New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-03-29
THE MILITARY NEWS.

La
tradicts the reported engagement at Mount
Olive and transfers the battle-ground to Ben
louisville. The dispatch now received is not
official but it is straightforward, intelil-
gble, and apparently authentic. we
have heretofore commented on the
impossibility of all engagement at Mount olVe
and the subsequent occupation OF SImtilfleih py
the same forces on the same day. Mount olive
and Smithfield are some thirty miles apart,
while from Bentonsvile to Smithfed the dis
lance is but twelve. The occupation oil the lat
ter place by Gen. Sherman is now affirmed IRON
three distinct sources, and we see no reason to
question it.
II is apparent there has been some hard fight
ing between portions of Sbcrman'S army ana
the whole of Johnston's. A dspatch-of ques-
tionable veracity-makes out battle at Sm'h-
field. and grand concentration at that point
of all the Rebel forces III North Carolina
under Lee, and gives sundry details
which the curious in Philadelphia kilograms
NAV find in our news columns. But the story
will be found TO coincide in its main features
with the telegram from Morehead City oil the
25th. to which We have referred above. Inc
Fourteenth Corps had the advance ana
was roughly handled for a while-a division or
two doubled up and partial success gained by
the Rebels. Then the Sixteenth and
Seventeenth came up, checked the enc
my and retrieved tho fortunes OF the
day. There was evidently conSl ierabie
fight somewhere and probably at BentonSville,
which the correspondent of the Philadelphia
paper picking up his news from strogglerS at
Newbern, has COMPOUNDED with Smthfeid.
But even the Morehead City telegram intro
duces an element of confusion by reporting the
very improbable number of 1000 prisoners cap
tured in this action--which would be about one
sixth of all Johnston's army. II is not necessary
to credit such statements in order to be assured
of the completeness of Sherman's success.
There is of course no doubt that the Union
forces in North Carolina are now, not merely IN
communication, but united into one grand
army under Gen. Sherman's personal command
We have tolerably exact notion of the mum
Der of this army, but refrain from saying
more than thiS--that it outnumbers Johnston
forces at least two to one. Hitherto
while advancing i'll separate columns
il has sustained no serious check. Nc
! combination of Gen. Sherman has been
defeated, 10 plan interfercd with, no point that
he wanted to reach been held by the enemy.
He is at this moment within twenty five miles
of Raleigh. But we presume the campaign
which is TO result in reannexing North Carolina
permanently to the Union, may for certain
military reasons, progress deliberately during
the next few days. 1t is enough for us TO know
that il progresses surely, and that the delay IL
only such as makes the end more certain.
Fuller dispatches from the Army of the
Potomac show that Fort Steadman was in onf
sense the key Of the extended line held by the
whole army south of the James, and that hat
the attack of Saturday succeeded one-hal
the army would have been cut of from it
base at City Point and new phase pu
upon all the operations near Petersburg
Instead Of Grants compelling the evacuation
of Richmond, Lee might have compelled Tho
raising of the siege Of Petersburg. But Goo
disposes. The attack, temporarily successful
failed utterly in the end, and so failed as tC
bring the strongest assurance that it will nevc
be attempted again. ,r
Following the telegraph, We assigned TO Ma
jor- Gen. Hartsuff the credit Of leading the di
vision Of the Ninth Army Corps which regaineC
Fort Steadman and saved the day. The true
name is Brig Gen. HARTRASFT-a younge
officer, and just made Maori General By brevc
for his skill and gallantry on this occasion
Honor to whom Honor