Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-04-11
From the New York Times. sth.l

THE GRAND OLD ARMY OF The POTOMAC.
The ARMY OF the Potomac has done its work. Il has
captured Richmond. il has demolished Lee. IL unpar
aeed trials have been rewarded by unparalleled
What history since that May night four years ago when
Sherman crossed his advance battery over the Long
Bridge into tie sacred soil What chapters Of bloody
erauple Of tosOme marching of weary Disagreement.
This army from the beginning has preserved its den
ty like no other Of the national forces The elements
of all the other armies have been continually changing
by transfers from one line of operations 10 another The
Army of the Potomac has ha but object, has opera
ted but in one field has been kept substantially undvi
del and has acquired peculiar cOmpac;ness OF organi
cation and unity Of spirit Il has always occupied the
foreground Of the war, and all brilliant exploits else
where could but momentarily draw the public eye from
it. Everybody felt that on ts strong right arm mainly
depended n E tate of the nation.
perhaps no army in history ever had more difficult
task i he great WORK commit: i 10 the Army OF the
Potomac was 10 capture the rebel capital. his spot
could only be reached through hostile country made
M of hills and glens and deep riyeis and WOODS AID
swamps All the resources OF engineering skill were
exhausted in terrifying IT, Il covered BY as dashnc
an army IS the shone npon. commanded by the
sIlest Of the Rebel Generals. Even with nothing TO
distract tie work Of taking the Rebel capital would
have been hard enough. But il was made doubly ar.
dcous by the esity Of simultaneous. protecting our
captai, the loss O! Wnlct-Ight nave rulheG the
Five times as mu h blood. probably. has teen spilled
by the Army of the Potomac by all tie other National
forces combined The days battles OF the Penn.
sula Antetam. fredericksburg Charlottesville Gettys.
hug and the Wilderness were all on sale nowhere
ess approached and between them an almost count
less number OF minor engagements The National arms
uade rrea progress eew here at the cost of compare
tiyely tie &c htng IL took only the fight az Fort Dom
olson to give US Kentucky and Northern Tennessee only
tie almost bloodsss hight at the mouths Of tie Nssisp
nj 20 give Us louisiana only two or three sharp little
arements carry TO the rear OF NrksbCrg and com
e tie nder OF that stronghold through starvation
only the battles az Stone Re with subsequent stra;e
pic movement 10 give US Southern and Eastern Ten
Dessee Shermans advance from Chattanooga 70 Allan
ia was effected chiefly by mastery banking operations
require hard fighting at variou. points but We
think lie said that his entire months work did not
cost as much blood d Grants first two days in the VIII
derness. The march from Atlanta to savannah and
from Savannah the heart of North Carolina, was
coupished with almost no fighting. The battles in the
Southwest not connected with the great movements,
have been comparatively few. ana with the exception OF
Shiloh and Chickamauga. involved no very heavy loss
of life As for the armies which have been stationed
west of the Mississippi and on the Atlantic coasts they
have had but very few engagements and those were
minor scale. Everywhere through the whole breadth
of the land the national forces have done their duty but
TIC rea brunt Of the war has fallen upon the Army Of
II is useless now 10 discuss whether that army would
not long ago have done its work Nth such generslship
Surpr The r.t three years Il has had during the last
Whatever may have been the defects Of It's former COM
manders il il certain that the rank and nile OF the army
have never been found wanting Nhether weil-led or
ill-led thew have never tncheG Whatever the mscar
rage or tie disaster they have been proof agalns all d.
maralizaton or Encouragement They were beaten back
10 Malvern Hill On the Peninsula only to pour into the
tedd.ler hlG tndH ever anu lhci htel tHt'l
aga two tund ed miles north with the blows OF South
Mountain and Anteta. They reraced Their bloody steps
over the Rappahannock from Fredericksburg and Chan
celorsyile only 20 face Their foes again when tie tne
came and inic: upon them the terrible defeat o. Getty>-
blrr They waded in blood through the Wilderness and
m ssel the original aim of the camnaign onlyto move
across he James and asten al unfolding grasp upon
the very key 10 tie rebel works. They have been ss pa
tent in inac.oa a. they have been prompt IN action.
For months previous their last movement they were
held almost mouonleas and were compelled to look qli-
ety On while sherman was daily drawing nearer 20 get
the covnng honor OF the great capture. Yet they muir
muIel not They left all implicitly TO tie military chief
The contrast between their mpassve spirit for the long
weeks Of their nacton and ihe her eaes Of Their onsot
when the word was given was wonderful.
We rejoice that reserved for this grand old army
ideal It's nsl blow without helper at ia side Il il
mnently At that they who have so glorOuy horne the
struggle should have the glory of the consummation
The ARMY Of the Potomac ought always 10 be remem-
bered as the army that ped against the very head
nd front of the rebellion and that sent il finally 10 the
dust. Every living man who has faithfully served in
that army deserves uHtading iaurels And would that
every one Of the tens OF thousands OF ifs heroic dead
could have monument perduTable as the republic