Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-03-01
.Whaf MfIILlee mo-

the movements OF mlghty armies to gam
advantages over each other and the in
Vulnerable combinations of the noble game
Of chess. Indeed sll great military minds
that are distinguished for the power Of
planning military campaigns haves q mark
ed aptitude for the marvellous variations
Of chess q game that has been the delight
of kings and cOnquerOrs for thousands of
years. In thepresent condition of military
affairs the present movements in Virginia
and North Carolina must be looked upon
Is having, on the one side, the destruction
or capture of Lees army, and, on the other,
Its preservation together with the destruc-
tion Of the opposing forces. General Grant
Is the masterpieces OF one side, General
Lee on the other. Let Us examine the sit
uation: General Lees main forces are now
holding Richmond and Petersburg. They
are also; distributed in small squads from
these points to DAnville and Lynchburg.
At DRnville and Lynchburg his strength
stpresent is comparatively small In sd-
dition 70 these forces in Virginia are the
SIX Thousand now confronting Sheridan in
tia Shenandoah, together with 8 few thou
sands morein the southwestern part of the
state defending and repairing the Virgins
and Tennessee Railroad. In North Caro-
lima are the forces Of Besuregard, various
ly estimated ia all at from thirty to fifty
thousand men. So far as at present known
they ara retresting northward toward Dan
vile or Greensboro, along the line of rail
road trsverzing that state Au progress
north by the way of Wilmington is impOs-
sible.
On the other hand the Federal forces
that are on the military chessbOard are the
forces that are confronting Richmond and
Petersburg the force under Sheridan in
the Shenandoah, the force advancing from
Knoxville eastward through North Caro-
lima, the force under General Sherman,
including that which recently captured
Wilmington, and that operating from New
berne along the railroad toward Raleigh.
In the absence of all knowledge as to
Sherman's movements since the capture
of Columbia, we are left TO speculation.
The probabilities in the case stand thus :
That he destroyed the railroad from Co
1unbiA north as far as the Wsteree river,
the bridges over which he burned, that
then his army moved northssstwsrd to-
ward Florence and Wilmington, efecting
3 junction with schofeld somewhere in the
intervening space. Unless absolutely
compelled to go to Wilmington for sup
plies, it is probable that his direction
would be toward Fayetteville, in Cumber-
land county, thence toward Raleigh. This
route would lead him through the most
populous and fertile portions of the State.
In this event we may expect that has
forces will reach the vicinity Of Raleigh or
WsyneSboro before any great collision be-
tween them and those of the enemy
shall take place. Supposing military
movements 70 have progressed thus far,
what will Lee dO7 Apparently three
leading alternatives are before him. In
the first place he may gradually evacuate
both Petersburg and Richmond, fall back
upon Lynchburg and DanviIle, there ef-
fectingR junction with the forces under
Beauregard. In this position he could
either await the advance of Sherman and
Grant and fight great decisive battle or
throw his force as rapidly as possible into
East Tennessee seize Chattanooga and
other strongholds, and possibly protract
the war for several years.
A second choice il, to hold on 70 Rich
mond, detaeh what troops he can to rein
force Beauregard, and attempt the defeat
of Sherman. Succeeding in this, he might
maintain his position in Richmond for q
time, attempting to hold out against Cen
ersl Grant To do this would certainly be
more consistent with that intense pride
which the rebels have in holding Rich
m0nd. The disgrace attending its evacua-
ton would be to them insuferable. But in
either of these alternatives open to Lee de-
feat would be Overwhelming ruin. 1t is {
difficult in the first case to see how he can 1
ever retreat from Riehmondto to Lynchburg
without exposing himself to destruction st
The hands Of Grant, with force vastly his :
superior. And yet desperation might at ,
tempt either Of these means Of preserva- !
lion
Another alternative il, to combine his
remaining forces, move northward into {
PennEylvanis, or through West Virginis '
into Ohio, compelling Grant and Sherman T
10 follow. This may seem on its face too
rash to be probable. Bui it must bs re- :
nembered that rash and desperate meas f
ures must be reaortsd to, if any further re- il
Iitsnee is to be made. It must be admit Ii
ed, also, that this choice is regarded by 8
IOme in hign positions, as not at all un-
likely. An invasion of the Western States
IN large scale has not yet bean attempt
ID, and may yet be. What ahsll finally fc
icidee the policy of Lee, may be consid- a.
srations as yet unknown OF undetermined. r
Il is evident, however, to the most superb
siAl students Of the military chess board, u
hat something desperate and de- c.
,isive must soon be done. What a
Lee iOiH do, however, can be determined n
;WO months hence, when now all is conjec.
;ure. I'VE are prepared to see that he will q
aOld Richmond, whether victory or defeat y
zones; OF that, abandoning it, he viii risk
N in great battle or sock flight into East h
rsnneasee OF attempt to invade Pennsyl- q
7ania OF Ohio.
me Wheat Prospect for IsOs.
So far gil Is favorable. Tbe eYtansiva