New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-03-27
{ that Con Scbofeld Gays that on Tuesday they

However, the details arc unlinportdnt' MI"
any discrepancies ore easily accounted for by
the haste and errors of telegraphing. The nam
fact is tha, up to tho night Of March u, Gen.
Sherman was pursuing his campaign successfully
in all respects. Tho occupation OF Colds
borough without resistance is evidence
enough that the Rebels had abandoned all
hope of preventing the junction OF the armies
under Sherman and ScLo.ield. In the absence
of dispatches from the former We do not yet
know Tho facts in regard to the reported en-
raycmcnts at Bentonsvillo and Aycrysboroush.
But the reported positions Of Shermans forces
are remarkable, and indicate that he Is advahe-
ing in not less than three distinct and widely
separated columns AverySborough is forty
m les west of Mount Olive, while Bcntons-
Vile is neatly halfway between the tWo'
md certainly no column marchingirom faye'.e'
vile through Averysborough could be meant 10
reach Goldsborougb. Smithfeld, which is about
midway between Goldsbcrough and Raleigh,
might vel enough be the destination OF this
lief, wing or il may even DO moving straight
upon Raleigh. Yet SchoGcld speaks OF Sher-
mans left as being at Bentonsvilie on Sunday
The Newbcrn dispatch, herewith printed, IL
manifcstly erroneous in reporting al engage
ment at Mount Olive and the entrance oi the
same forces on tie same day into Smithheld
which is thirty miles away and on the other
sde of the Neuse. Nor is it consistent with
! Con. Schofeld's statement, for if the latter was
4 i - aud
column OF Sherman had already passed Benions-
vile. there could scarcely have been large
Rebel force at Mount Olive IL would BE- almost
certainly surrounded and captured. Possibly 1t
may turn out that it was Cen Terry's forces
advancing up tie railroad from Wilmington
which became engaged wi,hthe enemy al Mount
Olive.
Thus FAR, all that can he said Of the Rebel op-
/ position to Shcrman's campaign IN North Caro-
Ina, is that they have KEEP troops enough IN
front Of him TO detect the direction Of his ad-
vance. They seem to have obliged him OCCASION
ally TO put u regiment or brigade in line Of bat
tie but they have not ycniured to contest stub
bornly any Of tho many easily deiensible posi-
tions which the country afforded il marvellous
how weak the Rebels are and how they prove
unable to take advantage of the greatest natural
obstacles in the way Of such a march as sheT'
mans. OF cour-e with weak army, Johnston
can every day reiarl the advance OF bis enemy
that Is. be can at one point and another sho"
force enough 70 bring Shennans column To a
temporary halt AID force them 10 show their
teeth in order TO get through. The obvious
motive Of such Il course 10 TO give time for The
development of whatever plan Lee may have
resolved on at Richmond.
We have not much comment 70 offer on The
| luckcss Cilort of Lee at Petersburg. IL IS not
easy TO understand the object oisuch demon
slraton-indecd without Il more intimate
knowledge Of tho topography Of our hnc~ than
wo possess. i, is impossible to criiicise It niclli'
gently. We should say at guess that Lee
found be could not afford TO let biz army lay
idlo any longer; dcsortions aud despair
becoming altogether too general, and
that lie resolved On an attempt TO
neutraize Ivy brilliant aud partial success The
encouragement Occasoned by the irresistible
advance Of Sherman. ], is always possible By
massing troops against any given spot in long
line OF defeuses to oyerpoVer garrison by q
sudden onset. That is what Lee tried Ia j..
and 10 did il. The rush 81 an assaulting column
carried our lines near Fort Steadman and
1 then the fort itself-but there the sue
cess stopped. Our troops IN the adjacent
works held their ground, rcenforccments
came up. and very shortly the Rebels
wero driven out of Fort Steadman, aud
driven back to their own lines with u loss in
killed, wounded and prisoners which is estima-
ted BY the cool judgment of Gen. Grant
ut the enormous number Of 500 men. Oh
this number 300 are actually prisoners
reported in our hands by the ovost-Marshal,
and while our whole loss Is less than 500 men,
the killed and wounded of the enemy are not
less than 5000. The disproportion is no, i'm
probable, as an assauling column always suf.
icTs far more than garrison.
We should like to hope Lee will try that ez-
pertinent over again. 1t has proved far more
disastrous to him than anything since the
Spottsylyania battles Of last Summer. On our
side tho credit Of retaking the fort belongs to
Mai. Gen HarsuG-an officer who has long been
disabled from a wound received at Antietam
where he fought with very high distinction.
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| LEGIsLATIyE CORRUPTION.
| u mint In onoth.r cnlutnu enjoy lqtt,r