Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-01-10

time gold was selling in Richmond for 4,
600, Grant was strengthening his lines,
Sherman wac moving up toward Charles
ton. and Sheridan was preparing for his
great raid. Charleston fell Columbia
was occupied and burned, Wilmington was
captured, and, on the 9th of FEBRUARY
Sheridan began his cavalry march. The
defiant attitude of Davis avalled little in
the presence Of these facts. The ship
was evidently sinking. and the rats were
swimming for life. The Richmoad En-
qmirer of the day when Sheridan started
upbraided large numbers of the Rebel
Congress, who had left their seats and re-
turned home, thus abandoning their coun-
try in the hour of peril" The Erumtner,
edited by the gifted Daniel and Command
irg an influence in the South greater than
that of Davis himself, announced that
"the evacuation of Richmond would be the
loss of all respect and authority toward
the confederate Government, the disinte-
grafton Of the army, and the abandon
ment Of the scheme of an independant
Southern Confederation. This coptro-
versy, we have little doubt, settled the
question of the evacuation of Richmond.
Davis was in favor of that. mot the fail
of Richmond, nor Wilmington, nor Char
lesion. nor Savannah, nor Mobilc--uor Of
all combined-could effect the issue of
the present contest" Whatever Davis
may have thought, however, he was not
in the position to contend with the party
that 7he Erom0'er represented patty
embracing such men as Lee, and Johnson,
and Breckenridge, and Pryor-and dis
posed to regard the obstinacy of the Presi
dent as the cause OF all the Southern woes
He did not abandon Richmond, becau C
he dared not-and in the meantime
Grant, and Sherman, and Sheridan were
closing around him.
In the West his power was destroyed
In the East, Johnston had merely the
wreck of Hoods army and u few militia
men. Nothing remained but Lees army,
and that seemed to be melting away
through our picket lines. Deserters came
to New York by regiments In the Rebel
Senate strong peace party was forming.
Men like Pryor came home from Northern
prisons, and their stories of the wealth,
the power. the resolution of the North
made peace opinions more and more prev
alent. The Richmond Enquirer boldly
denounced these men as "a cabal Of whip.
ped seceders, who wished to "capitulate
the country into Slavery aod crouch it at
the footstool OF Mr.. Lincoln" Lee was
urged to assume the powers of dictator.
The only military demonstration in
March was made by Bragg, who attacked
Schoheld at Kinston, N. g., on the 9TH of
March, but made no impression upon his
lines. After fighting four days he re
treated, and Schotield marched on to
Goldsboro. where he was met by Gen.
Sherman. Sherman had been marching
sixty y-seven days, His march was har-
rassed by Johnston's army. Wheeler s
cavalry hung on his fanks and rear, but
inflicted no damage. At Avcrysboro', on
the 10th of March, the rebels attacked
his left wing but were compelled to re-
treat. At Bentonsvile, Sherman was
again attacked, losing three guns. after a
sever fight. Finding all of Johnston's S
army in his front, Sherman halted and
moved his army up rapidly to gain po
sition. In the meantime the thrilling
aud magnificent events transpiringin Vir-
ginia ended his campaign.
We have spoken of the raid of Sheri-
dan. When Grant occupied Hatcher's
Run he interposcd the army between Lee
and Johnston. and made it impossible for
the rebel leader to leave Richmond and
overwhelm Sherman. There was the danger
however. that he might retreat into East
Tennessee, and in our Western country
Iprolong the war indefinitely. Before Grant
undertook the task of driving Lee out OF
Richmond it was necessary the Rebel lead
or should have no means of retreat. or at
least no base from which he could organ
ize successful resistance. Sheridan started
GU his journey. Leaving Winchester ht
pushed down the valley, attacked Early
at Waynesborough, drove him furiously
out Of his works, capturing II cannon
and II battle-Aags, instantly marched to
Charlottesville, destroying railroads and
bridges as he went, severed the communi.
cations between Richmond and Lynch burg
tearing up rails, burning bridges aud
stores, threatening the rebel capital in
force crossing the Anna river. and finally
came down the tamunkey to White House
after riding, burning, fighting and de-
stroying about 20 days. Lee, evidently
seeing that he was hemned in, and that
6hcridan's triumph over EARLY had closed
the door to any retreat made sudden
dash at Fort Steedman. captured it. and
turned its guns upon our army. The in
tention of this brilliunt maneuver was tC
divide Grants army get into its rear
force il to abandon its lines burn City
Point, and then either whip it in detail