New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-03-28
DIR VICTORIES.
country

1
to arrest the northward march of Sherman
complete the measure Of disaster to the Rebe
cause for last week. We have abundant ant
reiterated confirmation of all the essential facts
in both cases. The Rebel General in Chic
must survey with what complacency he can the
irresistible advance of Sherman and the i'm
pregnable strength Of Grant. lie ha'
risked two armies to make an impress
sion on his two adversareS, and both
those armies are to-day the sullen spectators o.
victories for the Union. The hold OF Grant on
/ Richmond is not to be shaken of. The ap'
proach of Sherman cannot be stopped. Where
then shall Lee seek for relief to his desperate
fortunes or how much longer can he postpone
that abandonment of his capital which every
dav makes more necessary and every day
grows more perilouS
OF all men on this continent il Is Robert f..
Lee who knows best that the fortunes OF the
Rebellion are past redemption and past hope
that, as he declared to a Committee OF the
Rebel Senate in JanuAy, no human power can
now save the Confederacy-that to fight longer
is but the mad persistency Of despair, and an
inhuman waste of brave mems lives. Why does
he not abandon Richmond at once' Why. un.
less he knows that the step which military pru'
dence commands him TO take will be deemed
all through the Confederacy the final confession
that all is lost and that it would be followed by
such an increase of assertions as would disperst
bis army
Yet we do not believe it possible that Lee
should long defer his retreat from Richmond
The battle for the possession Of the Pebe
capital is fought, not at Petersburg but il
North Carolna-nay, it has already been fought
and lost To Johnston and Lee there was one
single chance Of success remaining-to prevent
the junction Of Sherman and Schofeld. That
chance the last week has destroyed.
1t might have been possible for the
Rebels by attacking one of the separate col
umns which are now united at Goldsborough
to have crushed it before the arrival Of the other
If Johnston had an army worthy Of the name
he ought to have been able to defeat Schofel(
at Kinston-but he tried with half his force
and failed. Then he tried the head Of ont
Of Sherman's columns at Averysborougl
on the 10th and failed there. He tried again
at Bentonville on the 10Th and failed there
He tried again at Mount Olive on the 2lst an'
failed there. Then be retreated to Smith
field, while Sherman, victorious in ever.
engagement, pushed On to join Soho
field and Terry near Goldsborough, an
the three armies of the Union melte
into one at the very point which Sherman ha'
fixed upon before he started from Savannah
Could there be success more complete ant
decisive than that7 And if Johnston could d.
nothing against separate columns oftwoseparat
armies, can he hope to resist those armies whel
united and reinforced by third
I Gen. Sherman's whole loss since leaving
Savannah is less than 1900 men, and agans
that he has to show 1900 Rebel prisoners
plus an estimated loss Of three or four thousan
more, while they have failed in the object 70
which they fought, and he has succeeded il
every plan and every battle.
These are more exact figures of the action a
Petersburg than could be furnished yesterday
The total loss on our side is 1880, killed
wounded and missing, while that of the Rebel
reaches nearly 5000. The battle, which wa
begun by Lee, was made moro general b,
Grant, and when the Rebel assault had been de
eisively repulsed it was followed by an assault
on our side by the Sixth Corps, the trophie
of which were 600 prisoners and part Of the enc
my's lines. But a small portion Of either arm!
was engaged, yet Lee has lost more than {
tenth of his whole force.
We hail these splendid victories with mor'
than ordinary Joy and gratitude. Never was {
time when victories 30 greatly accelerated sh'
approach of peace. The Rebellion is not mere