The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-04-07

i How Mr. Lincoln Gauit 80 oeo
| for the Capture Of Richmond-sher-
mans Strategy Neeessitates as ESne'
i untiOu.
fFrom the New York World)
| 't WASHINGTON, April 3.
| Far he it from me to deny the great
results obtained by the possession OF Pc
tersburg aud Richmond, or to shnt my
eyes upon the able strategy which
planned the fall of these two cities, ana
the iuvincible courage of the soldiers
who carried ont the plan. Both are adj
mirable, and deserve an unlimited praise.
/ do not know. however, whether the
palm of victory belongs in this instance
| to. General Grant Or General Sherman-
to General Grant for having combined
/ the admirable series of movements
| which threatened Richmond in front. IN
| flank. and in the rear and by the ad-
vance of Sherman in North Carolina and
| Thomas IN Western Virginia, menaced to
| cut off Lees retreat; or to General Sher-
man for having starved the rebel capltai
by the destruction of the South Caro-
! lima nd Georgia railroad. have heard
| on that subject different opinions. all en-
titled to consideration. The most re-
| liable, think, for IT has been
| forewarned by the Richmond aud north
| ern papers Tor at least month, Is that
| General Lees army receiving but made
quate supplies. for want of transporta-
| ton, could in no way retain its position,
| end that the evacuation OF the latter
city was Il foregone conclusion. have
| myself seen and heard parties, who had
| left the rebel capital within the last thir-
ty days, state that the city was on the
verge of starvation on account OF Sher-
mans movements, and that 1t was I'M
possible for General Lee 10 hold it any
longer The market, they said was toll
erably well supplied, but the army could
get neither beef nor bacon, and had been
put to half rations for the last two weeks.
| If these remarks are correct (and consld-
ering the various sonrces whence they
come, it is almost impossible to doubt
them, the report given by the rebel Col
onel Elm, captured in the last battle,
| that General Lee had long anticipated
this movement, is true. Hence it follows
| that the evacuation OF Richmond is not
fact of yesterday, but must have COM
menced sometime since, and had been re-
solved upOn by the authorities at Rich.
mond, when General Grant got wind OF
| it and commenced the attack which re-
suited so gloriously to our arms
THE FALL OF RICHMOND ANNOUNCED
BY GEN GRANT TWO WEEKS AGO.
This is so true. that recollect TO have
heard of letters written by the comman-
der of the Army of the Potomac about
| two weeks ago, in which he announced
| the evacuation of Richmond within the
next ten days, and advised his friends to
come to the front in order to he the first
to enjoy the great spectacle. One OF
the Sc letters was addressed to President
| Lincoln, who, upon the faith of il, took
the pretext of pleasure trip, and came
down to City Point with Secretary Sc
| ward and retinue of foreign ministers
| TO participate in the great triumph OF
our armies 1t appears that previous to
| that invitation General Grant had been
| informed that the rebels had already be-
| gan the evacuation of their capital that
large guns had been dismounted and sent
westward; the archives Of all the depart
| ments removed with all their perSOnEeis;
that provisions and ammunition had been
| forwarded through the Danville road to
| parts unknown; the banks had left with
| their treasures whole families had eml-
grated; it is even said that General Ew
| ellis corps, who never figured in the last
| fight was esCOrting the emigrants on
| their way to Danville more than eight
| days ago; finally the city was about half
evacuated when General Grant made the
great assault which hurried Lees move
ments and presipitated the fall OF the
reqellion.
| PROBABLE POSITION or GENERAL LEE.
If this information is correct, il would
| follow that the last -four days battle was
not an engagement of the whole of the
| two armies, bnt simply a movement OF
retreat on the part of the rebels, attend.
ed by strong resistance on their part,
whilst on our side all the forces at our
! disposal were in motion | would not,
however, insist much OH that point, for
it seems, from the facts in eur possession
that most, if not the whole, of Lees army
! participated in the last fight in order TO
protect the evacuation of tho city,
which was not sufficiently advanced To
he given mp by the army These facts,
however, will appear more clearly when
we will hear Of the harvest made in
Richmond by General Weiizel who
must, if the guns have not been preyi-
ously removed, find ut least tour hundred
of them and Of the retreat OF General
Lee upon Danville. Until these two
fac,s are well known; il is useless to
speculate upon the real merits of the
surrender of Richmond, and of the diff
ferent engagements which contributed
to place that city in 0nr possession, or
upon the ultimate resistance Of General
Lee. if as il is believed, the latter has
transferred a large portion of his artil'
lery and ammunition westward. distrib.
uted them in several cities, and caused
half of his army to leave the battlefield
before he fight began, trusting the de
fense of Richmond To the other half as
long as the process of evarnating that
city was not complete, it is clear that
we will meet in front of us sooner or Ia
ter, an army strong enough to canse us a
great deal OF trouble. FRANCOIS.
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Tac..,,., N1oyem,ent.