Year: 1864

more facts and form a more decided


opinion from the concordance or dis.


crepsncy Of such portions of the testi-
mony as were presented to our obser


yation. Even now, after the lapse ol
several days since the action, the mate
rials for a correct Judgment are very
scanty. These Facts, however, seem
sufficiently clear


The army under Sheridan has, OF
late, been powerfully reinforced by
/ fresh troops-believed TO be from Sher
mans army The unfortunate truce
into which Gen. Hood seems to have
been seduced by a mistaken humanity,
afforded an opportunity for this opera
ton. Sherman has fortified himself al
Atlanta, as it was foreseen he would,
and has worked upon the fortificatiOns
until he has made them nearly impreg>
nable He trusts their defence to p
| comparatively small body of men, and
he sends of the remainder to Grant,
who uses them in Petersburg, or in the
valley, as the occasion may require. In
the valley they have enabled sheridan
to strike this blow At Petersburg no.
thing has yet been attempted But
there can be no doubt that many OF
Sherman's troops have already arrived
in Grants camp, and many more are on
their way


The same plan which failed SO signal
ly last summer is TO be tried again this
fall A heavy force is to be poured into
the Valley to capture Lynchburg, the
Tennessee railroad, and the James
River canal, and to obtain permanent
possession of the Danville railroad.
The Central railroad is to be taken and
held by a column pushed on from Fred
ericksburg to the junction, which will
give the command Of both roads. They
are to lend the hand to another column
to be landed at the White House.
Richmond is thus to be cut off from all
communication, and finally invested by
a powerful army of Yankees; and not
withstanding their repeated failures,
they believe that they win capture it
this time, with, probably, Lee 5 whole
army They do not regard blood or ex-
pense, provided they succeed


To seize Lynchburg is certainly their
object Just now, can they do it2 We
are confident that they cannot Gen
Early was defeated. certainl =, cd 0oill-
,7aliS4 ~ reUiTe. But 1t Is obvious that,
though his loss was severe, (according
to his own statement his troops were
neither discouraged nor demoralized
lie appears to have brought off his
whole train of wagons and munitions
with very trihing loss. He fought all
day and he lost but three pieces of
cannon He seems to have drawn off
his forces in a leisurely and orderly
manner; and he occupied, at last &C
counts, a strong position, which can be
attacked only IN front, unless the enc
my make a very long dst0T in order to
turn his flank. He Is IN a country
where strong positions, in which a small
ARMY can set large one ut defiance.
are to be found in abundance There
are many admirable spots for battle
fields between him and Staunton, and
many more between Staunton and
Lynchburg. He is now in a country
which jackson rendered immortal hy
the skill, rapidity and success of his
movements; and he is not in q position
so perilous as Jackson was after the
battle of Kernstown, and before the
brilliant exploits which set him free
from the enemies that surrounded him,
and enabled him to throw his whole
force upon the right wing of Mcclellan
at Cold Harbor. He seems to have
fought a battle as obstinate as that
which Jackson fought at Kernstown,
and to have stunned hisenemy quite as
much as Jackson did on that occasion.
Should he even not bereinforced, as he
will be, no doubt, he yet has il in his
power to prevent the enemy from per-
fecting his plan of selling l.ynchburg,
preparatory to isolating Gen Lee, and
he viii exert his utmost TO doit


The enemy viii raise a great cry Of
triumph over this victory. We should
not be surprised to hear that another
day Of thanksgiving has been ordered
by Lincoln, who is always thankful for
the smallest favors The Yankee press
will not lie more than usual That it
could hardly do. But it VIII lie to the
full extent Of its very extraordinary
capacity. for exaggerating truth and
suggesting fslsehood. This battle will
secure the election of Lincoln, Of
which, indeed there was no doubt be
fore IL viii set a few croakcrs to
work in our midst, that is easily done
But it viii have no effect whatever
upon the issue Of the war. In the
meantime, we are happy to perceive
that it has not materially affected the
spirits of our people generally, who have
become accustomed to the casualties of
i
cannot be expected. No disaster can
be fatal, indeed, as long as the people
continue truess5o themselves.


The people of the Confederacy, or at
least, he peopis Of J'Hgia,a are fully SEN
sible of this. No calamity has occurred
during the war which made q lasting
impression upon them. Stunned for a
moment, they soon recover and proceed 1
at once to do all in their power to /
repair the disaster. IL viii be so now
it has been 50 in cases much more seri- /
GUS than the present The people of /
Virginia are aware that they are on 1
the eve Of a tremendous struggle for the /
retention of their capital. They are
prepared for it, and will put forth their 1
strength to the utmost Should they /
even be overwhelmed and lose the /
capital for which they are contending, /
they will not be discouraged. They /
know full well that there never was a /
struggle for liberty yet in which brute I
force was not on the side Of the oppres- 1
sor; that, in particular, this war would 4
never have occurred had the forces Of
the parties been anything ike equal; /
thatin a struggle thus unequal, disasters
must inevitably come, and days OF /
gloom and uncertainty be consequent
and they know likewise,
that by holding out 70 the end they
will assuredly triumph, aud this they
will do in spite of all that fortune and
superior force can do against them.
Virginia Is as determined this dQy % peFss-
acre uHhi her independence and that q hsT
sister SAFES Be sscuTei, as shs s0as o. ne
day that che seeded from the Union Re-
verses in the field. the slaughter Of her
young men, the affiiction carried home
10 nearly every family within her
the loss of property, the
desolation OF whole districts, the Jury Of
war unparalleled in dimensions sad
ferocity, have produced in her no
or shadow Of turning. She 4
thinks no more Of giving up the day I
after a defeat than she does the day