The Washington herald., 1914-06-12

rne washington Herald.)
There had been no luck or chance in
this for Lee. He had been able to handle
his army the better, 1t being smaller and
more cohesive than Grants and operat-
Ing In its own country, where every road
and stream was known to him and every
resident was a friend.
The ProEram of Attrition.
Thus Grant. his hopes Of crushing Lee
In the field checked, continued his origi-
nal process of wearing him down by
mere attrition." The movement from
Cold Harbor to the James was part of
this process In keeping with Grants dec
laration TO the government, made on
May II, that he purpcsed Ito fight 1t out
on this line IL 1t takes all summer"
Many readers Of history have supposed
that In quitting Cold Harbor and moving
to the south side of Richmond. by way
OF the James. Grant Acknowledged de-
feat Of his original plan and abandoned
this line" An understanding OF what
line he had in mind when he wrote his
famous dispatch about lighting Ii out"
shows that this was not the fact He
had set out with the purpose ultimately
Of reaching the James and supplying his
army by way of that river.
The movement Of the troops under
Gen. Grants personal direction in the
field were but a part Of his general pro-
gram for breaking the military power
Of the Confederacy. He had another
army in the shenandoah Valley. and
another on the James near City Point.
each intrusted with a part of the pro-
gram. Each OF these had failed to per-
form the work intrusted TO 1t, which was
to cut Richmond of from rail connec-
ton with the rest of the Confederacy
These failures made Grants personal
task the harder, and made II necessary
for him to waste no time in cracking the
nuts that Lee put before him. to the
detriment OF his original plan OF cam
paign.
The generalship of Lee had doubtless
but it had not swerved him from HIS
original purpose.
Grant ontwits Lee.
Grants method of marching around
Lee every time the latter made a stand
and could not be shaken had often
been represented as puzzling to Lee.
There 10 ample evidence in the war
records that Lee was never unprepared
for Grants flank movements and that
he failed to anticipate the scope of
only one. That one was the movement
from Cold Harbor.
Lee expected that Grant would make
onotncI Hdnh Out ne expected
that II would be only long enough to
take him around the right end of the
works at Cold Harbor and
across the Chicshominy River. on the
direct roads to Richmond. For such |
a movement he was prepared.
Tho Federal army was Withdrawn |
from it's intrenchments with so much |
skill that Gen. Lees pickets did not |
learn Of its departure until the follow
ng morning. Then Gen. Lee accepted |
he movement Of the Fifth Corps as
evidence that Grant was attempting |
% move on Richmond, and began
orthwith to march his men across the
bridges in his rear and
rom the Fifth Corps position toward
Richmond.
While the Confederates were thus
Engaged Grants main force. screened
~ the decoy Fifth Corps. was pacing
III the miles to a crossing place on the
lanes, thirty miles below the Con-
ederate capital. i
The transfer of the Federal army TO
Is ultimate field of operations was to
,e made in such a short time that Gen.
ZEE, according to Gen. A. P. Alexander,
chief of artillery. refused
or three days to believe it." The rec
'rds bear out this statement. as they
a dispatch from Gen. Lee, writ
dated June Is, 1890 a. m.), beginning
I do not know the position of Grants
rmy."
CThe march to the James will be de-
cribed June 15.)
on, Va.
GCor,rrirht reill