The National tribune., 1904-08-04

when they at last broke down under bur-
den too heavy to bear, the fabric of the
revolt which they had for four years up
held on their bayonets, fell with a crash
LEES INITIATIVE.
The glories of Spring-tide that. adorned
the hills and wales Of beautiful Virginia,
of birds, brought no vernal promise to the
sad army of wearied and halffamished
men that lay in the trenches of Peters
burg. They knew that the sun that
thawed the frost from the roads did but
make paths on which the adversary, with
whom they could NO longer hope to cope,
would move to their destruction. There
was one consoing reflection to them,
however: the end was near. And, after
all their fatigues and privations. even this
was welcome. Yet it was an army of high
mettle and of great traditions, and it could
not DO otherwise than prepare to go down
with honor.
In the situation i'm which Lee found
himself there was but one course open to
him whereby he might hope to prolong
the contest. This was to abandon the eff
fort to defend Richmond and retire to an
interior line, either in the direction of
Lynchburg or Danville, where uniting
with the forces of Johnston he might, by
| maintaining a defensive system, cause the
Union army to undertake long and costly
campaign. This would indeed have been
to give up the Confederate Capital, but
with reinforcement of 10000 men Lee
could have shown that the Capital was at
his headquarters.
Now. waving the ethical question of
the rightfulness or wrongfulness of the
cause whereof Lee was the military head.
it was manifestly his duty as a soldier to
| maintain the struggle as long as possible.
The turns of fortune in war are infinitely
various, and many an army has come out
of seemingly desperate strait tr-
umphant. A Southern writer has indeed
averred that Lee intended to surrender
before evacuating Richmond. If so, he
was guilty of the murder Of every one of
his soldiers that fell after that intent was
formed. But it is not by the standard of
such mems pusillanmOus instincts that
the soul OF great commander is to be
judged. Lee, beyond doubt. never meant
to surrender until he was compelled to
surrender.
LEE HOPED TO REACH INTERIOR.
1t is now certain that at this time the
Confederate commander had fully resolved
to adopt the course of evacuating Peters
burg and Richmond and effectng q juno
ton with the forces Of Johnston on the
Danvlle line. Preparations for the in
tended movement were begun early in the
month of March: Johnston was to refuse
his left if Sherman advanced; fatboats
|
OF the Roanoke; rations. We're to be ac-
cumulated at Amelia Courthouse, and the
line OF retreat and columns of march were
arranged. Before he could put this purpose
into execution, however, it was necessary
for Lee to assume the offensive against
Grant.not SO much in obedience to the
rule OF art that prescrihes vigorous
stroke OF offense as the best mask for a
| withdrawal. burt for special reason
| which it is important here to indicate be-
cause it has not hitherto been understood
In the plan of retreat which Lee had
marked out for his army he did not pro-
pose moving by the north bank of the
AppomattoX, but by the south side. which
is much the shorter line TO Amelia Court
house, which was the point of cOncentra-
ton OF his columns on the Danville Rail-
road. The direct route to that place is
by what is known as the Cox road, which
leaves Petersburg above the BoydtOn
plankroad and runs due west. following
the line OF the AppOmattox. But by the
gradual extension of the left of the Army
OF the Potomac towards the BOydton
plankroad,' the flank Of the Union line ap-
preached so near the Cox road as to make
Lees withdrawal thereby very perilous
operation. He resolved, therefore. to strike
Il Sudden blow. and to give this blow such
q direction that it would be necessary for
Grant to withdraw his left, which would
completely relieve Lees proposed line Of
retreat. This object he supposed would be
best realized by striking the contrary flank
from that OF which he wished the effect
to be produced. Accordingly. he planned
to break through the right of the Union
line hard by where that flank rested on the
Appomattox east of Petersburg Special
CONSIDERATIONS OF Typographical charac-
ter indicated Fort Stedman as the most
advantageous point Of attack.
DECIDED TO STRIKE AND RUN.
The project of assaulting the Union
front at all was bold. The Army of the
contravallation. A Gordon of .redoubts of
a powerful profile and armed with the
heaviest metal, studded this line. Infan-
try parapets, amply manned, stretched
from work to work. Covering the fronts
of approach were labyrinthine acres of
entanglements, and chevaux de frse lent
their aid to make defense sure and assault
folly. But plans i'll war are sometimes sue.
cessfnl on account of their very boldness;
and Lees purpose was to seize Fort
Stedman and the neighboring works,
crown the commanding ground in rear of
this part of the Federal line and lay hold
OF the military railway to City Point If
Grant turned to fight him i'm this position.
he was prepared to receive battle, bur if
Grant should make detour towards City
Point to recover his communication the
OF awaiting attack, to withdraw immed-
ately. In any event, Lee counted that the
blow struck at Grants right would cause
the retirement Of his left flank, where was
the greater accumulation Of force, and that
thus the Cox road would be rendered en-
tirey free. The morning Of the 25th of
March was appointed for tile attack. 1t
was to be made by two divisions under
Gordon; but TO render it as forcible as
possible, all the additional troops available
about 10000 mem were disposed ready
to support it.
FORT sTEDMAN SURPRISED AND TAKEN BY
REBELS.
i The opposing lines were, at the locality
OF Fort Stedman. very tclase-that work
being Oh Il considerable snlicnf: so that the
interval was not above 1..O yards. This
part of the line was gafBshed by troops
of the Ninth Corps In the gray dawn the
Confederate column Of aftack, having pre-
! viously formed, moved out nOiselessly from
the works. The space to be overpassed
being not great, rush Of few moments
brought the Confederates to the Union
intrenchments, which must have been
guarded with little vigilance; for
Fort Stedman was surprised and taken
! by coup de main. Of the garrison of
the Fort, which was the 1tth n Y foot
artillerists. many were taken prisoners and
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