ing. General Sherman advanced on the 4th with a large army from Chattanooga. Advices coming directly from him on Saturday, at four o'clock, say that he was then in Tunnel Hill, with the enemy before him at Buzzard's Roost Point, above Dalton, and that McPherson, with an auxiliary force, was operating against the connection between Atlanta and Dalton, by movements to Villanow, through Resaca.

What we do not hear is perhaps more encouraging than the information which actually reaches us. Neither General Grant, nor General Butler, nor General Sherman, makes the least sign of discouragement or apprehension, or demands reinforcement, but they leave us to infer that they are able, and are determined to persevere in the campaign as at first designed.

May 16, 1864. We receive advices of laborious and heroic ef forts made by our land and naval commanders in Louisiana to save their forces and material in that state and in Arkansas, and to restore the prestige of the government in the region west of the Mississippi. Major-General Canby has been very vigorous and successful in sending reinforcements to Generals Banks and Steele from the shores of the Mississippi, and it is presumed that the new commander will very soon reach the field in person. It is not true, as represented in rebel journals, that General Steele surrendered his army at Camden to Richard Taylor on the 27th ultimo. General Steele's aid has arrived here, having left the General with his command safe at Little Rock on his return from Camden.

Major-General Sherman seems to have inaugurated his new campaign in Georgia with his usual sagacity and diligence. He has brought General Schofield down from Knoxville through Cleveland, and upon the flank of the enemy at Dalton, while Sherman moved against him in front from Ringgold, over Tunnel Hill, and General McPherson struck at Resaca at the enemy's communications with his base at Atlanta. Thus assailed, Johnston abandoned Dalton, and was then pressed in flank and rear by Sherman and Schofield until Saturday, the 14th, when a severe engagement took place in front of Resaca. General Sherman took eight guns and one thousand prisoners, and Johnston retreated southward from Resaca. Sherman is pressing upon him and expecting confidently to take Rome.

The three days' sanguinary battles between the army of the Potomac and the insurgent forces in the old Wilderness closed on

Friday, the 6th instant. During the night of that day Lee left his position and retired southward towards Spotsylvania Court-House. General Grant advanced. He brought the enemy again into battle. on Sunday morning, the 8th, drove him out of his intrenchments, and forced him across the Po. Here the enemy again threw up fortifications. On Monday, General Grant, against very obstinate resistance, and not without considerable loss, marched across the Po and formed in line of battle. On Tuesday, the 10th, the rebels accepted cheerfully the challenge, and made several vigorous assaults upon our positions, but they were repelled. Our lines were maintained and portions of the enemy's lines of defence were wrested from him. It seems to myself like exaggeration when I find that in describing conflict after conflict in this energetic campaign, I am required always to say of the last one that it was the severest battle of the war. Six thousand of our men were placed hors du combat in this battle of the 10th of May. Wednesday, the 11th, was spent in skirmishing. Thursday, the 12th, brought a new and severe conflict, with results encouraging to the Union arms. A division, a brigade, and a regiment were captured, with forty guns. At eight o'clock on the night of that day General Grant sent a despatch to the War Department, in which he modestly expressed himself, concerning the state of the campaign, in these words: "We have now ended the eighth day of very heavy fighting. The result to this time is much in our favor. Our losses have been heavy, as well as those of the enemy. I think the loss of the enemy must be greater. We have taken over five thousand prisoners, while he has taken from us but few, except stragglers."

The battle was continued on Friday, the 13th, with decided advantage to the Union army. On the morning of the 14th it was ascertained that Lee had again retired. Yesterday morning, the 16th, General Grant reports from the army that there had been continual rains for five days; roads had become impassable, even so that ambulances can no longer make their way with their wounded from the battle-fields to the hospitals at Fredericksburg. General Grant waits for twenty-four hours of dry weather, when he will advance. The enemy last night were in position across the direct road which leads from Fredericksburg to Richmond, and our army is confronting them. The Lieutenant-General writes cheerfully, hopefully, even to the tone of confidence. We have now nine thousand

prisoners in our hands, captured in these battles, including four hundred officers.

Major-General Butler has been very active and successful in intercepting Lee's expected reinforcements below Richmond. He has destroyed the insurgent railroad communications between Weldon. and Richmond and between Petersburg and Richmond; and at the date of our last advices had threatened Fort Darling, which protects the river approach to that place against our iron-clads. They have made five successive sorties, sometimes at night, other times by day, and have been as often repulsed. Their iron-clads have come down from Richmond and been driven back by our fleet. General Butler writes in fine spirits.

During the last week Major-General Sheridan made an expedition with 13,000 cavalry in the interior of Virginia, surrounded the insurgent army, destroyed the insurgent railroad communications. and telegraph communications through the Virginia Central, and Orange and Alexandria railroads, with an immense quantity of mili tary stores, and finally crossing the peninsula joined Major-General Butler below Richmond on the James River on Saturday last.

