The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-05-06
SATURDAY, MAY Z.

SATURDAY, MAY Z.
GRANTS Great vIctevys..TAe 0e1ee |
% Lees ArDy.
from the London Times. Apsill'.1
The 6rst act Of the American war has
slosed with tremendous finale. For
three days together the great Confedefate
Gener Il mainsained himself 10 fierce and
even doubtful battle against the combined
forces Of his adversaries, but at last ne
succumbed to numbers and resigned 70 the
enemy the strong holds which be had De.
Tended 90 long. Richmond and Peters
burg are in the hands Of the North, and
though Lee, even in these desperate
straits, has retired in good order with the
remnant of his army, it il impossible to
anticipate that his resistance can be eft.
fectually prolonged. The South retained
but enc great army, and that has now
been half destroyed. The loss of Rioh-
mond might in itself have been, perhaps
sustained, but, coupled with the defeat Of
Lee. it represents . veritable catastrophe.
The event has been anticipated, not
only in America, but in this country. for
some time past, and yet it did not occur
in conformity with the prevalent specula-
tious. Farragut had no part in it, nor
Sherman either. There was no hotilla.
no bombardment, no combined attack by
land and water 1t is due to Gen. Grant
that his military abilities should be recog-
nized and his success acknowledged. II
was his army in the end which captured
Richmond. He did Eight it out on that
line," as be had pledged himself to do,
no. only all through the summer, but
through the winter, and through the fol-
lowing spring Often and often was he
repulsed With dreadful losses, but he chung
with uuconquerabe tenaci,y to his work,
and never once relaxed the grip which
be had obtained. He forced his adve .
sary into Richmond, and sat down before
its rampsrts with the resolution, which he
has well maintained, that sooner or later
the city should be bis.
l. is true that he had the assistance oil
lion the final result would probably no'
have been attempted. The hardest OF The
fighting, indeed, fell to Sheridan's share
and be seems to have displayed much oil
that genius which won him so remarkabl,
victory in the Shenandoah Valley. Blu
the whole work, substantially, was the
work of Grant, and it was the work fol
which he had waited 10 patience and con
6dsnce through nearly twelve months o
encouragement. He was the FIRST Gen
eral of the North who refused to recog
nize defeat, and the reward Of fortitude al
last
After paying, however, this tribute t.
the conque we are bound to give due
honor TO the vanquished, and the tasl
will not be difficult. Gen. Lee has for
feited none of the renown which give,
him so distinguished place in the ey el
of the world All that consummate
commander could do under extreme diff
6culties be has valiantly done. He did
not decamp from bis position, nor try te
cut his way cut; still less did he resign
IS was prognosticated, all hope of resist.
ance. He waited in his lines, received
the great assault with ex raordinsry inter-
pidity, and fought to the last. Then be
withdrew deliberately from the field, evac
uating his stronghods and carrying oH
what remained of his army. II We may
accept as unexsggerated the estimate OF
his losses. be can have but slender force
left. A reckoning of $4,000 prisoners
and Is. 900 killed aud wounded will &C.
count for the greater part of what was
not numerous army to begin with. The
Southern General is retiring, it was sup
posed upon Lynchburg, but . Federal
force has recently been advancing on tina,
town from the west, and the road may be
no longer open to the Confederates.
For months past. indeed, the Northern
forces have been closing grimly around
the single army Of the South, and it is to
this combination Of foes that Lee has Al
length yielded. He had upon him al
once the Grand Army of the Potomac
under Grant, the Army of the Shenan
dosh Valley under Sheridan, and the Ar
my OF tennessee under Sherman. The,
shut him In on every side. Thou, %
Sherman was not present at the last en-
Sssemebs, ne "hs at SO snort distance
and was SO formida5ly posted tht LIE
was compelled to Getsch troops to keep
him IN check. Then upon his weakened
force fell Grant and Sheridan together,
the former with his old stubborn stTateg,
the latter with his impetuous and br,lIialt
salor. The Federals had troops enough
TO hight aud watch together, to engae.
the Cooiederates at every poiat, and to
take advantage of the slightest opportu-
NIFTY Suddenly, after three days fighting
Richmond aud Petersburg were discoye,
cd TO be empty and the Northern Gen..
rails seized their prize.
N Artemus Ward intends to 20 10
LcndOn next July. The London Snee;a