Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-07
GEN. GRANTS REPORT.
The Last Year OF the RebeIIiOn-MOst
Important Chapter I'm American
History.


The Reportof Lieutenant General Grant
to the Secretary of War is very full, terse
and accurate document. 1t forms a COM
plete history of the movements of our ar
mics from the opening of the spring cam-
paign of 1864 to the close of the rebellion.
The Lieutenant General pr0faees by say
ing that from an early period he was con-
WINGED of the necessity of active and con-
tinuous operations in the field, regardless
of the season and weather. He aptly
says:
The armies of the East and West acted
Independently, and without concert, like a
balky team, no two ever pulling together,
enabling the enemy to use this great adj
vantage on his interior lines of commune
cation for transporting troops from East
to West, reinforcing the army when most
vigorously pressed, and to furlough large
numbers during seasons of inactivity on
our part, to go to their homes and do the
work of producing for the support of their
armies.
HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO THE COMMANDERS
UNDER HIM.
The instructions to his subordinate COM
manders for the spring campaign of 1864,
are next given. General Sherman was in
structed to move against JohnstOn's army;
to break it up, and go into the interior of
the enemy's country, as far as he could, in
ficting all possible damage upon their war
resources. If the enemy in his front
showed signs of joining Lee, to follow him
up to the full extent of his ability, while
the Lieutenant General himself would
prevent the concentration of Lee upon
him, if it was in the power of the Army
of the Potomac. General Meade was in
structed that Lees army would be his OBJ
iectivc point hat wherever Lee went he
would go also.
ARMY OF THE JAMES.
A letter of instructions TO General But
Ter, bearing date April I'd, is given in full,
detailing the plans of the campaign, &c.
1t was conceded to be impossible for the
troops advancing on Richmond to act as
a unit, but the different organizations
were to move on ~converging lines and for
a common purpose. Whilst Meade was
to directly oppose Lee, Butler was to ad-
on Richmond. The Report states ::
On the 10th these instructions were sub
stantially reiterated. On the 18th, in
order to secure full cooperation between
his army and that of Gen. Meade, he was
informed that l expected him to move from
Fortress Monroe the same day that Gen.
Meade moved from Culpepper. The ex-
act time | was to telegraph him as soon as
it was fixed, and that it would not be
earlier han the 27th of April; but it was
my intention to fight Lee between Cul-
pepper and Richmond, if he would stand.
Should he, however, fail back into Rich
mOnd, l would follow up and make ajunc-
ton with his (Gen. Betfer's) army on the
James river, so that, could | be certain
that he would be able to invest Richmond
on the south side, so as to have his left
resting on the James river above the city,
[ would form the junction there; that cir
cumstances might make this course ad-
visable. Anyhow, that he should use
every exertiOn to secure q footing as far
up the south side of the river as he could,
and as soon as possible after the receipt of
orders to move; that if he could not carry
the city, he should at least detain as large
a force as possible, my first object being to
break the military power of the rebellion,
and capturethe enemy's important strong
holds. This made me DESTROYS that Gen.
Butler should succeed in his movement
against Richmond, as that would tend
moro than anything else, unless it were
the capture of Lees army, to accomplish
the desired result in the east. If he failed,
it was my determination, by-hard fight
ing, either to compel Lee to retreat or so
cripple him that he could not detach a
large force to go North and still retain
enough for the defence of Richmond. 1t
was well understood by both Generals
Butler and Meade, before starting on the
campaign, that it was my intention to put
both their armies south Of the James river
in case of a failure to destroy Lee without.
OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 1865 IN
VIRGINIA.
The report then narrates, in general
terms, the history of the movements of the
armies of the Potomac and of the James
during the month of May, disclosing no
facts not already known to the public. In
regard to General Buffers operations it
says: On the evening Of the 18th and
morning of the l4th, he carried a portion
of the enemy's first line of defence at Dur
RVS Bluff, or Fort Darling, with q small
loss. The time thus consumed from the
9Th lost to US the benefit of the surprise
and capture of Richmond and Petersburg,
enabling, as it did, Beauregard to COLLECT
his loose forces in North and South Caro-
lima, and bring them to the defence of
places.
On the l6ih the enemy attacked General
Butler in his position in front of Drury's
Bluff. He was forced back or drew back
into his intrenchments, between the forks
of the James and Appomattox rivers, the
enemy intrenching strongly in his front,
thus covering his railroad, the city ana all
that was of value to him. His army,
therefore, though in a position of great
security, was as completely shut off from
operations directly against Rich
mond as if it had been in 4 bottle strongly
1t required but q comparatively
force of the enemy to hold it there.
The narrative having been brought to
he unsuccessful fighting at Cold Harbor,
he General continues:
After the battle of the Wilderness, it
evident that the enemy deemed it of
he first Importance to run no risks with
he army he then had. He acted steadily
IN the defensive behind breastworks, or
,nly on the offensive Immediately in front
If them, and where, in case of repulse, he
would easily retire behind them. With
,ut a greater sacrifice of life than l was
to make, all could not be accom-
that l had designed north of Rich
nond. l therefore determined to continue
o hold substantially the ground we then
taking advantage of any favor
lble circumstances that might present
themselves, until the cavalry could be
ent to Charlottesville and Gordonsville
o etfectually break up the railroad COM
.unication between Richmond and the
shenandoah Valley and Lynchburg and
when the cavalry got well off, to move
he army to the south side of the James
River, by the enemy's flank, where l felt
[ could cut off all his sources of supply,
except by the canal.
On the 10th of June, General Butler
.ent a force ofinfantry under Genera Gil
more and cavalry under General Kautz
o capture Petersburg, if possible, and de-
troy the railroad and common bridges
icrOss the AppOmattox. The cavalry
the woods on the south side, and
penetrated well in toward the town, but
we're forced to retreat. General Gilmore,
hiding the works he approached very
trong, and deeming an assault would be
mpracticable, returned to Bermuda Hun
lreds without attempting them.
Attaching great Importance to the pos
ession of Petersburg, L sent back to Ber-
,,do and CitU Point Ganara1