Year: 1864

(From the N. Y, World)


GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION.


BALTIMORE, May 81.


These people who, when the war broke
out, believed it would only be little affair
of sixty or ninety days, who have deluded
themselves with the oft exploded fables OF
the starvation and exhaustion of the rebels,
and who have educated themselves into the
belief that the rebellion is at its last gasp
such people may amuse themselves now by
believing that because General Grants ar
my is within eighteen miles of Richmond,
therefore the campaign against that city is
virtually over, and that the hero OF Vicks'
burg has little else to do than to enter the
streets of the rebel capital in triumph. But
intelligent people, men who do not wish to
deceive Others, nor to be themselves de
ceived, people who have watched the pro-
gress Of the war, and studied its develop
ments in the light of history-such people
honor General Grant and his gallant army.
for the success which has up to this time
attended his efforts, and feel that there is
good reason to hope, now that he has aban
doned the overland route and adopted the
line marked out by General Mcclellan, that
the great object of the campaign will be
attained. But at the same time they see
that there is abundant ground for the most
serious apprehensions of possible disaster.
At this moment, therefore, when the eyes
of all intelligent and thoughtful men are
turned toward General Grants army, with
hopes, but also with anxious solicitude, it
may not be out of place to communicate
some facts in relation to the subject which
I have learned to day, from sources not usu-
ally accessible.


THE REBELS EXPECTED TO SEE GRANT WHERE


HE'S. ''


According to the accounts which re
ceive, there is neither trepidition nor exul
tation in the minds of the great rebel lead
ers at Richmond. They are aware OF the
gravity of the situation; they are calm, and
their calmness is not that of despair. They
profess to believe--I need not say that
they do believe, that they have good
grounds to be satisfied with the situation
as it now exists. If you will refer to my
letters as far back as April Ia, you will see
it is there stated that even at that early day
the rebels believed that when Gen. Grant
moved toward Richmond, it would be by
the Peninsula route. Even the elaborate
work that was being expended at that time
in fortifying Culpepper Court Heuse, so as
to make it vast depot for the supply oil
our army, could not make them have SO
mean an opinion Of General Grants militia
ry Judgment, as to believe that ne wouru
attempt an overland campaign. They see
that General Grants army is now where it
might lust as well have been two weeks ago,
without the loss Of man, the men fresh
and vigorous; and they know that the adop.
ton. persistence in, and final abandonment
of the over land route, has cost Gen. Grant
a loss of fifty thousand men-fifty thousand
men who might have been with him TO
day.


HOW THEIR GREAT PERIL WAS AvERTED.


Their great peril was when fifty thous-
and veteran troops, with two OF the ablest
pe nerals in the North, landed on the south
side of the James river and advanced against
the southern defences Of the clty-defenses
which have not one, but two weak points,
which General Gilmore would have found
out in lees than three days But this peril
was averted from them by no less person
age that the President Of the United State,
through his faithful and loyal heDchman
and rival for the succession, the hero Of Big
Bethel


REBEL ESTIMATE OF POLITICAL 1NFLUEEcE


AT WASHINGTON.


The rebel leaders do not know Why Gen
eral Grant adopted the overland route
Tbey do not believe that he depended on
General Sigel for the accomplishmentof any
object that was essential to the success OF
the grand campaign. They attribute it,
more than anything else, to the fact which
they suppose exists. that General Grant 10
not the supreme commander Of the north
arn armies: that the President and his po-
Itical friends still interfere with the com.
manders in the field: and that thepolitical
influence which. prevails at Washington
demanded that the march should be made
overland, the same that it demanded that
Butler should command the James river
movement, that Sigel should conduct the
Shenandoah valley movement, and that
General Mcclellan should not lead the
army Of tho Potomac, although General
Grant earnestly entreated the President TO
restore him TO that command.


HOW The REBELS HAVE IMPROVED THE II"


WHICH THE OVERLAND CAMPAIGN Az
FoRDED THEM.





But they know what the consednence'
Of that movement have been, we al know
They know what it has cost us Id men,
They know that it has given three or ioul