Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-14

than that is impossible during this brief
hour.
The Valley campaign Of 1864 had It's
beginning yonder at Cold Harbor, in slght
OF the splres Of Richmond. From May
9Th to June Sd Grant, with l3S'Vo men,
and Lee. with 5000. had wrestled WIN
each other from the Rapldan 10 ths
Chickahominy. Grant mad telestdpHeI
to washington May 1lth that he would
Ggbt il out on that line if 1t took all
summer" on May 18th. that the enemy
seems to have found the last ditch ana
on May 26th, that Lee Is really wh'p
ned" Bat now June Cd had dawned' anu
as he hurled his masses, SIX miles lohs'
upon Lee in general assault, anotner taIe
was told. Thirteen thousand men were
sacrificed in vain, while Lees loss W.
comparatively trivial The bloodiest
repulse with so small loss t""I
had occurred during the war hat
taken pIace, and when another assaul'
vas ordered, the remarkable spec
tacle was presented by the Army or tne
Potomac standing silent, sullen' ana I'M
mobile in emphatic protest against Iur-
ther slaughter" Grant in his memoirs
regrets that he ever made the assault
for In Il he found the last dltcn OF me
overland campaign, and on June IN,
he commenced Withdrawing from tee
his entire army had passed over the
sieca of Petersburg had begun, 59"V
of bis troops at a cost of 1900 to Lee
tad baen wasted TO put him where ne
might have gone without battle.
PLANS TO RAISE THE SIEGE.
From the Sth to the DIST OF May IN
This campaign, owing TO the sickness
~ General \. T. Hill, Major~General
Earlv. by assignment OF Lee, comnahu-
ed his CORPS. But Hi, returning To du'y'
rarlv had scarce gone back 10 MS own
0ivlslon when Ewell. who had become an
invalid from the loss OF ms les d. -
cond Manassas, became disauai,leu ti. t1s
field duty. and Early succeeded 10 n.'
,iaca soon after Cold Harbor Lee COM
p'ri,o,,1 IN Farlv that he was ma
turIrg plans for offensive operations
osainet Grant. and desired him TO take
,he Initiative with his corps. we Wust
dastrov" he said, "this army or Grant
bafore ne gets to James river. Il ne 80
there IL will become siege anu tn'n !,
n will become a mere question Oh UNI.
Rut while Grant was slipping Oh ~
petersburg a new danger now threatei,e
ee I'm his rear; for war III the '"'0'
again lifted its angry head. -,, hoa
On the 18th of May Breckenridge nau
luF
NTorl,a, the cadets Of the NirSlhl" Ni'"-
,ar, Institute making a gallant charSe,
,ho odr,fration Of both armies anu
oorturlng guns from veterans, at loss
80 ,borseIves Of one 10 every hve kilieo
-. wounded. Brecknridge hau hds'eH0,
nth his slender division TO JON i-ee
| 80 uarhor and after that battle hau
| Nc, fought. wheeled right ABOUT 10 H'cee
.to sa,ne force which, reinforced. ana now
co,,manded by Major-General pdNIu
| IIunter was marching up the Nalley lIoh' l
| Uarrisonburg. with 500 men; ~
| tth uunter had defeated ara siam 'he
,,,ant cavalrv general. w. h. Jones' at
| 3iadmont In Augusta. Three DAYS la'ei,
tnna Sth Crook and Averill had loiheo
| S;n, AZ Staunton with 1000 men, anu now
| lei This united force, lS,5DD strohg' ne
nos marching on four parallel roaus u
| Meantime Maior-General Sheridan haa
| - cont by Grant with corps ot
| cavalry on June 7th to destroy tne oei- ,,
| trail NOW Chesapeake ana ONO i'ii.
| way) and Grant. expecting MN 10 h'a.
| Hunter at Charlottesville. they were "
| return together TO the Army or the
,on,ac Neither of these commanders met
=. tha trvst. for on June llth Hampton
| had interceptei Sheridan at IreVlllah7
with Fitz Lees and Buffers divisions,
| and after the bloodiest cavalry battle OIL
| ,hA war. Sheridan had retired all the
| wav to the White House on the YORK
river: Hampton, victorious, had returheu
| 10 Lee: and Lynchburg for the tiihe
| being. had by him been saved. but Hun
ter was still marching on, and on June
18th was within forty miles OF LynchDurs,
at Lexington, Va. where he burned the
| Virginia Military Institute and Governor
| Letcher's home, and sacked Washington
College.
EARLY TO THE RESCUE.
General Lee on that day ordered Lieu
tenant General Early, commanding the
Second Corps, to be ready to move al
A NJ. on the morrow, with That corps
and with Nelson's and Braxton's Artillery
battalions, and General a. l.. Long, as
chief OF artillery. Their orders were 10
move TO the Valley strike Hunter, destroy
him IL possible, and threaten Washington
Not aware that Hunter had advanced as
far as Lexington, for the telegraph wires
had been cut, mis- instructions 10 Early
were to nave by way OF Louisa Court
house and Charlottesville. I'D through
Browns or Swift Run pass in the Blue
Ridge, as he might deem most advisable
strike Hunters force In the rear and II
possible destroy II. Then 10 move dowT
the Valley across the Potomac at Lees
| burg or at or near Harpers Ferry, Al
he might deem most desirable. and threat
en- Washington city. General Breckinridg,
| was 10 cooperate
The tie-scarred and battie-worn vete
rams destined for this undertaking con
| ta,rad tne -e~ ~rNo r~fe- Gfo-swai