Year: 1864

| tional intelligence Of interest:


| GRANTS LAST DISASTER AT PFrEnsgrRo-rHr ofF1-
CIAL REPORT.


The Yankees just beginning to comprehend
the extent of the disaster Grant met with at Peters
burg Friday The official report of his losses puts
them ht fire thousand sir hundred and forty Such
slaughter in such short time, and with such an
utter failure has caused too much comment among
the Yankee people, and Lincoln has convened n mil
itary commission at City Point, with General Han
cock presiding to investigate it. The New YoIk
Herald says:


Considerable modification and chagrin appear TO
be felt in the Army of the Potomac over the failure
Of the recent attempt to carry the eneys lines by
storm. Ii is very natural and proper that this
should be So No ventures to deny that We had
on that occasion four corps maSsed against posi-
ton held by three divisions, and the army may
naturally wonder whether it viii ever succeed again
If it is to fail with such odds in its favor No strata
gem to gain an advantage In numbers Mt the point
Of contact was ever more admirably oontrived or
more successful than that by which General Grant
got the bulk of Lees army az Deep Bottom at
the time when this assault was to be made; but it
was great failure not to seize ely what this
advantage placed within our reach Whispers that
the army did not fight well absurd, applied to
this event; fa not enough of the army put III
TO give it chance to win. Were generals over
sanguine OF the result Were they SO certain of



cure it Were they saving the troops for great
days work after Petersburg had been taken Praise
worthy as such calculations might be under certain
circumstances, We must yet hope that they did not
stand IN the way Of success in the late attempt
In view Of what appears now to be III progress in
MARYLAND, PennSylvan and the Shenandoah Nal-
ley it is unpleasant truth that the late attempt by
the Army OF the Potomac has served General Lee III
the light Of an experiment. 1t to have given
him great and valuable piece of information to
how few men can hold the Petersburg defcnces.
Three divisions held those lines when the asSaiiants
had the assistance Of mine that had cost months
Labor and it follows that Lee could have reinforced
Early with great many men if he had only known
it.. lie knows it now, and it is not too late to act
upon the knowledge. We shall soon, in all proba-
bity, have larger operations the PenIISy lvaQa
border than have had lately, and must pre-
pare TO hear, ere the smnsr is Oyer of another real
INVASION Of the North Perhaps real INVASION may
accomplish what many demonstrations ~ We failed
TO accomplish, and draw Grant from the james river,
But if Grant Is still to stay there, who shall repe
the invasion No confidence would be felt by the
country in any other man than General Mcclellan,
But from General Mcclellan il seems the President
requires ''plcdgcs." Mcclellan must Ielinquish one
of the rights OF citizen before he be permitted
to serve his country. But we shall see. Perhaps
even the President may forget his political schemes
when there fifty thousand rebel soldiers OH then
way down the Valley


sHrRNAS's PosITIoN-oPISioNs OF CONFEDERATE


GENERALS


Perhaps the best telegram of the season is the
following from Louisville, dated the Sd instant:


The Nashville Union of to-day says apparently
well-authcntic,ted but unofficial information has
been received that General StoncmGu not only cut
the Macon railroad, but defeated the rebel Wheeler
at Proctor's creek; that the latter lost from tiye
hundred to one thousand men in the fight, and his
dead and wounded fell into our hands.


The New York Reyald of the 5th, glorifying over
this, thus settles Hoods position:


4 a@a14
Atlanta, since Sherman shell that city. Neither
does il prevent our operations now i'll progress for
complete investment. Every line by which Hood
could get away Is occupied or rendered impractical
bic. Retreat is impossible supply equally 50, and
battle Is 10 doubt hopeless. Hood must surrender
discretion before tny days go by, OF uttei dc.
stIoy his army In one great final attempt TO cut hs
way through


A correspondent Of the same paper, writing from
Nashville Qs the 2Sth Of July, that Sher-
man would move on that day. The result of this
move is already known. III 4she -CoRfederacy. The
letter further says:


sent you detailed statement of the situation
Oh the 2lst. 1t has not been materially changed
since that tiIne the line extending from the river
parallel with the railroad to Atlanta, and thence
around the city TO a road which leaves 1t IN due
southerly direction This position i'll FRONT OF
the town, within about two miles and half Of IL,
and had been occupied OH the day succeeding the
battle of Peaehtree Ridge and the day preceding
inc DittlS Oi tIit uOS5
pear TO have changed the line materially, and
have tlls movements Of to-day beginning from this
position. The movements by the left would extend
the line further southwest, creeping upon the Macon
road, and closing around ties southern side of The
city.


You can easily divine She1msn's purpose in these
operations. lou can understand why he advances
to the very doors Of the city and then delays Some
will cry out directly that lie is delaying to give
the enemy time to get their stores away 1t was
made rather with the hope of keeping the rebels
there, aud to all appearance it has succeeded; at
any rate, the enemy remain up to this time. lhe
movements now progressing Will decide the impor
tant question whether the campaign viii end i'll q
siege or a skedaddle OF the rebels. What Sherman
wishes to accomplish is Hoods investment III At
lanta The best thing for the rebels to do is TO ske
dadde. l have believed for time that it has
been too late by several days to do this with safety,
and to-day the hopes entertained at General Sher
mans headquarters OF the Of the operations
to invest Hood i'll Atlanta very much increased,
and news of the movements ROW going ON Is looked
for most anXiously.