The great plan of this campaign.
--The St Louis
Republican, at the opening of this campaign, published the following:
‘
This theory which limits
Gen Grant's plan of campaign to the capture of
Richmond, does but half justice.
He may capture the rebel capital without capturing the rebel Government machinery, and without overthrowing
Lee's army.
In that event, further active and prompt operations will be necessary.
Gen Grant foresees this, and has provided for it. He has not only formed a plan for the capture of
Richmond, but has arranged a perfect scheme for the prosecution of the comprehend afterward, as a little attention to the comprehensive movements now going on in
Virginia will reveal.
’
The first and most important of these movements is that of the Army of the Potomac against
Lee. The second is that of
Sigel and
Stahl up the Shenandoah Valley towards
Staunton, with the view first of procuring possession of the Virginia Central Railroad, running from
Richmond through
Gordonsville,
Charlottesville, and
Staunton to the west, and ultimately of effecting a lodgment upon the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad at
Lynchburg.
The third is that of
Averill, who is moving towards the same great railroad, with the design of striking it at or near
Salem.
The fourth is that of
Gen Crook, in
West Virginia, who is moving with a strong force and large supplies from
Charleston towards
Newbern, on the same railroad.
The fifth is that of
Major Gallup, who is moving up the
Virginia side of the
Big Sandy river, towards
Abingdon, on the same road.
All these movements have one object — to secure possession of different points on the same road, and the whole plan is to move our base line of operations (hitherto along the Baltimore and Ohio railroad) one hundred and fifty miles southward, and establish it on the great Virginia and Tennessee railroad, leading from
Richmond to
Knoxville, and prolonged thence to
Chattanooga.
Once securely lodged on this road, we will be able to repair, and use it for the transportation of men and supplies from
Washington and
Richmond through
Virginia to
Chattanooga and
Nashville.
It is the most important road in the whole
South.
The loss of it to the rebels would be irreparable, and its advantage to us would be incalculable.
