Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-04-04

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dom presents more tffectual checking.
than wos here given by'Lee," "and the
only result OF Grants brilliant"
passage Of Tire stream was, that lie had
10 race his tip and seek new line
Of advance. "' o.
Al Cold IIarbor general assault was
made on the Cont d-rate lines. VT
took hardly more tnan len minutes OF
The Gsment men call time 10 decide
the battle" The ordet was given TO
renew the attack. 1t was issued to
every man ia the Federal army, "but
no man stirred, and The imnobile lines
pronounced verdict, silent, yet en-.
phatic against further slaughter. TIL e
loss on the Union side in this sanguiuary
action was ov r thirteen thous and
while on the part OF the Confederates,
it is doubtful whether it reached that
many hundreds" CA. Of p. p. 437.)
In his observations on Grants over
land campaign, from the Ripidan TO
the Chickahoininy Sylnton says:-
"At every advance, Lee was able 10
meet his adversary with a front Of op.
position, and within his improviscd
strongholds exact a heavy pnce in
blood" "a. Of p. p. 4S9.) Again,
page 1912. y.
'"As the overland campaign was un.
successful eitherin the destruction Of
Lees army or the capture Of Richmond
and as that line of operations was at
kleugth abandoned, the gross result
would seem 10 be confined to whatever
loss, material and moral, had been
caused the,opposing army. Bot it L
not possible 10 measure Alright this loss
unless it be considered ia its relations
with the cost at which it was purchased.
SIN this regard it must be considered
the balance was very much in favor OF
the enemy (Confederates). Grants
| loss in the series of actions from the
wilderness to the ChickahominY reach
ed the enormous aggregate of SIXTY
thousand men, put tors de, combat-d
number greater than the entire strength Of
Lees army at the opening campatgn'
He had inflicted on Lee loss Of twenty
thousand (The author acknowledges in a
note that this is an Orerestimate Of Lees
loss, il being eighteen housand) 1.-THE
ratio being one to three. The Con-
fedefates, elated at the skilfal manner
IN which they had constantly been
thrust between Richmond and the
Union army and conscious of the terrible
price in blood they had exacted from the
slater, were in high spirit, and the
Ehorale of Lees army was never better
| Than after the battle ol Cold Harbor.
SIT lsnot often in war that belliger-
ent is IN condition 10 afford a sacrifice
thus disproportionate; nor can results
thus achieYed be accounted the PROOF
and procedure Of high order of general
SHIP" Onlyritalics 10 ,original; hors
de combat and morals.o sl,,.. II -.
I'm these preliminary operations
around Petersburg, which mays9ibs
brought together under the definition ol
lhe. period of assaults,' though no large
action had taken place, The rolls ofthe
army (FaderaD showed a'loas Of fifteen
thousand men. Lee. had, with much
address, taken advantage Of every Op-
porlunity afforded him to thrust his
rapier through the somewhat loosely
iointed harness of his antagonist" D.
With regard to Grants method OF
swinging his left around the ConiedeT-
ates at Peterburc, and Lees plan o1
meeting it. Swinten thus expresses
himself: The success Of the Coniedel'
ate tactics was wonderful; each move
meut save that to the weldon Rail
road, wbicn was conducted on din
ercnt principle, ending in check
generally accompanied by one or more
thousand prisoners. The aggregate o.
capture made by the enemy (Conieder'
a,es) in these successive swoops is as
touishing. But notwithstanding the
macy costly proofs teceivedl OF the
fatality attending these Unlimited ex-
tensions, the type was adhersd TO with
a constaucy only accountable on the
supposition that the Union commander
was enamored OF it." Ga, OF Z. p. 5S2.l
Worn out by mere ''attntiou," Lees
lines became So thin, that on the lst o.
April, 1865, From the Appomat.ox tc
Hatcher's Run the Confederate lines
were so meagerly fOrnisbed with troops
that there was but one man to every
five Yards Of 'front.'" The capture OF
Five Forks, compelled Lee to evacu-
ate Richmond and Petersburg, his army
now reduced 10 $4,000 men. The
story of that retreat is a thrilling one
but too long to he recited here, while o.
The %, 900 men the Eclectic History
says were surrendered; LESS than
eight presented themselves with mus
kets in their hands; but the captula-
ton included, in addition $4,000 I'M
armed" "A. Of p. p. I
In note on page 440, Swinton re-
lates the following: "Whereupon Gen.
Grant stopped him (Meade) at the word
"monouvers," and raid, oh! | never
mauouver.' This characteristic utter
ance. which the suaysity Of biographev
might readily pass over in silence, can
not be omitted here: for il is the proc
| of a frame Of mind that essentially in-