Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-03-24
From the Philadslphia AmeriCA8g j
The VfrScinfa CampaiRn.

- NC " Al1lG NNlll
Lee has been changing the arrangements
of his troops at Petersburg, whereby ares
port has obtained currency that be intends
to evacuate the town and fall back upon
the line of the APpomatlox, north of the
city. The truth is that he was losing his
men so fast by desertiOn that he has sought
to stop it by putting more reliable troops in
front. He has now only one line of rail.
road open to him, and that runs aohth OF
the Aypomuttox from Petersburg to Lynch.
burg, so that in abandoning Petersburg he
would give up his last line of railroad. Ii
may be that he has prepared defensive
works on the north side of the river to
meet the contingency of losing Lynchburg
or the railroad, for then it would be his
policy to withdraw behind the line of the
Appomattsx; but not until that contingen.
cy happens.
Meantime Leehas puzzled over plan for
getting rid of Grant. His first idea was an
invasion of Pennsylvania, his second an
attack on Washington with a strong column
his third an extensive raid through West
Virginia and Ohio. None of these seemed
inviting. He had too few troops to risk
any considerable number of them away at
this time, and the dismal fate of Early's
corps Warned him that he might lose fear
fully and gain nothing in such expeditions,
even if he could manage TO subsst large
force until it reached its objective point,
which ne has now no means of doing
These expedients, which are those Lee has
usually resorted to, being unavailable, the
next consideration was, how a successful
attack could be made on Meade's army.
What the plans proposed for this pur-
pose were has been suffered to leak out
because they have been given up. One
was to make terrible attack in force upon
the centre of Grants line, break it by
means of sheer pressure, and then separate
the wings, which could then be easily
beaten. Against this Lee had before bin
the lesson of Gettysburg, and then, be.
sides he could not afford to lose the men
woo would have to be sacrificed in such
an enterprise, eince if unsuccessful such a
loss must be fatal to hin. The other plan
was double flank movement, one column
moving south around Meade's flank from
the Southside railroad, and the other
north of Fort Darling. The weak point of
this plan lay in the fact that Grants lines
c. mot be taken in reverse, being faced
both ways, 30 that in the rear they are as
we'll defended as in front, the one flank
resting on the James river, defended BY
gunbOats, and the whole line connected by
railroad traversing covered way. More
over, if this rebel thanking column got
around in our rear it would be liable to ba
cut off and destroyed. In this movement
Lee would lose more than in the other.
Being well aware that one false move
on his part would lose the game, Lee has
resumed the strict defensive, tortifying ey
cry possible point, and awaiting chances.
He expects Grant to assault his works.
which being very strong, he trusts to as
likely to inAict such losses upon the as
as again TO cripple US. The war
might DO prOtracted if Davis could per
suade Lee to give up Virginia, and fall
back upon the Gulf States through the
mountain valleys via Lynchburg; and the
desperate tenacity with which the enemy
cllngs to the Southside railroad is intend.
ed to keep open the avenue of escape
But Lee does not want to leave Virginia
until compelled to, and he will not recog-
niZe the necessity until it will be too late.
10 all probability, therefore, Richmond will
be held. The enemy has looked forward
TO a siege, and tbinned out the population.
AS the supply question becomes trouble
some, oil non cOmbatants, except the gov
ernment officers, will be sent away. But
when the peril becomes imminent, Lee will
be compelled to mobilize his army, and. |
while still holding his works, march out in
hopes OF doing something in the field.