn and
Arm Oats duh and declining. Beef and lara
firm, and good demand prevailed. whlskey was
6rner. Freghss were inactive.
The Relative Positions Of the Northern
and Southern Armies I'm Virginia.
General Grant made another important flank
movement on Thursday, which brings him still
nearer to Richmond. He withdrew his army
across the North Anna, and pushed his left
down to Hanovertown and across tho Pamun-
key river at that point, which General Sheridan
occupies with his cavalry. Breckenridge, Wick
ham and Lomax are at Hanover Court House,
our forces being thus between them and Rich
mond.
These facts are contained In Mr. Stanton's
bulletins of last night, which contain dispatches
from General Grant at Magahck church, dated
on Friday evening and yesterday morning.
All that the latest news from the South pre-
sents worthy Of special notice Is the great
effort that the Southern press Is making to
bolster up the actions Of their armies. In the
face OF such articles a. the one We yesterday
copied from the Richmond Esaminer Of May
"a, it seems almost necessary to state facts 10
relation to our military position In Virginia
that ought to be a. obvious - the fact that
twice two makes four
Lee was put in the valley Of Virginia with an
army simply to prevent any Northern army from
a. D;ChronnA h. hok ia s,n:Oh
stop such al army by the occupation of an i'm
| pregnable position and threatening its CON-
munications if possible; bat In the failure Of
su Ii plan his only other course is to fight il
and stop'it in thst way He must compel
halt or . battle. Grant is sent to Rioh-
| mond with an army, and il 10 his bust
ness not to waste HIS time and his men
against Lees chosen places, but to nnllify
those places II he can by thanking them.
II he cannot nullify them in that or some
other way, be must carry them by storm. But
this is a last resort, and for the simple reason
that he does not want those places; he only
wants to get to Richmond. He has to defeat
the object Of Lees army, which is TO prevent
his march on that city. II he can defeat that
object without firing shot, so much the better.
| And the point In which Grants operations
have been series Of victories is just THISTLE
! has absolutely nulliHed Lees impregnable po-
| sitious one after the other. Positions on the
Rapidan and at Spottsylvania, that have cost
the enemy years Of labor, are rendered
valueless by this mans simple show
ing that It is not necessary to storm
them. He stops in front OF them only
long enough toses clearly where. they are, and
then he marches on towards Richmond, and Lee
jumps up and hobbies on after him, suddenly
remembering that he is put there for no other
purpose but to prevent the advance Of Grants
army. And the fact that Grant always moves
arst and keeps Lee dreadfully busy in the
mere endcavor to keep up, though 1t proves
Grants movements all to be successes, is
used by the Richmond papers to persuade
their readers that Grant is in retreat.
The naked impudence with which the Rich
mond Examiner in particular piles up for its
readers q Pelion on Ossa Of deception, and
attempts to galvanize Lees operations into
victories, ID almost beyond credence. In "
issue of the Gath instant that jouEpal says
"If either party has retreated, il ID certainly
Grant Lee followed him from the Wilderness,
and il now the last to move, and is-pursuer,
not pursued, from Spottsyivania." Ever since
our army crossed the Rapidan, according
to this authority, II has been continually In
retreat The fact that every march hes brought
US nearert TO our goal, which 10 the rebel CAPT
tai, seems to the Examiner TO be very uninl-
portant ono, since II sees that Lee Is always
/ behind us. But II this retreat Of ours con-
tinues very little longer, the Examiner will
see that our army will be in the same position
In which an advance by way Of the Peninsuls
would have put II, and Lee will not be In q
position to perform his great and favorite part
Of threatening our capital.
Nor are all the Northern people much better
instructed on these points than the readers Of
the Examiner are In it, issue Of Thursday last
the New York Tribune showed how Lee bad
outman@uvred Grant BY . successful retreat
from Spottsylvania Court House. 'It Is not
necessary to General Grants fame" II said,
"to conceal the fact that Lee got away from
Grants front rather Unexpectedly, and 20
adroItly that Il ives not known that be was
gone until his escape beyond the South Anna
But the news from the Southern army shows
that Grant had been gone from the nsighbor-
hood Of Spettsylvania Court House two days
before Lee knew Of n Lee only suspected
flat Grant was gone on Saturday. On Satur.
day afternoon be rsconnoitred with division,
and found our intrenchments empty, and then
. had 70 march oil night Saturday and I'll day
sandaT 70 cstoA m