The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-03-18

The Impending Surrender, Evacuation
or Capture or Richmond.
JEFF Davis is now unquestionably reduced to
one Of three charlottesville surrender OF
Richmond, its evacuation, or hopeless strug-
gle to hold the city. That he is not prepared
to entertain any terms Of q capi.ulation, and
will not be without some additional arguments
to this end from Grant and Sherman, we fully
believe that he Is meditating and preparing
for stealthy evacuation we cannot doubt; but
whether he will await nearer approach of Joe
Johnston's forces from North Carolina, or de-
part in season to join him at Danville with
Lees army, is debatable question. See his
special message in another column.
Had Johnston been able to offer any resist
ance to Sherman's advance the attempt
to check him surely would have been
made somewhere south Of Fayetteville.
Reaching that point Sherman, in secur-
ing the navigable river thence to Will
mington, became master Of the situation In
North Carolina. His only difficulty to con-
tinuous march through the interior without
base Of supplies lay in the danger Of falling
short Of subsistence and ammunition; but at
Fayetteville every deficiency in these necessi-
ties could at once be supplied him. In permit
ting Sherman, therefore, without an attempt to
check him, to reach Fayetteville, Johnston has
betrayed his weakness and confessed the danger
Of attempting to stand in the way Of Sherman.
It is evident, indeed, that the whole available
strength Of Johnston, excepting Hardee's and
Hampton's detachments, was involved in the
late disastrous efforts Of Bragg, Hill and Hoke
to cut off the detached column Of Scho6eld at
Kinston.
It is hardly probable that any further resist
ance will be made even to Schofeld short OF
Raleigh, some eighty miles or more in the in
terror from Kinston. At Raleigh, 1t is sup
posed, all the scattered fragments of Johnston's
forces will be collected and intrenched for o
stubborn fight We dare say, however, that
they will disappear on the approach of sher-
man, for the all-suficient reason that with
thirty or forty thousand disheartened and de-
moralized soldiers it will be folly to stand
against an army of one hundred thousand
veterans, seasoned by march of victories and
conquests from the Mississippi to the Atlantic
Ocean.
Meantime the necessities of subsistence must
detain Johnston in North Carolina and with
every mile he recedes towards Richmond he
diminishes the scanty supplies of Lee. This is
the drawback which must, in any event, result
in keeping Johnston away from Richmond for
we know that Lees resources are reduced to
starvation rations for his own troops. If john
ston, therefore, cannot come up to the relief Of
Lee, in the last resort, Lee must 60 to the sup
port Of Johnston. An army without provisions
cannot live, and with the approach of Sherman
there will be no provisions left In Richmond.
The probabilities, then, are In favor Of the
conclusion that Lee will evacuate Richmond In
order to save his army, secure subsistence, and
to effect junction with Johnston, in order to
strike deadly blow at Sherman before Grant
can reach the field But whatever may be the
adopted against Sherman or Grant,
the fall of Richmond, the downfall Of JEFF.
Davis, and the collapse Of his dismantled con-
federacy, are sure to follow. Grant or Sherman,
the one or the other, is equal to the whole
strength Of the rebellion enclosed between
them.