File:History of the American Civil War (1867) (14762688045).jpg

Identifier: historyofamerica03drap (find matches)
Title: History of the American Civil War
Year: 1867 (1860s)
Authors: Draper, John William, 1811-1882
Subjects: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Slavery Slaves
Publisher: New York : Harper & Bros.
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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he Chickahominy atBottoms Bridge, kept extending his right, and intrench-ing as he went. From the proximity of the enemy to his defenses aroundRichmond, it wTas impossible by any flank Grant now deter- , , . . -, , -, . -, mines to cross movement to interpose between him and James Kiver. , x the city. It had been Grant s hope to beatLees army north of Richmond; then, after destroying hislines of communication north of James River, to trans-fer the army to the south side, and besiege Lee in Rich-mond, or follow him south if he should retreat. Grantwas still in a condition either to move by Lees left flankand invest Richmond from the north, or continue to moveby his right flank to the south side of the James. Thoughthe former might be better as a covering for Washington,yet he was satisfied that it would be impracticable to pro-tect the Fredericksburg Railroad, a long and vulnerableline, which would consume much strength to guard, andwhich must be protected to supply the army; moreover,
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Chap. LXXXII.) SHERIDANS EXPEDITION. 3g9 it would leave open to the enemy a)l Iris lines of communi-cation on the south side of the James. After the battleof the Wilderness, it was evident that Lee would take nofarther risks; he acted purely on the defensive behindbreastworks, or feebly on the offensive immediately infront of them. In view of all these facts, Grant determinedto hold substantially the ground he occupied until his cav-alry could break the railroad connection between Rich-mond and the Shenandoah Valley and Lynchburg, andthen to move the army by Lees right flank to the southside of the James, where all his sources of supply, exceptby the canal, could be cut off. On the 7th, Sheridan, with the cavalry divisions of Tor-sheridan-sexpedi- berfc ancl Gregg, departed on an expeditionvKiacenlrai against the Virginia Central Railroad (seeKaflroad. Map,p. 388). They expected to meet, at Char- lottesville, the forces of Hunter, and return with them tothe Army of the Potomac. It was

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