Editor’s Note: This article was transcribed by Jackie Martin.
In the telegram from Petersburg published yesterday it was “reported” that BURNSIDE’S corps was believed to have gone, or to be about to go, to the city of Washington. Whether this report has foundation in fact, or is one of the thousand CANARDS of camp, we have no means of ascertaining—it is supposed that the military authorities are better informed. But the statement, if true, is not unintelligible, for the following reasons:
The possession of Lynchburg is indispensable to the success of any plan of the enemy on the Southside. He cannot now be ignorant that HUNTER has failed before that place, and been driven away in disgrace, so far that it would be impossible to send, by the Southside route, a corps to reinforce him in that neighbourhood. For, even if it should escape destruction on the way, it could not form a junction with HUNTER’S army without a serious battle at Lynchburg. But if BURNSIDE’S corps is transported to Washington, it may be thought practicable to pass over the same road up the Valley lately cleared by HUNTER, discover his place of retreat, and advance again with united forces on the town which he lately found too strong for him.
That BURNSIDE, or any other considerable detachment, has left GRANT’S army for Washington, we repeat, is not proven by any evidence before the public. The probability of this plan for recovering the losses of HUNTER, and for gaining that indispensable point which he failed to secure, may be the only real foundation for the report.1
Source:
- No title. Richmond Examiner. June 30, 1864, p. 3 col. 2-3 ↩