General Averill, sent by Major-General Sigel through the valley and across the mountains, has destroyed the rebel communication by the Virginia and Tennessee railroad at New Creek, and thus Lee is supposed to be cut off from supplies and reinforcements by railroad, except on the circuitous route of the railroad passing from Richmond through Danville to Raleigh.

On the other hand, we are rapidly sending forward no inconsiderable reinforcements to General Grant, and are thus supplying the dreadful waste which the army of the Potomac has suffered in conflicts which they have waged, not only with the greatest heroism, but also with compensating advantage to the national cause. The reinforcements already sent amount to 30,000 men.

May 21, 1864. — For several weeks we have been suffering painful apprehensions lest by means of the subsiding of the waters in the Red River we might be obliged not merely to forego the effort to maintain our position on its banks, but even to leave our ironclad fleet to be destroyed, or to fall into the hands of the insurgents. We have just now been relieved from these fears. An artificial rise of the river at the rapids above Alexandria was effected, and the fleet has safely descended to the Mississippi. The expedition of

130

DIARY, OR NOTES ON THE WAR.

Major-General Banks has failed, but the failure is believed not to
have materially impaired our own strength, or given to the insur-
gents any new advantage. The return of the fleet and the land
forces to the Mississippi reassures our control of the navigation of
that great river.

We hear from Major-General Sherman, who has taken Rome,
and is at Kingston, that having there repaired the waste of his
army, and renewed his supplies, he would move to-day, and resume
his march upon Atlanta, with an army of 80,000 effective men.

Lieutenant-General Grant had severe conflicts during the last week, by way of manoeuvre and reconnoissance. On Friday night the insurgents withdrew from their strongly intrenched position at Spottsylvania Court-House, retreating, as is supposed, across the North Anna River. The army of the Potomac was already on its advance, which of course was continued; and thus far there has been no serious conflict. Our position is now at Milford station, on the railroad from Fredericksburg to Richmond, and along the south side of the Mattapony River. Rappahannock station was used as our depot for supplies at the beginning of the advance. Since the battles of the Wilderness we have used Fredericksburg. To-day we change our station from that place to Port Royal, on the Rappahannock.

Major-General Butler has had some severe conflicts with the enemy, but he still holds his position on the south bank of the James, and to the extent that he succeeds in detaining the enemy's force in his front, he contributes to the success of the main army of the Potomac in its advance upon Richmond. If we may rely upon the official reports of the operations of cavalry which reach us, the enemy's connections are broken up beyond his ability to restore them before the event of the campaign must be determined.

General Sigel with a portion of his forces was defeated on the Shenandoah, but the loss incurred has been fully compensated by the successful operations of General Crook in another portion of western Virginia.

Congress is maturing the tax bill with great care, and I think in a form that will be effective to sustain the national credit. The bank bill is still a subject of serious debate, but it will ultimately assume a satisfactory shape. The importations are enormous, and the shipment of gold is increased by the high rates of interest

adopted by the banks of England and France. Nevertheless, the government stocks are well sustained, and the new loan bearing five per cent. interest is taken up at the rate of four or five millions a week. The flood of immigration is on the increase. Ultimately the nation cannot fail to be the gainer that sends out its gold and receives in exchange free men from foreign countries to extract the metals from its mines, and to expand cultivation over newly reclaimed territories.

May 31, 1864. Major-General Canby is vigorously reorganizing the forces west of the Mississippi, with a view to new operations.

Major-General Sherman, finding the insurgents under Johnston strongly fortified at Altoona, made a detour to the right with a design to pass that place. Johnston went out and met General Sherman near Dallas, and was driven back with very severe loss to the insurgents, and without effectually checking Sherman's advance. He proposes to reach the railroad again between Altoona and

Atlanta.

General Lee, on retiring from Spottsylvania, took up and fortified a very advantageous position near Hanover Junction, south of the North Anna, and General Grant thereupon again cast away his base, which was then at Port Royal, on the Rappahannock, and finding a passage east of Lee's new position, threw his whole forces across the Pamunkey River near Hanover town, and when last. heard from the army stood in order of battle, three miles south of the last named river, which is a tributary of the York River. This new position was gained with no other conflict than a successful cavalry engagement. At that place he has been joined by the portion of the command of General Butler which could be spared without exposing the position we have hitherto held at Bermuda Hundred, on the James River between Petersburg and Richmond. This reinforcement from Butler's army was effected by means of steam navigation down the James and up the York and Pamunkey rivers. Thus all the contending forces are within a circuit of twenty miles around Richmond.

Major-General Hunter has succeeded General Sigel in command of the auxiliary forces, whose field of operation is in the Shenandoah valley and western Virginia. Movements are in progress there which, if successful, will materially aid the operations of the Lieutenant-General before Richmond. I have heretofore mentioned the reinforcements which were sent to him. These reinforcements