The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-01-07

tho Balance Sheet y for the year. Now,
II = balance sheet is of any account, It
muet be correct. IF the statements OF
facta in an historical synopsis are not
made with exactitude, it would DO better
tn omit them. 1t would be difdcult for
= publisher to employ himself moro un-
nrofitablv than in the issue Of an indi-
rested mass of unreliable mat.ei, in the
name of history, when there has been
ample opportunity to arrive at the truth
The historical review made by the
Gosette, commencing with an essay on
Time. lin which we arc solemnly informed
that we "reckon tho lapse of time" by
"seconds. minutes, hours, days, weeks,
months. years and centuries, y and con-
Guiding with some stanzas by Longfef-
low, in which the poetic word "propul-
sion" is employed, is collection Of cru
ditics stupidity prolific of adjcctives, and
constantly inaccurate. There is hardly q
single event fairly related.
As regards the taste and judgment
displayed, we are reminded in nearly
every paragraph Of the most wonderful
massacres Of rebels on all occasions, and
the supcrhuman valor of our troops,
which took place in newspaper cores
pondcncc during the first months of the
war.
General A. J. Smith is accused of taking
five thousand prisoners from Forrest in
Mississippi, which is fresh news. Two
hundred negroes arc said to have defend
cd fifteen hundred white troops from the
rebels near Colliersvillc, and saved them.
This, too, is perfectly original. General
r. E. Lee had son killed on the Weldon
railroad! The bereaved parent should
be informed of his loss. He has not heard
&C it. General Hill, the Gazette says,
was killed at the same time. But he still
consumes his rations regularly. General
Hancock's rush upon the enemy at Spot
sylvania, in which he captured Major
General Edward johnson, of Virginia,
and his division, is styled "a splendid
charge by General Burnside"
Further:
"On Wednesday, another action took
place. in which General Grant was en-
tirely successful, and a complete victory
was achieved. General Lee was driven
out of Spotsylvania and our forces pur-
sued"
Lee was not driven out of Spotsylvania
until he was - fankcd" out. "Entire
success" and complete victory" were
not achieved in that neighborhood.
A paragraph or two further along, TIE
remarkable historian of the Gazette
seems to have found this out, for he
says:
"On Friday night and Saturday, Gene
raj Grant 1ankcd Lees position on the
right, and compelled him to abandon his
fortified position in front of Spotsylvania
Courthouse"
Now, if on Wednesday, Grant was en-
tirely successful, won a complete VIC
tory, and drove Lee "out Of SpotsyL
rania," and pursued him, how did it
happen that on the following night and
Saturday following, Grant thanked Lee
and compelled him to abandon his for
tilted positions "in front" OF the very
place he had already whipped him out
Of? If the pursuit of Lee, after he had
been driven out of Spotsylyania, brought
him in front Of the place, and placed him
in Notifications there, it is pity he had
not been let alone after he was whipped.
However inaccurate the Gazette is as to
Eastern operations, one would naturally
suppose Western paper might know
something of Western affairs, but take
the following as a sample of tire {" ba-
lance sheet " of Sherman's Atlanta cam
paign:
Without any serious loss, our forces
pressed on, and compelled Johnston to
retire within the defences of Atlanta. The
trap of which the rebel papers had given
us so much warning, as set for Sherman,
seems likely to be sprung upon Johnston.
The enemy ventured but one desperate
effort before retiring to the city. Our
forces had crossed the river and en-,
trenched themselves. The rebels ga
thered up all their strength and sum
moned all their courage for final effort
They made three separate assaults on the
goth, without any other result than fearful
loss to themselves of over six thousand,
and hopeless repulse. This time, for
the first since we left Chattanooga, VIC
had the advantage of defences, and our
loss was comparatively light, being put
at two thousand.
"All rebeldom now took the alarm.
Faith in their old and honored general
subsidized, and his series of retreats were
considered as the results of an indispo-
sition to fight at any risk of defeat
Accordingly, General Joseph L. john
ston was superseded by General Hood.
1.-The battles of Wednesday admitted