New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-04-07
GRANTS ADVANCE.
weeks.

One OF Sherl uanS eleculchl, anu YET pIWu'
cal, business like, and soldierly dispatches CAME
over the wires yesterday afternoon and an
nounced him at Jettersville, on the Danyille
Road, IL miles northeast of Burkesyille, on
the 9Th of April at in the afternoon. Al
the same time, two infantry corps, the Second
and Sixth, we're close up to him, and
would reach Jettersyillc within an hour. Gen.
Grant with Ord's command was then at
Burkesylle, and Gen. Grant himself forthwith
started to Join Sheridan, who beSought bis CHIEF
to come up, saying that he saw no escape for
Lees army if matters were vigorously pushed.
Seeing affairs in this light, Grant instantly
started to take command in person.
The march from Petersburg to Burkesyllle
will rank among the swiiteSt and mot remark
able of the war. 1t is So miles and was
done in about two days and half. Grant dis
trbuted his forces into three columns, az above
indicated, and he himself entered Burkesville
without any sort of opposition. Lee has not
ventured to re-cross the Appomattox since the
evacuation of Petersburg He has not been
able TO make any sort of an attempt to get to
Burkesvlle, and yet Burkesville is the very first
place to which be must have meant and expected
to 20 on leaving Richmond Losing 1t, he is cut
off from Johnston and has no more hope OF get
ting to Danylle than to New-YOrk. With the
djspirited remnant of his army he is shut up in
that irregular belt of territory between the
James and the Appomattox, and his position,
more even than the condition of his army, justl-
fies the opinion of Sheridan that be has no chance
of escape. The Appomattox bends far to the
north. where the Danville Road crosses it, and its
course SO lengthens Lees march. that if he does
not get on the South bank of the river, he is
hopelessly outmarched by Grants pursuing
columns, and may be cut off from LynchbuY
as he has been from Danville. II is passing
strange that q soldier Of Lees reputation should
be so completely outmaneuyercd as he seems to
have been during the last week.
Something might be pardoned to Sheridan's
enthusiasm if he oyerestimated the chances Of
surrounding or dispensing the army of Lee.
But on the coolest survey Of the field, of TIA
line Of retreat forced upon Lee, and OF the po-
sitions Of the different columns, we can-
not mpeach the soundness Of bis Judgment,
nor doubt that Lees best hope OF re-
treat is gone. 1t is Grant who Is
now operating on interior lines, and who takes
the chords of the arcs which Lee has to de-
scribe And the soldiers of Grant are marching
with that elate step which follows and fore
tokens victory, while Lees beaten forces are
haggard and sluggard with the despair of
defeat. So with Sheridan we " see
no escape for Lee" or none but In
the daily Increasing distance between the
advancing columns of Grant and their base of
supplies at Petersburg. We do not know how
much of the Southsdc Road was torn up, nor
how soon the cars can be sent to Burkesvile
but every energy will be bent to get that line
in order, and then for aught We can see, Grant
may go ahead indefinitely.
And even were it necessary to stop at Burkcs-
vile, the possession of that intersection of
the two railroads is q victory. The separation
Of Lee and Johnston is another victory. The
enforced retreat of the former to Lynchburg-
if he could even get there's another. Every
dispatch from the front is more hopeful than the
last, and it is likely enough that to-day will
bring news to supersede all these speculatiops.
and announce positively that Lee is cut OFF and
hemmed in, and brought to bay with nothing
to do but surrender to an overwhelming force.