, 1864-06-09
THE ADVANCE ON RICH
nIOND.

[From the Army and Navy Journal. June Il
The peninsular campaign Of 1869 has rem
dexed SO familiar to every one the ground Of
operations that it Will be very easy to make
tie present position Of Grant and the distri-
button Of his forces clear to our readers.
White House, holds q position between the
ChickaEomjny and the Pamunkey. Rich
mond is southwest Of him. Lee due north of
Richmond, is also between the Chlckahomi-
ny and the Pamunkey. Grant il facing Lee
rather than Richmond He has Richmond
Above Meadow Bridge the Chickahomfny is
an Insignificant stream, below ii becomes
formidable only when Its swampy bottom Is
rendered impassable by rains.
Grants position az facing Lee is one en-
echeloA-his left thrown forward to Mechan-
icsyille-his right Withdrawn to White
hominy, In rear Of his left between Mechan-
icsyil1c and Bottom Bridge. Lee occupies
the position from which Branch was driven
In the battle of Hanover Court House, ant.
from which jackson advanced to the attack
of Gaines Mill.
This, then, is evidently the point from
which danger is TO be anticipated in an ad-
vance from the White HOUSE upon Rich
mona; and Grants dispositions are specially
calculated to ffustrnte any such attack. In
order ID turn, however, to attack Richmond,
it Unnecessary for him to combine with tnis
defensive position an aggressive line. Lea
while threatening Grants right, now that it
is retired, would have to turn his back upon
Richmond, and, If successful, would be driv-
en- from Ii. He caanot attack with pros
pect Of success, us the whole reserve
Of his army Is massed behind 1t. Els
! own communications with Richmond
ere In the direct prolongation Of bis right
flank. Here then lies Lees weak point. But
sshile Grants left Is not sufficiently thrown
forward to clear the swampy bottoms Of the
Clickahominy, this point fs not SO much ex-
! pofed for Grnnt dnre not begin crossing
with Lee SO close. The moment, however,
| that Grant. Is .ble to sdvynce from Mechan-
J icsyille to- Meadow. Bridge, the aspect Of
| in rear Of the left might be thrown over into
| Richmond In couple Of hours. Hence we
| find Grant Oh Tuesday morning pushing on
towards Mechanfesyllfe, while Lee confronts
| him ut Shady Grove and Meadow Bridge. not
/ half mile from tho advance of our Fifth
| Corps. If Lee, therefore, Intends to defend
| Richmond by remaining outside Of 1t, here
will occur the decisive conflict for its posses
sion,
I It is impossible to suppose TINT he will re-
| peat the biunder OF Pembe1.on, and permit
himself to be shut up within the fortiilca-
to believe that Grant will give him time to
fortify the position he now occupies. Hence,
| unless the fertile genius Of Grant discovers
some shorter cut to victory, 1t is at this point
that the preat battle which will determine
tie fate q Lees army, Of EicExnond and ol
be lndcrrated. ~ let no N. ans Of cnsurine
eucceea be nd [scted. Every soldier moi
present with the Army Of the Potomac il
that decisive struggle is wasted Raids ir
the Shenandoah Valley, operations In Western
Virginia, attacAs upon Petersburg, gueEials
fights near Fairta1, are all matters OF esttrt
struggle. Let Us hope then that the GoVexR
ment realizes tLis, as the country does, dhs
all will be well.