New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-10

M Atlanta and marching through the
w South, General Grant was sitting
like bulldog at the foot Of a tree called
Petersburg. waiting patiently for Lee 10
ccme down. watching every move Of his
enemy and occasionally !caping up the
trunk.
The casualties TO Grants armies south
Of the Rapidau IN the Wilderness cam
paign in killed, wounded and missing had
been upward of seventy thousand. Cold
Harbor had been a little too bloody for
him. There was another way OF catching
lee and breaking up the Confederate gov
eminent. The enemy could be deprived OF
supplies. The object Of the next move
sfter Cold Harbor, therefore, was the
breaking of the lines over which these were
moved While Sheridan was doing what
10 could north Of Richmond and in the
shenandoah Valley 10 cut off The resources
of Lee and of the Confederate capital
Grant was endesvoring to do the same on
the south side. The first step Of the lat
ter was 10 be the capture Of Petersburg.
The possession OF this Southern city would
cut of ut one fell blow all OF Richmond S
southern connections except the Richmond
. Danville Railroad. and make the capture
Of this line comparatively easy. Following
This stroke Richmond must fall. For a
lcng time, however, the fates were against
Grant.
Petersburg stands on the right bank Of
the Appomatox River about twenty-five
miles due south from Richmond. Located
ct the intersection Of the boundary lines Of
three counties, il is. perhaps, unique among
American cities i'm having no political afiil-
iation with any county. At the time of the
civil War four railroads radiated from this
city. one ran southeasterly to Norfolk.
The second, the so-called Weldon road,
made straight toward the south pole in its
efforts 10 get into North Carolina, while
the South Side Railroad swung of toward
Lynchburg, crossing the Richmond & Dan
Vile rails at Burkeville The fourth road
joined this ganglion OF lines with Rich
mond. The Virginia Central. entering Rich
mond on the north from the Shenandoah
Valley. was also at the service Of Lee and
the Confederate capital.
Before daybrcak on June 10, 1851, there
was a stir in the Union army, then IN the
neighborhood of Cold Iarbor. Grant was
about TO begin the most important OF al
his turning movements. General Warren
with the jth Corps, and preceded by vii
sons cavalry, marched over the Chicka-
hominy into McClellans old trsmping
rTound east Of Richmond. and made as II
Dee would 20 INFO the Confederate CAPT
tai from that side. Lee really thought
this was the purpose, as Grant intended he
should. The remainder Of the army by
long and rapid marches proceeded to VII
coXs landing on the James River in the
rear Of Warren. The engineers here per-
formed notable feat in military en-
gineering. In the course Of eight hours
they constructed Il bridge .lo) feet long.
Tho river Ut this point was ninety feet
deep in midchanncl and a strong tidal cur
rcnt with d rise and fall Of about four
feet complicated the problem. The pom
toons Of which there were iol, were at
tached 20 vessels moored above and be-
low. a. soon a. the army was across,
Warrens corps and the cavalry followed,
having successfully fooled Lee. The whole
Union army was on the south side Of the
James by midnight IF June le, while Lee
was still citing tight on the north bank
waiting for the attack that never came.
While he waited he almost lost Peter
burg the KEY 10 the cituation u was saved