, 1863-12-03

TAE SITUATION NJ TENNESSEE.
There need be no disappointment should
We not hear Of General Grants immediate
advance southwark from Chattanooga.
The givings out Of his "pursuing Bragg
through Georgia and "to the Gulf" are
differences Of the sanguine, and are born Of
mems hopes. There is obviously much to
do, and may be more than ire lsnow o1 be-
fore lie can safely 80 far southwark It
would be nice thing to take possession OF
Atlanta at once, if it be possible; and for
augght we 1now to the contrary, it may be
Immediately undertaken. But there need
be no surprise il no movement Is at once
made in TINT direction, and for the follow.
ing reasons. .......
There is some work TO be done where he
is, and to the northeast Of him, which de.
Inands immediate attention. Burnside is
to he cfectual1y relieved, and Eas. Ten.
nesscc secured, as the first thing. The log
ica1 effect of the late battles is to relieve
him; hut there may be work 10 be done in
bringing about the relief VIC get no rery
late accounts from him, and do not know
whether 1ongstrect has lef1 him or not
The. telegraph may tell Us in two Iours
tl,at he has received orders, and .obeyel
them, to make the endeayor to rjoin
Bragg; or that he feels himself strong
enough to take care Of Burnside before
Grant can come up, and is pushing him tie
more vigorously. Or it may tel Us that,
despaidng Of reaching Bragg, he il max
ing his iway back into Virginia. thing
which he evidently can do il he is to The
north Of Knoxville, and which is evidently
tho safest thing for him to do: But Gen.
Grant will doubtless take good care that he
sl,an not reloin Bragg without some tribu-
lation. And it is, perhaps, question now
whether it is not more Of an object for US
to pulverizc Longs.rc.t than Bragg. He
stands stronger in tie rebel confidence, and
his noops are pronounced tie flower Of the
1taM army.
II Burnside is properly supported, he
may l,c able to hug him 80 closely as to
prevent his getting off nozthward to Vir-
ginin. But If LoDgstrcet thinks to reioin
Bragg, there is more than one rod in pickle
for him. At the time Thomas, Sherman,
and Hooker were doing the business Of
Lookout and Missionary mountains, an-
other force was up the railroad from C1cyc-
land towards the Hinwassce, tearing up the
track and destroying the bridges, This
work was accomplished for q stretch Of
thirty miles on each side Of Cleveland
Since the battle, Grants forces hold the
track Of that road. This sewers Ill railroad
connection between Bragg and Longstreet.
even though Dragg has held up ut Dalton.
we hope to hear that Longstreet is over
whelmed, but we arc afraid the next re-
ports will send him off with little seattle
into Virginia But he cannot BE- neglected
and GEant will hardly pusl, south till lie is
disposed Of in some way.
Then MS to Bragg himself, it is not quite
certaln how much fight there may still be
in him. We suppose lin to be good
deal reduced; and were Grant nil ready,
and had he nothing else to do, we should
have no fear but That he would soon take
care Of linn. Hc must yet have tolerable
army, however. The late batt1c would
have been sererer blow to him than il
is, but for one isct, our getting his artillery
-whether forty-eight, or sixty piece, as
different accounts repot-would 60 far to
use him up, but TINT these very guns arc
those which he took from Us at Chlcka
manga. And though we have added, per-
haps, little to the number for the diff.
fc1cnt accounts put our loss Of artillery in
that battle, ali the way from thirty to fifty
pieccs-still VIC have not gained enough in
that direction, to make Of itself a very de-
'cided impression. The Six thousand; pri-
soners arc greater loss to him Tho de.
sertions, discouragernents, examinations,
ETC., are greater still; for when heart il
gone nll is gone. The prisoners say his
army @win not fight longer" This is te
be taken with grains Of allowance, how
ever. It is solid and sad truth for thc1
10 deal with; but not one on which weca,
act beyond certain limits Gould the!
catch us at decided disadvantage, The,
would fight like bears whose whel's ar
stolen. Grant may be strong enough t
take care Of Longstrect and chase Brag
at the same time; but that is for him 1
daeide