Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-04-01
.Thss lIastsrlnE ~ ID enc Fore.n.

- = 49,
q sThs5MustOrinE OF the Forces.
EEaprn fhss .nnita statss- Army and Navy Journal.
The criiOal moment approaches. An our
greet Eastern armies are within communi-
eating dbtaneeE all the enemy's are in di-
rect CO operation, and, by means of rail-
roads, within actual isa1lppPr a1lppProrting distance,
in case of battle. We possess the advsu-
tage of men. Our efsetive armies are
m9rs then 7oo. .Ooe strong. The enemy can,
hardly 7bea EeekUned above lse, 900, and
pFehsbl8 fs1la below that estimate. He has
once more and uHavoidably, secured the
advantage of interior 1inea; and, faeils com
n0nicatiORs.s In one sense, therefore, he
may, be said to have the advantage of posi-
tion,-In another, and an important sense,
he has not because EeI Fgst upon impreg-
nsble sea bases, With heavy fleets of gun
boats and transports, while he has none,-
For a. single battle; he is IN good position
for seties, We are in bettsr. The grad,
Ual narrowing of the field Of conflict
increases this temporary advantage
of thu enemy but it relatively increases
our !ova superiority,- provided the frs.
shock Of arms be in .oQE. favor, In direct
commuuicauon between his two columns,
the enemy hasbeea more fortunate than
We. But his railroad lines are slender, and
the reils and sgtGHg stock in such condi-
ton as to limit materially their capacity
in the transportation of men aad mAterial.
In supplies we ara immeasurably his au-
peribr-so much zEOsIhaC the qdestion of
food aud forage would decide the contest, if
it were not that the arbitrauent of arms
must intervene. In 1hafghtiug condition
of the two opposing armies, the advantage
is with US, because-eur men are equally
braye, and better disciplined, more Iigor-
Gus, better fed, better clothed and shod,
better armed sad equipped. In morale,
we have the prestige of the whole year on
our side, and carry banners covered all
over with fresh inscriptions of victory; but
the enemy has a dWIndting army aud an
uuprosperous cause to drag upon his spir-
It's. In generalship, We can safely trust
our caVsI!yman Sheridan against the enc
my's Hampton, and cur Grant and Sher>
man agsinst his Johnston, or even his fA-
vofite Lee.
TIE contrast between the armies, how
ever is not yet complete. Although the
enemy has not an apparent advantage of
interior lines, that is entirely overmatched
by two very important consideratiors
The frst is, that any movement
of Lee towards. Johnston can be,
aud doubtless will be, followed b7
an instantaneous stack in, flank from
Grant, with an army almost double the
size Of his antagonists. A severe battle
and the fall of Richmond might be EXPECT
ed to ensue. On the other hand, should
Johnston be recalled to Lee, the two COM
bined would have to assault in elaborste
entrepchments, resting on base protected
| bysgqnboRts, an army almost as large as
| the sTf1ed Attscking columns. MeanW hi le
| Sherman follows with such rapidity as can
be obtained from an army whose forced
marches are proverbial and famous. BE
is, in aay event, pressing on Johnston's
rear, or cau carry Weldon on the right, or
Dauville on the left. The second cousid-
Grafton is our vast superiority in cavalry.
| Sheridan's powerful columns-two fnu
| divisionsand q BFigSde-Gill soon connect
With the division OF Gregg. Gen. Sher-
mSuz has Bil KHpstrick's column with him
which has every where ridden down the
| Confederate cavalry in a march of more
| than a thousand miles. The enemy has
dismounted sgreat part of his cavalry for
the want 0f horses and the remnant is in
q bad c6ndTtl6u, We venture the STATE,
O4G C0NdlEy now QUIZ
numbers threefoId that of the enemy
What splendid advantage, eyen,iu spite oi
the impracticabls -counryr, this surplus
will give US in the cutting off of comnG-
nicatiOps and in the enemY's Hanks, and
finally, in rendering 8 battle lost to the
enemy q decisive rou5 il ia easy to pre-
dict,
Under such auspices, the great campaign
proceeds. Scho6eld has rejoiued Sherman.
sbsFidan, has reiOiHsd, GrAat9 Ezeh has
Gec63piished invSI6a6fe results ID tie
movement for Junction, the one at Viii.
miugtou aud Kinston, the other on the
James River Canal. Grant watches Lee
at Richm0pd, and threatens to detail Sher.
idsn by wide detour to cut the Southside
RailFo6d. Sherman marches on RsieiRh,
threatening on his left 6snk, DauVilIe, aud,
on his right, Weldon. u Both cities are d
vital importance. Johnston lying on the
headwaters of the NeuseI doubtless holds
HAIsborO' "a the point of retreat from Ral.
eigh, covsri6g DsuVille With his right aank.
His left not improbabIy he stretches over
to1ttIS Tar r5VeF, In the region q Rocky
Mount, TO protect tha city of II eIdOa.s De.
cIsTve bate OF disastrous retreat must soon
follow these dispositioua.