Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-04-12
RICHMOND WHIG'
ruRsnAY noRNINa, APRIL l9, 1856.
The Gaming Battle Between Lee and Grant

sDOe,r 70 b.va more brains about it than half dozen
papers Of larger oAibre. Il appears alao to nave
macmillan sources Of Information both in regard to poll
,ics and military affairs Whatever suhj'cs TOUCHES,
il handled With the ability, at least of se-eonhaeree
lie not for the lack Of positive knowledge, or of de-
oded and satisfactory opinion that the ChrO"ie5' re-
fa-es to to dscourse upon e topic.
Touching the policy of Concentration" il has this
to say:
Ges. Grant has received two Army Corps from the
West His army nov consists of Eve corps, and nun
bers about as 600 men. Two O,her corps We see
stated are 10 come 70 him. be will prooaoy slso
draw troops from other points We NAV saisiy sssunt
that he y m soon have uuGer him lOO,OOO tHsch"
men. Gen Burnside IS eolec i0g al army as AnnaPo
"A which, there is little doubt Is 20 act as tenoer 70
Grants main force. Il will face towards kcomono'
whether il lands n North IarOlius or on the Kappa
haansek This IA the grand combination Tor 1861 ano
the capital OF the Oonfederacy and the STATE OF fTg
is are the prizes to be consnded for The ealing OUT
OF the Militia OF the North tor ak months Is Tor tn'
purpose OF sparrg for their regular armies every SOL
der thsy have Lincoln is lighting for more than one
itea ID YEAR The Of his armies Is eteess"r,
% his Presidential aspirations.
Toe cOuf CT has, in senss, narrowed do"h 70 '"
s;ri- and Z, mi, esmpagn. The o,tuns Of the VA
vii probably be fixed BY the arst OF June or July
The shole purpose of the North has been clearly re-
Vsssd-they do not attempt 20 disguise II 10 mes'
this gigantic movement We TOO must sven %
IN VIgna Some modes OF dong this Will readh!
suggest themselves; bus there is one quarter IRON
which We think troops can be easily spared Tor ths
n1rnosa We refer 10 GsGeral BsauregaFds DgpaFt-
men. General Lee ought to have now ~ OVV mel
from This command. The public VIII oe surlrseG u
learn tha; Gen. BSsursgArd eon!ro's lOrGe sqIt ~
the army Of Gen. Lee aud probably larger nan ua' VI
Gen Johnston. What does he do With it We ne az
that hare are more cavalry in South Carolina than De-
lJngs TO the army Of Northern Virginia. Do ttey re-
> IS tse MouisolsS Indeed, nov that all - qheI a.
Ohsres,og We should like 20 see General BeauregAiu
n msslf come 70 General Lees army as corps con-
mAnaer.
Grars army consisted Of use corps previous to the
accession Of Two corps from the Wesi. The fVecOIPs
sre consolidated into three, and numbered, according
E, scous dsserters aud refugees from CupePer, be-
tween IS 900 and 40 600 men. The average strenet5
OF the Yankee corps Et,le in excess OF our divi
son-s,y 5000 sfscsives-but seldom much as tha'.
The ,uo corps from the West did not number more
than Is OOO shCh would increase Grams iosee to So
100 or at most 80 900. This may be sWelsd to 100,
900, when tle active campaign opens, By Withdrawing
toops iron the B.more and OHIO road, the detentes
OF asLipg,on and other points, and putting militia IN
their oases .S;gsl u said to be concentrating heavy
fo.cs in the Valley Po SHY, but they viii 20 to Grant
,aen IA makes his assault. Yankee militia Tor the ue'
fnce o. rsLfoa5s and important strStege points vii
proys broken reed in time Of ril but it Is the beet
sac Ysuke,s csa lean upon. They look to GFsnsh huge
army 10 give aapls occupation 20 every man Lee eau
pos5by gather TO his support
B1rn,os +, 10 leave Annapolis al the head Of $1,000
men. Psrhaps W. T. Smih is put in command OF e
Cofcs on the Psainsul aad the two doubtless, are 10
co-operste wish each other ami with Grant Suppose
Burnside lands il Lees rear at Port Royal no; az Uf-
hanna, while Smith, coming u2 from Williamsburg,
menacss Rchmoad-hoW viii Lee maintain his foTtih'
line on the Rapil4nf Suppose, moreover, that tie
launches, which have been building at the PhiladePia
Navy Yard Tor some time past, are intended neither
Tor wilmington nor Charleston, bu: tor James river
10 land suddenly large body of picked msn, either
bank, as may seem mos. ds5irable5 What them l.
Il possible fos Lee, thus besot il his rear, TO hold
ownY And if motif DO aoandoni the line Of the Kip-
idan, where will be make a stAadf
The suggestion made Oy the ChrOHieis enables us %
msss these supposon& "a it possible to counter
UOss Burnside BY ofee which would occupy pcs ton
on Grants flank asa corresponding to Burnside
on Lee'ss The moment Burnside lands, Grants game
will be unlOlded II il be discovered that the coas
aouth of Virginia is no, threatened BeSuregard NAY
gather his legion and reinforcing them With the Idle
troops in North Caroline aad all the under Pickett,
tske charge Of matters in Lees A division 0
rsgulsrs added to the local forces IN csmond, the
orgAniz ID reserves aud militia Of the surrounding cities
and counties uador Whiting, would be su ieEt TO hold
the Capital against Smiths forces and the A1tiA Cf
,,uuchss With the remaining men, Beauregard Eou
m.reh uool Bdrlsids and either force him TO retreat
ar dss him as he has been dOed since the cad day
a. Mazys's HiL
Rut Burnside would not light. He Eo1d withdraw
70 the north bank Of the RapPAhannOcs, and move BY
u.y of stafford to the support Of Grant, Meantime
Loogstreo. would threaten Grants aAnk and rear, by
dr.Sipe within easy supporting distance Of Lees Left
B.aureTard would be on Lees right opposed to Bum
ida The game would then be critical foe Grant. lie
uu.t fight before the 7sh Of June, else Lneoln's
nominaton a. the Baltimore Convention will be IN jso-
oardy II he retreats the dsienees AZ Arlington, bis
reputation will be lOs even bis army should be saved.
But LOngstrees on his sank, and BeauregaId aud Lee
messing upOa his rear, could net fail to damage hiu
sorsly and fOics him 6gbt, probably in the vicinity
of Rappahanaock bridge. Tbii would be bis cue. He
da-e lot retreat without eight, and It would De FAR
halter for hl reputation and the morale Of his army 10
make stand even al Manassas, than the risk OF =
rsoulss on the south bank Of the RAPidan, and be
socsd 10 reurs his shattered columns over two rivers
v.h three armies flushed with victory pashDg fnrOasly
upon his rear and both bis aAnks.
To prevent the concentration OF LOpgstreets and
ssaureVards fOrcls upon Lee, Grant may decide upon
diversion 10 one Of the CArollnas. This may account
"a, the launches ss vel as for Barnsides army LUCKY
st Roanoke Island, Burnside may be again lucky AZ
Charleston or wilmington Bat Grants own luck Is de-
psndenE o. concentration. He cannot divide our forces
without also dividing his Our great strategic
points can be held against Burnside by comparatively
few men, and any idle railroad raid from SeWbeTn
would amount 10 very hsts.
Ths puble" is surprised to learn tha, ssauregard