Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1865-12-22
BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT: DE CENIBER 22, 1865.

Richmond being the objective point. TO this
force about ten thousand men from South Car
olina, under command Of Gen. Gilmore, were
to be added. When ordered to move Gen.
Butler was to take possession Of City Point, for
tify the place and concentrate his troops there.
Gen. Grant incidentally pays a tribute eff
praise TO Gen. Meade, Tor his conduct in COM
mand Of the Army of the Potomac. The in
structions for that army were all through him,
and were general in their nature, leaving all
the details and execution to him. The cam
paigns that followed proved him to be in the
right place. His commanding always in the
presence OF an officer superior to him in rank,
has drawn from him much of that public otten
ton that his zeal and ability entlle him TO, and
which he would otherwise have received.
The report then describes in detail the move
menls of the Army of the Potomac in May and
June, lS6i-the crossing of the Rapidan on the
4th OF May, the sanguinary battles of the Will
derness. the unsuccessful attack on the enemy's
lines at SpottsyvanIa Court House, the actions
at Cold llarbor, and the final transfer of the
army to the south side OF the James on the
18th of June.
In summing up the results of these move
menls and battles. and their influence upon the
campaign, Gen. Grant remarks:
During three long years the armies of the
Potomac and Northern Virginia had been con-
fronting each other. In that time they had
fought more desperate battles than it probably
ever falls to the lot of two armies to fight,
without materially changing the vantage ground
of either. The southern press and people, with
more shrewdness than was displayed in the
north finding that they had failed to capture
Washington and march on to New York, as
they had boased they would do, assumed THAI
they defended their capital and southern terri
tory. Hence, Antietam, Gettysburg and all the
other battles that had been fought, were by
them set down as failures on our part, and vic
tories for them. Their army believed this. 1t
produced morale which could only be over
come by desperate and continuous hard fight
ing. The battles Of the Wilderness, Spottsyl.
vania. North Anna, and Cold Harbor, bloody
and terrible as they were on our side, wereeven
more damaging to the enemy, and so crippled
him as to make him wary ever after OF taking
the offensive. His losses in men were pro-
bly, not so great, owing to the fact that WE
were, save IN the Wilderness, almost invara
bly, the attacking party and when he did at.
tack it was in the open field. The details o
these bsttles which for endurance and bravery
on the part Of the sodiery have rarely beer
surpassed, are given in the report of Maj Gen
Meade, and the subordinate reports.
The movement of Gen. Buffers forces, de
signed to cooperate with the Army Of the Po
tomac, and prevent the sending OF reinforce
ments to Lee, failed to accomplish the objec
desired. Gen. Grant says of it:
General Butler moved his main force up tn,
James river, in pursuance of instruc ions on thu
4lh of May General Gilmore having joinet
with the 10th corps. At the same time he sen
a force of 1900 cavalry, by way of West Point
to form a junction with him wherever he nigh
get foothold, and force of 5000 cnvalry. un
der General Kautz, from Suffolk. to operat
against the roads OF Petersburg and Richmond
On the 9TH he occupied, without opposition
both City Point and Bermuda Hundred, hi
movement being complete surprise. On tn
9th he was in position with his main army, an,
commenced intrenchng. On the 7th he mad
reconnaissance against the Petersburg an
Richmend Railroad, destroying portion of
after fighting. On the 9th he teegraphed a
follows
'HDQRs.' NEAR BERMUDA LANDING,