The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-09-15

anu COilIllCu WlLulU UtlG TGSbt lCUCN "a
the paralIelograIn of the Atlantic sea-board
States. aal-s.]...l 20 siI3]eLia y"
st4 ..uaocm...s ". .blanld9ia Is0iGga
JGl asTHEu SITUATION INlvIRGINTA. s'a 1911.
hlIn Virginia the military situation presents
even on the surface an aspect much omore
encouraging than it has yet, worn since the
army crossed the James. If Gen. Grant IS
not seen assuming the offensive on a scale
commensurate with the public expectations
he is quietly working out the solution Of
the great problem intrusted to his hands
Working out by policy necessarily some
what cautious,I what he will gladly carry
through, by holder and more brilliant action
when he obtains the means which the people
wifi shortly give him. LII.
The firm foothold the left wing has OBJ:
tanned on the Weldon road sewers that inn
portant line and what is eveR of more, mo-
ment, gives a position from which to menace
the main rebel lines Of communications with
the South, named the Danville Road. So vi
tai is this to the existence of Lees army,
that it is accepted by all military men as
fixed fact that, could we plant a force on
that road, or even seriously threaten tilt
would compel the abandonment of Rich
mond and Virginia and oblige Lee to fall
back to the line of the Roanoke, in which case
given the successful execution of Gen. Sher
mans programme, and the entire remaining
rebel force would be shutupin the Carolinas.
Without pushing speculation so far as this,
however, or going beyond the actual iele-
ments of the situation, there IS nothing IN
them to discourage and much to encourage,
One great cause of fear III all previous com
binations on the military chessboard Of Vir-'
ginia, has been the facility which the rebels
have thrown us back on our base whenever
the army of The Potomac has been pushed
forward so4asI to threaten Richmond. l. In
the present state of facts suchla counter
movements for the first time not to be
feared 1t could only be undertaken by. the
rebels in fits of de3perations and would be
certain to work out their destruction. s lu
For the first time in the history Of the
war, the Shenandoah Valley, the gate
through which the rebels IN each of their
invasions, have entered the loyal States, is
thoroughly guarded. Wehaye there a line ar
my under. thoroughly able leadership, in a
position, which perfectly covers Maryland, 1
Pennsylvania and Washington. 1t is true,
that it is. no secret that this army is largely
composed of troops, that have been drawn
from the army south of the James; but so
far from this bavipg the effect to put59so
much available, force out of the way, and SO
far from, its being apyisource ofhumiliation
or regret, thecorps under General Sheridan
are really doing more for the generahcauses
and even. for the general cause before PEI,
tersburg, than they could if back in the Ar
my of the Potomac. For while the army of
the Shenandoah acts as % defence of Wash
ington, thus relieving Gen. Grant from all So
licitnde on that score, it plays something
more than merely defensive part. The
time is not BOW fitting toreyeal the motives
of the late forward aad backward moNe7
ments in the ValIey;far less to indicate the
assigned to General Sheridan in
that field of operations but the time is not
far distant when the wisdom Of the present
distribution Of force will be recognized.
In the meanwhile it is no small matter
that the column in the valley, while cover
ing Washington, neutralizes and keeps away
from Petersburg force of full forty thou
sand inen-a force which, had it been in front
Of General Grant, would probably have rem
lered it impossible for him to have seized
The important point he now holds on the
Weldon Road" .-..... LII .r...