, 1864-05-05
LETTER FROM ~CAnLET0N,"
THE SITUATION IN Via.
CHINA.
Location Of Lee and His Plans
Correspondence Boston JournalI
WASHINGTON, D. c., April q.
TEF AITY7trfnN


1t is well known to the rebels that tho old
Army of the Potomac is concentrated near
Culpepper; that Smith has force at York
Town; thnt Burnside Is moving somewhere
but If Lee can understand Grants inten-
tioD, he is sharper sighted than any one in
Washington. Burnside's movement 10 Alex
andria has upset all the calculations of the
ing TO North Carolina, or up the James, OF
up the Peninsula. Everybody thought last
week TINT Urbanna, on the Kappahanuock,
was the place appointed for his landing.
The advance Of the fleet to that port gnye
color to the idea. Tie rebels thought that
that was the route Of Burnside advance The
Richmond papers published the fact and said
his aim was Hanover Court HOUSE. But all
speculatious, rebel or Union, rs to where be
Is to 20, or what he is to do, amount to
nothing. The latest speculation is quite as
reasonable as any: that he IL to be the re.
serve The 9th corps has hld hard time.
corps On the Rapidan have had no hardship
since The advance to Mine Run SIX months
ago. II any one corps is entitled to rest it
il The Hh, but when the order to advance is
given, there will be little rest for any portion
Of the army
THE REBEL FORCES.
Without doubt the rebel army Is as large as
it ever hes been. The remorseless conscrip-
t1ou Aas 0Asu Ale lauhs, Jul Inc new soldiers
arc boys and gray haired men. Lee has more
men under him than he led into Pennsylva-
mia, bnt his line is long-reaclling from Pc
tcrsburg to Fredericksburg, aud from Fred
cricksburg to the brow Of the Blue Ridge
one hundred and twenty-five miles. The
Il ain portion Of his army is on the Rapidan.
E1zey, commanding Pickett's old division,
Which n as badly cut to pieces in the last at
tuck at Gettysburg, Is ut Hanover Junction
to resist Smith, If be advances up the Peuin-
eula- The x, 600 men which are menacing
NcTbern Gun he rallled at Petersburg to re-
eist an advance up the James and to hold the
1ailroad to Weldon-the only connecting
line 10 the South oFer Which Lee rcceivcs his
ordnance stores, furnished hT blockade run
ners at Wilmington. It will show IN unu
sual military strength and genius II he can
bold line SO lonk,-yulnerable as It is on
beth flanks as well ns in the centre. GEN
Grant, believe, has the power to tura either
tank Or pierce the centre.
Sige], with considerable force ut his dis
rosal, is at Beverly, In West Virginia, three
days' march from Harrisonbury or Staunton.
with no formidable force of rebels to oppose
his march tc that place. He Wonld menace
Lees left flank, compel that General to
change or extend bis present line, and thus
weaken him. Or If not this, Burnside in re
serve, es movable column, his centre can
be pierced By a sudden stroke ACROSS the
hEpQHQAHuVEk3 AC1l LIE Ul0uuT uElQ Ql
Charlottesville. Or, Smith, with his troops
on transports, can choose in night to strike
up the Rappabannock, or up the York, or up
tie James, landing on the north or the south
side. It's not probable that Gen. Lee will
attempt to hold all these points, but that he
win fill back Us Grant advances, and concen-
trate his troops on the Jalnes, In the vicinity
Of Richmond, where he will hare his sup
rlies at hand; whereas Grant By such MI
neuyre will be Obliged to change his base.
But If this should happen. a second Siege Of
Richmond will not be like the first Then
TEe lad the East Virginia Railroad and all
tl,e fertile Sbeuaudoah, md all the rich mp
land counties north Of the James for foragg-
Ing Ground; but # he falls back to Richmond.
lis toragipg country will be confined to the
conntry south OF the james, Can be sup.
port bis cavalry and artillery deprived Of that
tcrritorys Doubtful. +
There are some indications that Lee n
tends TO make desperate resistance In his
present position, ho2ing to repulse Gr1nt N
any flenk movement. I think that Grant
would like to have him decide upon ado 2tlns
that policy. Some of the heavy guDs which
have oeen in position In the rebel works In
ifont OF Culpepper have dtsappeared-troops
nave been sesn moving eastward; bnt on the
olner naad new camps are to be seen from
DAY to day. We shall know before many
Gays ~hat is intended on both sides.