The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25

ents OF tho whole war was Grants wlthd W
from Cold Harbor and tho passage Of James
River without molestation from the enemy.
aha1 great Union army OF 115, 900 men. with
ali us trains and munitions Of war, was not
only carried cross the James River, buG also
planted souarely In front Of Petersburg be-
toro Gen. Leo knew of its Thercaoouts. Yet
the lines Of the armies at Cold Harbor were
not y hundred yards apart. But for the fall
ure OF q subordinate. Petersburg would have
tsien' all unknown to Lee. and the South
ern cause been completely ruined ten months
sooner than It was by that event.
In making tho dispositions for the with
drawal from the Cold Harbor lines Warrcn's
corps was sent across the Chickahominy TO
guard the approaches from Richmond while the
movement OF the othor corps to the river was
Reing on. Warren's threatening position. and
the demonstrations by Wilson's cavalry divis-
ION toward richmond on the peninsula be-
tween the Chickahominy and the James. had
the effect desired by Con. Grant; it completely
deceived Lee into the belief that Richmond
was now In danger from the southeast, be-
tween the two streams. On the morning of
June 10 Lee, discovering that the Union army
had withdrawn brought his own forces with hot
haste across the Chickahominy, taking POSI-
ton and terrifying "a new line from White Oak
swamp to Malvern Hill. There he remained
ehbaA ouhV . Wuilo tue Union army WAS pour
Ing past his immediate front down to tho
James, and thence up the A~ppomattox against
Petersburg. While he was awaiting the at
tack he supposed IL was Grants purpose to de-
liver here, Grant had 40, 900 men in front Of
Petersburg by the night Of the 18th Of June
and Its lines already pierced. The mere fail
ure Just at nightfall to advance a few hundred
yards after their capture BY Gen. Smith lost
Grant the fruits of his magnificent strategy.
On this occasion it was BeaureEard. and not
Lee, who saved the Southern Conrederacy from
an earlier death. For several days previous to
Smiths attack Beauregard, who had command
on the Petersburg front against Butler, had
been filled with apprehensions that Petersburg
was to be the objective Of Grants next move
ment. He informed his Government of that
conviction, and also of his Judgment that the
loss of the town would be fatal to the cause,
saying that bis force was very small, and ask
ing Leo for achievements. But Lee would
not DO convinced hat Grant medit.ted any.
thinE.else than an attack on the Malvern Hill
White Oak Swamp line. and he paid little at
tention to Beauregard's excitement, tho ordi-
nary condition of that emotional Frenchman.
But there was real danger. On the evening
OF the 14th Beaurgard found out that Butler
was receiving achievements. Smiths troops
arriving from Cold Harto Beauregard then
had only $500 men In Petersburg. and less
A.
than 10000, all told, to defend the town and
tho Bermuda Hundred lines, whore he had
bottled mp" Butler. His army had been
stripped to reinforca Lee In the Titanic strug-
gle against Grant. While Beaureeard some
what OWNED the purpose OF Grant, even he,
lowever.w was far from comprt hending the mag
nisuoe OF the movement against the safety of
fetersourR. ~" would nave gone into hyster-
is inoeeo naa ne oeen aware that the whole
Army of the Potomac VIVA marrhfn1 opaipet
MS corporaif guard. In this relation a sinHu-
iar iester. penneo three DAYS before smith left
Cold hAroor' Is interesting besides showing the
Sonieaerate ooholtion on the eve OF Grants
"i'hora"ai from the Cola harocr lines:
JUNE IL. 1894.
Cen Beaureoard, COMMANDING:
GENERAL; l am 30 much disturbed about our con.
aiuon. out especially about our relations TO Peters
us. - "u.. 9 me o q suggestion. II
.ountrr.n 100 81. 49,. WY 'ohaVe' me
and TIM, IA n saw. ~ ..nno.n ~ : senses
dred ana Pst.rshurv v;,n - $50. ~
have decided that Petersburg =. ~. ,mneS-
point and Will withdraw INV whole 49, u
that place tonight"
It 10 arr ant nonsense for Lea to saw TIM, c-,r,
can't mako a night march without, his knowing fl.
Has not Grant slipped around him four time. al.
ready7 Did not Burnside retire from Fredericss.
burg and Hooker from the Wilderness without his
knowing "f GRANT can get 10000 or $1,000 men
TO "estoVer ana Lee kno" nothing of IT. What.
.hen. ID 70 become OF feeersburs' Its loss surely
moves 'nA' Oh Hcnnona-porhaps or the Goa.
.eian $500, eaInss appeai Is csi'ed ior now. else
80 ro.D..rsars Ia" Il ! HhA VIII. oe'al US.
hhl.
NIL was one OF DAviss 'fhelvec" Major
ueherais. an impracticable but talented man.
'he Leading Confederates at Richmcnd were in
total ignorance OF what was occurring; no at
tentlon was paid to Beauregnrd's representa-
lions: Even AFTER smith had attacked and car
ried mis- lines on the evening Of the 18th Of
June. Lee ana the confederate leaders had no
idea that IL was any part OF Grants army that
had done IL. still Lee. who was,aware OF Beau
regards mihtary saRacitT. had on the 14th re-
luctantly started the single division Of Hoke
toward fetersburR. with q string tied to It. as
1t were. for Hoke was to halt at Drewry's