Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-03-13
For the JnnInal.
TOT Lne JNuIn1I
i Isol"l Experiences In T.snG olnt!oEa.

No >.
The ride from Atlanta to Chattanooga is through
region known as the bill country of Georgia, and the
scenery assumes a very bold and pleasing aspect We
noticed more cereals aGd less cotton than 10 former
years the Railroad IS State property and is excel
lent ard well conducted read Georgia is magnificent
State and destined t. become Of the import
ant in the Southern COnttduracy-her wafer mower is
immense comparatively Little of it being yet put 10 All
economic uce-her rivers numb-r about 90, many o
them naYlgabfe between 800 and 400 miles. be State
is rich in minerals, OF which may mention, quar:z
rock containing gold. found in the spurs of the Allie
ghany chain, iron coal limestone and variety States
while tie c mate combines the tropical with the tempe
and c0Id and her productive capacity is n-
liable. che Is generally known in tbe South as the
Yankee State" not from similarity Of instinct with
the New EnganGer but from the extent and variety
her manufactures and th3 enterprise OF her people. We
rather anticipate "eXpTieDce, but refrain
from caIing attention TO Chattanooga at this perious
iunctuie OF afairs. This is point of the greatest
Importance in our opinion, aud ought 10 be well cared
for. By reference to Railroad Map it can be seen at
glance, place OF great sraegetca and geographic
Cal Importance. 1t stands in commanding position
on the Tennessee river is partly surrounded and entirely
deerdydb tt mountains towering upwards many hund-
red fee coa and iron n abundance at the very doors
1t is the great radat Dg ce0ye for the entire system of
Southern raO1 ds and stan IS about Cqui-d8}aut from
the cities Of Louisville, KY, TIE north Memphis,
Tenn: on the west, Montgomery Ala aeon and Mil
ledgeVe, Ga the south, and Columbia 8. G., on
the east with ali their several connections these being
the main arteries ii nuncation whence radiae ami
ramliy the entire raToad sy8 EN- OF the South. At u
glance can be seen the INN Importance of such a
place to tie Ftdcras-thJs controlling the southern
centres OF communication. What does any one snp.
pose the late gunb0at excursion up The enes5ee riv r.
into Alabama as far as 1USCumba and Florence was
meant for Was it mere bravadO thus entering into
the very heart Of the South Was it mere prldlt0-
rV excursion 10 SEIZE few bales Of cotton or DESTROY
few government stores? Or was it to pioneer thg wav
| to Chattanooga? Well, We believe they did not pass
the Muscle Shoals, and tl-se, .od, nat pas
sable in ordinary water-we know other places that
were thought so--ROanGake Swamp, for instance. We
consider Chattanooga the most important point in all
that southwestern country aud knoic that the Fed
era Government have had their eye it since last
! December. We ka0W that prominent Kentucky
uniOnist Gen. L. G., urged Lincoln to push for thi;
point avoiding Columbus, and zee heard the General
say that the plan approved although the gOvern
ment not then prepared to carry it cut. We pre-
tend t0'no military knowledge, but we think any orii
nary comprehension readily follow in ideas
as givn above. We have mary competent officers anC
We doubt not, but if the place be important we
or the LdncoiDe5 thi0k II, proper measures will be
l adopted We have noticed account OF it, but hope
that 10 evacuating Nashville aud falling back OF
Murfreesboro', the railroad attended to. The
| enemy in possession OF southwestern Kentucky
CIarksyiie aud Nashville, controlling the Cumber
land riycr, holding the junction waters Of the Mss
tions at Cairo and Paducah, supposing Columbus
Il evacuated report gives it, and Beimonte deserted
how secure will Memphis be If Chattanooga falls intt
the hands Of Buel aud Grant with Commodore F0O
securing the Mississippi, Cumberland and Tennessee
rivers? Nashville is bc depored out let Us strair
every uerve to check them there. Our experience 0
East Tennessee IS not encouraging future nara
tive will showN IS not reliable. But let us return
after this long oSresson The ride from Chattanoogi
to Nashville, via Murireesboro', s very fac and th
scenery while crossing lbe Aleghanies very grand
picturesque. Tbs Is rich mineral c0uEtTy, lead iron
COAL copper, gypsum, salt. nitrous earths sup phu
(sprngs) and marbie abundant The nitre is oun(
IN limestone caves, some OF which very extensive
and have been explored for distance of Il miles
The want of Ditre is OF drawback 10 tue man
uiacture of powder but In what quantity it be got
and how much 2f sulphur the springs YIELD we know
not. We bad visited Nashville few weeks previous
and we're present when the State c0Unte9 out b,
some 10000 majority We saw one Federal flag fyiDl
there that day from prominent mansion, but no Con
federae. We became acquainted with several refuge
Kenuckans glowing IL Il elr ardor and zeal for Dixie
On previous visit travelled from this cit
through Bowling Green 20 Louisville and saw the frs
Confederate camp, 1rouSdae, then containing Z
900 Tennessee volunteers this On the confines
Kentucky, and at Mitchellve saw the last Confed
crate flag waving. But since former and just
few days previous to our present VISIT the good folk
D of Nashville and Louisville had been playing gra
s game or the L. & n. r. Road Louisville owne
, abou anr ,on Of the STOCK and Nashville abou
co., OQO 4 understood the former came out secOu
best be thai it may, the rolling stock of h
road and we had to take the Edge6ed road to paC
= on the Kentucky line called Haydenvile The Hayde
may nave been there but the Uue was not for we wer
left to meditatons by the wsyside, while the tr
o went on to Ilarkesye. There was one house away
the fields but the ladies with their attendants filled ht
up SO We and other male bpeds stretched out in ii
e cars which next day took US on throug
n Russeisvie and Bowling Green to Louisvili
l. There was SO much. backing and filing,
sailors say about tie dread line Of neutrality and