THE AMERICAN WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 221, 28 July 1864, Page 6

THE AMERICAN WAR.

(Frr.ni tbe "Sydney Herald," July ]3.) i JII-: great crash of arms which has so long been anticipated in America has at length commenced Piotli sides have been gathering up their forces for a tremendous wrestle, the general conviction being tbat (bis campaign will be tbe last. P.y the election of federals, the chief scene of strife is northern \ irginia a situation favourable to them in so far as it places them close to their base of operations, but imfa.voura.ble to tlicni as associated with manv previous defeats. Hailing is going on contemporaneously at several dittercnt places, but (he importance oi these minor operations is quite secondary to tbc progress oi the great, campaign in Virginia. General Grant's policy is substantially the same as that of General jVi Clellan, viz., to mass his troops and push onwards by sheer force. Like M'Clellan too, he attaches great, importance to tbe capture of liichniond, and thinks it sound policy to neglect minor operations in order to eoricentralc as much force as possible for the march on the Confederate capital. Like M Cleliau too, his plan is to inarch by two converging routes, taking the mass of the army by one, and by employing a subsidiary expedition on tlie other, lie simply differs from M'Clellan in the choice of the principal route. lie prefers the direct road .southward from Washington ; the latter preferred the road by the peninsula, as having the subsidiary advantage of river navigation as a help to the commissariat department. In estimating the probabilities of Grant's success, in his present forward movement, it should be remembered that M Clellan was very nearly successful, and that, too, at the time when tlie Confederates were far less exhausted than they are now. JJ O pushed his advance to within six miles of .Richmond, and had a fair prospect of getting into the city when his plans were interfered with and spoilt. {Subsequent disclosures have fully shown that the whole blame of the failure rests on President. .Lincoln, who, whatever may he hts other excellences, is no General. His interference with M CJelJan's plans was well-intentioned, but it was a fatal blunder at that critical moment. He Mas alarmed for the safety of Washington in consequence of Jackeon's defeat of Uanksat Winchester, and accordingly arrested M'Dowell's march southwards irom I'redericksburg and deprived M'Clellan °f his expected and much needed co-operation. Instead oi getting reinforcements, M'Clellan found himself out-numbt ivd, for Juck?on by one of his forced inarches avoiding his pursuers, joining the main Co.i----u-deiate army at L'irhmunu, ;;nd to force t:e X ederals bjici: to the Junius Hiver.

Tho president is hot iitrniy to repeat tbis blunder, and indeed, tiie foi'm oi Grant's 'movements do not "ive hftri the opportunity. Jackson is not lojiger in the ilesh to inspire terror, and Washington, is.i.n no danger, for we do not hear of Confederates being in the Shevnnd' ah Valley,this time. Grant has a higher militai v rank tliap lias.ever Wiore been "conferred on nnv American General - h'n'd it is understood that he has stipulated for and been promised unfettered control of lite'entire army. If he should fail, therefore, the. blaine will rest, entirely on himself. So far as he has yet gone he has been moderately j successful, as much so has could bo expected by those who have carefully studied.lilt; , Tlint he could drive Lee's army before hvm .like chaff was only predicted by. the braggart writers who infest the American. I'IYF3. Grant himself could never have looked Tor n ny thing less than a bloody and determined struggle. H<? IS opposed to Lee, who is the greatest strat\,Y;,.t the will- has produced, who knows every ineh of tho country, whelms had t'lVvC Veu'rsto s.tudy • it minutely, nnd who.htVS eVCV'.'tiimg for a ' "•raduitl 'on Hichm'ohd. -According to the; accounts th'e .numbers, seen .to tho .about equal on' either side. The Federals.are doubtless 'the best otf for equipment and.'proyisionS, nnd have the greatest facility -for- bringing up reinforcements. To set against that, they have the disadvantage of being forced to attack entrenched positions. Our two telegrams do not quite coincide in their statements of how nnd where the.fighting took place. But, at any rate, it seems dear that there have been two great battles, and that they have tertiiiiiYit'cd ns so many bnttles in the same \vaj; htiVe already done. A long," bloody, nnd ripptimvtly indecisive contest has ended in t-liv undisputed retreat of Confederates. Tho latter co'it'i ".lot hold their ground, but the others were too much exhausted and disorganised to pursue. Lee has been forced back from tho Rapidan to a position in the rear of Spotsylvania court-house. This is about ten miles to the south-west of i'rcdenckshiirg, and about forty miles north of Richmond. If the rest of the .journey h'.tD to be contested as obstinatelvj.it Will oe a bloody march. In order to cut. Lee's communications and force him to a more rapid retrofit, the Federal cavalry has been breaking up the railroads in his rear. Butler is also advancing along the peninsula to attack Richmond on the cast, and it "would appear that he is opposed by Beauregard, who has been summoned up from Charleston to aid in the defence of Richmond. The battles are described as having been as blcodv as nnv that have occurred during tho process of this desolating war. Kven allowing for some extravagance in the numbers tho carnage must have been frightful. But the loss mVist have been proportionately most heavy on the South. Half a dozen such battles, even though they were victories-, and the South would be left without an army. The immigration from Europe, and especially from Ireland, helps the North to fill up the gaps in its decimated ranks. In many of the States, too, it appears volunteers can be obtained to protect the frontier against any Southern raid, although they will not go south to fight.

It is scarcely probable that the Confederates will continue to spend their strength so freely in the open field. Having failed to conquer the Federal army, they will most likely seek shelter behind the entrenchments of Richmond, and the war in Yirgina may be expected before long to assume the form of a siege of Richmond. The place is said to be strongly fortified, but, if the railways communicating with it can be out, it may be invested and reduced with less cost of life than litis been talked of as necessary. General Sherman, who is now second in command to General Grant, lnis also been making an advance from Chnttanooga. He has captured Dalton, with the large number of five thousand prisoners. This is a further advance than has yet been achieved in that direction, and will be an encouragement to push on to Atlanta, where the great Confederate manufactory of gunpowder is situated. The only Federal reverse of importance that is mentioned is in Louisiana, where General Banks has been worsted in an attempt up the Bed River. In consequence of this failure, he has been superseded. As a General, he has not been very successful, but as an administrator, and especially as the first to try and reorganise Southern society, by setting negroes to productive plantation labour under their old masters, and yet undfcr conditions of freedom, lie will have a title to be remembered with respect.