Semi-weekly news., 1865-05-04
The Mil tary Situation.


correct opinion of the present mill
tary situation from the light before US,
as it has been some weeks sine. We
had any data that could be regarded
as fully reliable.
The surrender of Lee, with n por-
ton OF his army. though no correct
Southern account of the event has
vet been received. must be regarded
as true, though we are yet IN the
dark as to the extent of the disaster.
The ensmy's accounts Of the number
of men surrendered, differ SO widely
from each other, as to make it impos-
sible for us 10 reach conclusions per
fecily accurate upon the subject
One account places our loss in men
as high As forty three or four thous-
and, whilst others put it down as low
as FIVE thousand. The Washington
correspondent of the New York Tri
bune says that less than 5000 men.
and less than 5000 muskets Other
correspondents of Northern papers
concur in this latter statemeut-
Moreover az it is 30 much to the in
terest Of the enemy to over rate rather
than under state the extent of our
loss. we are very much inclined to
the opinion that the statement of the
correspondent of the Tribune is at
least An approximate to the truth
In addition to tn" above. We have
verbal statement, coming from &
Southern source, that agrees as r.
the number of men surrendered. with
the statement in the Tribune. Tn"
Southern statement also is, that but
few of Lees veteran forces were en-
braced in the surrender: that there
were three regiments Of negro troops
lately raised in Richmond, and a
considerable number Of militia. W no
had seen but little of actual service.
What the actual extent of our loss
in the operations III and around
Richmond and Petersburg, from the
time Of the capture of Fort Steadman
until the surrender. cannot be deter
mined with any accuracy. So far
as We have the official statements of
Gen. Lee. which come up to the evac-
uation of Richmond and Petersburg,
or nearly So it does not appear that
our losses were very heavy. On the
contrary. the loss said to have been
sustained by the enemy is reported
to have been heavy. Lees losses
Subsequent to the evacuation and
prio- 10 the surrender, NAV have
amounted to two or three thousand
men, and this agrees with some of
the more candid accounts of the enc
my. Lees losses, thcr, inclusive OF
the capture of Fort Steadman and
the surrender, could not have excee-
ded from eight to ten thousand mus
kets, and ftom twelve to fourteen
thousand men. The losses of the en-
emy during the same period must
have reached twenty or twenty five
thousand men. though it must be &C
knowledged that this is somewhat
above their actual figures, but when
We consider the many gross exagger-
ations Of the enemy. and the great
interest they have in practicing a
deception upon us at this time, our
statement must be regarded as in the
main correct.
The question then arises what be-
came of the remaining portion of
Lees army Our information at this
time is too indefinite to allow a posi-
lively correct answer. Some Of his
troops doubtless escaped and return
ed to their homes; but others, no
doubt, effected junction with the
army Of Tennessee under Johnston.
We have positive information that
the process of evacuation had been
going on for nearly two months prior
to the actual evacuation by Lee, but
what portion of the force actually cf-
fected a junction with Johnston, We
cannot with any accuracy state.
One fact, We think, we can state
with truth, and that is. that John
ston is in command, in North Caro-
lima. of large veteran army, num-