The National tribune., 1904-06-30

Of the Army Of the Potomac more than
once plucked victory from the jaws OF hell,
and bayOneted an unyielding enemy in the
very encente of his citadel, the Union
opponent who thrown again and again in
the mighty wrestle, each time rose quickly
to his feet. Fooled in the effort to- force
a direct issue, Gen. Grant, at the end Of
each combat, initiated n movement To tura
the hostile front; and these fanking opera
throwing the Confederates succes sively
out Of the positions in the Wilderness, be-
fore Spotsylvania, on the North Ann;t, and
along the Pamunkey. Thus, by battles and
marches, the army, in 30 days aad 80
nights, reached the Chickahominy.
Now, it will be observed that ench of
these turning movements, up to the Thick
ahominy, brought the army nearer al each
leap to the objective Of all It's efforts,
| Richmond But, once before the Chicka-
| hominy, the series of Ranking operations
was exhausted: for any additional move
by the left would throw the army rot to-
| wards, but away from Kichmen.l II,
| therefore, it was designed to push the ad-
vance by the line on which the army was
| now acting, and on which Gen. Graft had
declared he would fight it ont, il *. took
all Summer,"(44) il was was absolutely
necessary to force the passage OF the
Chickahominy. The result of the battle Of
SDNI louSHt OfI the OI May,
was to show that this line could rot be
carried by a coup de main.
OVERLAND CAMPAIGN REALLY ACCOM-
PLIsHED NOTHING.
But as the alternative was either to
force crossing of this stream or abandon
that line of opera tions altogether, Gen.
Grants first impulse after the disastrous
upshot of the action at Cold Harbor, was
to order the initiation OF siege opera tons,
with the view to carry the position b. reg
ular approaches. 1t was not long, how
ever, before the unpromising aspect of the
result that would follow even a successful
issue on the ChickahomiIy gave pause to
this purpose, and finally led to the adop-
ton of an altogether new line OF manuver
In the discussion of, the "overland
route" with which the recital Of this cam
paign opened,rI have shown that any ad-
vance on that line ends in the siege OF the
uninvested Notifications OF Richmond,
within which the defending army, ;with
all its lines Of communication open, Ihight
remain indefinitely. 1t was no doubt from
the perception of the altogether indeeisive
nature OF this result that Gen. Grant,
after 10 days passed along the Chicka-
hominy, resolved to execute another flank
movement, which should threw the army
to the south side Of the James River. Now,
as this change Of base endsd the opera
tions on the overland route" it would
seem also to challenge judgment on the
merits OF that enterprise, considered as
whole.
1t has been seen that Gen. Grant him
self originally preferred to, fhe overland
march an operation against the communi-
cations Of Richmond by transfer OF the
army to point on the coast. The results
thus far accomplished on the former line
would appear to justify his primal choice.
AS TO LOssEs-GRANT SUFFERED MOST
As the overland campaign was rns,Ic-
cessful either in the destruction Of Lees
army or the capture OF Richmond, and as
that line OF operations was at length
abandoned. the gross result would seem
to be confined to whatever loss, ma terial
and moral, had been caused the Opposing
army. But it is not possible to measure
Alright this loss, unless it bees,onsideled i'm
its relations with the cost at which it was
purchased. -
In this regard, it must be considered.
the balance was very much in favor Of the
enemy. Grants loss in the series Of ac-|
tions from the Wilderness to the Chicka-
h0miny reached the enormous aggregate
of GO,OOO men pnt hors de c0mbat(45)-a
number greater than the entire strength of
Lees army al the opening OF the cam
paign. He had inflicted on Lee loss of
0,OOO-the ratio being one to three. (4Gl
The Confederates, elated at the skilful
manner in which they had constantly been
thrust between Richmond aud the Union
army, and conscious OF the terrible price
in blood they had exacted from the latter:
were in high spirit, and the morale OF
Lees army was never better than after
the battle OF Cold Harbor.(47)