The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-04-06
Grants Last Splendid Maneuvre.

Whiskey advanced &c &C., with, however, out hvo
inquiry
Grants Last Splendid Maneuvre.
Grants last grand operation is worthy to
stand by the best of his former achievements
not merely in results for in that respect it sur
passes them all, but in the simplicity and dis
tinctness Of its plan, in the admirable arrange
ment of all the details, and in the promptitude
and efficiency with which the separate blows
that were parts of the plan were sent home.
AS the smoke of the great battle clears away,
and we can see 1t as whole and judge of it In
that way, the glorious fighting done on each
particular part of the field is almost forgotten
in this contemplation of the admirable manner
in which the master mind had dovetailsd each
particular fight into his plan, and made all serve
the common and splendid purpose, which, from
the commencement, was The utter destruction Of
Lees army.
On Wednesday, March 20, Sheridan moved
out from Grants ines toward Dinwiddie Court
House. Lee apprehended at once another
movement Of Grants let. He had at that time
o considerable force near to his own left, where
the attempt had been made against Fort Steed-
man. He imnediateiy began to rearrange his
line, heavily strengthening his right once more
to mees the advance Of Grants left He was
favored in this respecs by the weather. The
heavy rain' Of Thursday Of course delayed ther
movement Of Sheridan; but It did mott
delay the, mavoh q Lees troops Within
his own unes, and thus it gave him time tos
get ready. Consequently when Sheridan wass
ready to 60 ahead on Friday he was CON-
ffonted bEa heavy force, and had the "hard ]
fighting" alluded 10, in Mr.. Lncoln's first de-
spatch. Hs,did not gain any decided advan- 4
tage, and psrhapsdid not believe that so much 4
was done asmight have been done by the In
fantry. OR&Satusahy he seems to have takens
the infantryrin msre immediate charge, as ona
that day General Warren was sent to the rear.
Lee now bod, two divisions On that part Of the !
field and dared nst send more, as it must have |
been obvioas to MIN that there was still large 1
force In our lines On the Petersburg front. And
on Saturday, therefore, General sheridan, with
cavalry and infantry, gained the victory a. the 4
Five Fori1a, th& extreme night Of Lees lire on
the Soutlnids Railroad.
On Saturday night the prospect was blnel for
Lee. Grant he'd held all his lines In front of
Petersburg. and had mazGuvred troops 30 far
TO his left that they had fairly turned' Lees
right and were in rear al that right, under the
indomitable and energetic Sheridan, who was
capturing Lees regiments and guns,almost
without resistance. From such condition any
result might follow, and Lee had every
reason to suppose that on that Sstur-
day night Grant would very heavily ne
iuforce Sheridan, end that with the psep
Of dawn the hero of the valley. at
the head of two or three corps would csms
sweeping down the reverse Of Vie rebel lines.
scattering their defenders pelhmell and cap
turing everything. That appeared to be the
prime danger 10 guard against, and more force
went that way. On Saturday night also, ct
midnight, o demonstration was made on the
Petersburg front by our troops, and 1t was 20
obviously Q demonstration that Il no doubt
confirmed Lee In the impression that the real
battle Of the morrow ives to be where Sheridan
was-away on his right.
BY daylight on Sunday, therefore, Lee had
sent towards bis right every man that could
| possibly be spared from his lines, and at that
hour his lines were assaulted in three different
places by as many different corps and pierced
in every place. The Sixth corps went through
first at point about opposite the western ex-
tremity of Petersburg, the Twenty-fourth q little
way further west, and the Ninth corps further
east, near to the Jerusalem plank road, &C.
tually capturing one Of the largest forts In the
Petersburg defences. The success Of the Sixth
corps cut off the troops that were not In Pc
tersburg; and, as that place was supposed To be
their pivot of man9uvre--as II was supposed
they could not cross the Appomattox except
through the oity-their capture seemed certain,
since they were bemmcd In between Sheridan
the Sixth corps and the river. But they found
means to cross The river, and thus large body
of men slipped through our fingers.
But much as the success of the Sixth and
Twenty-fourth corps seemed to promise In thai
respect, the success of the Ninth corps ap
peared to promise hardly less; for the posses
sion of Fort Malone rendered IL for a shor
time probable that no organized part of thu
enemy then in Petersburg could get away
The rebels in the Petersburg defences, how
ever, commanded perhaps by A. r. Hill, rallie,
and made very desperate struggle for For
Malone. which was protracted through the day