Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-06-02
General Grants Last Movsnent.
From the New York Evening Post.l

General Grants Last Movement.
From the New York Evening Postl
1t is tremendous game Of war whicI
is now play ing in Virginia between Gran
and Lee. Step by step Lee hiss given way
before his oppOnent-at first forced by tht
desperate fighting the Wilderness, anG
later by the Rdr0it msneuvres Of General
Grant.
In considering the prospects Of the osm.
psign we muot not forget, as some are do.
ing, the events of the last three weeks in
Virginia. In that time Grant has fought
Lee in the Wilderness and st Spottsy |.
vania, and in each case inflicted upon him
in killed, wounded and prisoners, so Sc
we're that Lee was not able to return TO the
| fight, but retrested at the first demopstrs
| tion made upon his flank. He fell bac
hurriejly from the Wilderness to Spotts-
| ylTsnis; and again from that place to the
North Anna. He did not attempt to resist
Grants flank march, which be would have
done had he been able; while the strength
and confidence Of our srmy and General
were shown by their deliberate abandon.
ment Of base and line of communications,
in the face and necessarily with the know
ledge Of the enemy.
These particulars it is well to bear in
mind when rumors drift along, set shost
By rebel spies and sympathiserF, Of Lse's
enormous strength, Grants enormous
Losses, Lees daring and dangerous plans
and Grants critical position. There is
reasons to believe that the associations at
Washington and New York have iustruc.
tions from their masters in Richmond to
begin once more the huge game Of brag
by which they we're able in 1862 to fright.
en- General Mcclellan. This time il is not
the General in command, but the country
they try TO alarm, with stories Of vast re-
Inducements receive by Lee, and with
reports Of that Generals intention 10 dash
suddenly down the Shenandoah valley,
'oross the Potomac, into Pennsylvania
Grant behind.
Now, in the frat place, before Grant
crossed the Rapidsn, Lee had already call
ed all the troops in South Carolina and
other sesbosrd slave tstes to his help.
Part Of them-those from North Carolina
had reached him; they fought and many
of them were captured st Spottsy lvsnia
Court House. The remainder came up
under Besuregard, and have had their
hands tolerabl; full in dealing with the
army under General Butler. To say,
therefore, IS we read here and there, that
Lee is low calling up vast numbers from
these states, is a mistake.
Secondly, when Lee has beaten and de,
stroyed Grants army, then--bUt not be-
fore he is likely to attempt an invasion
Of the free States. He learned Lesson al
Gettysburg last year upon this subject
which he is not likely to 70 get. II he
should venture to weaken himself by
sending 5RsTmy into the Shenandoah val
ley, Grant will sieze that op or unity to
DO what Mcclellan had not nerve to do
attack him at once while he is thus wesE
ened. If he hould dare to march north-
ward with his whole army, CIR mt would
imply follow him until he got him upon
ground where, If defeated, Lees army
Woald be destroyed. 1t is net impossible
to alarm the people cf the free States with
thteats Of another invasion; but Grant
would hail such mlvement ss giving the
enemy's army into his hsnds; and Lee is
not likely to attempt it.
Whstever reinforcements Lee may have
received had not, apparently, up to Satur-
day, given him confidence to attack Grant.
He preferred to fall back, from rOint to
point, into works which, with natural
providence, he had prepared beforehand
as places Of refuge in case of defeat.
Grant has not chosen t. attack him in
these defeDces, but has drawn him out Of
them, one after the other, without fight,
30 that they have answered but part Of
their purpose TO the enemy. They have
not suficed TO hold Grant back; but they
have ssyed Lee from repetition OF such
blows as we're inflicted upon him in the
Wilderness and a. Spottsyls snis. Mean
| time, when cur army crossed the Pamun-
key at HsnovertOWn it reached 8 country
through which Sheridan rode but q few
days ago, and concerning which our COM
manders are, therefore, well informed. II
Lee does not give Itle Grant will march
on towards Richmond; if he does, Grant
will probably accept the 0ffer if the field is
fair. Our army has 3 new base, by sy
Of the York river; and circumstances will
| probably have TO determine whether Meade
joins Butler or Butler Meade.
The immediate advantage gained by
Grants last recorded movement was to
make useless to Lee the last Of his prepsr.
/ ed strongholds outside of Richmond. II
now, the rebel commander chooses to enter
into Richmond, well and good Grant may
then march across the Peninsula and posi
himself to the southwest of the rebel ca i.
tsl, cutting its railroad connections south.
ward, and investing it. II Lee takes posl
south and outside 4 Richmond, that CITY
must surely fall, and meantime Grant will
be more favorably situated to follow Lee
than he was when he crossed the Rapidns
for be win get his supplies by way Of the
James and Petersburg; and Lee will
moreover, have given up by that--move the
whole sesbosrd of North Carolina. The 81.
ternatives which Grant presents to his op.
ponent are not plesssnt-but they appear
to be unavoidable. Nevertheless, Lee is
an able general and q desperate man, he
may contrive some daring and unexpected
movement Dy which to extricate himself
from the dilemma. But on the other hand,
Grant has proved abundsntly, in the oper-
stions since be crossed the kspidsn, that
he is Lees master in the art Of war; he
is as fertile in resource, as determined as
pertinscious and as strong as his opoonen,;
and the country, which has wstcbed with
bresthless interest his splendid opeI atoms,