Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1863-10-29
eftmpnt GArnniele.
st. clairsvillo, Ohio, Oct. 20, 1893.
rhe situation in tennessee.

fFro,o the Ciailsnooss a tlnf,is Rebel, Oct.p
~ lUrsn reaching TIN, Tennessee River from
the hs.d Of Chickam,nga, R,secrans ad-
dresselihistnopps.a - Fellow soldiers, said
be-" he object ai our expedition was the
l,aSsefsionpfO Ohattanooga, and here weare." :"
Bri,f. and to the point; iorcble and adroit.
Thus far, the caHpaign. whose mysterious
stges are rolling -abovc W. has no clearer,
as it certainly cannot have more laconic
history The few words of the Federal Cen
eral illuminate the. whole page as ray from
n dark lantern, and no man eau close his
eyes to the some what painful glare which
they throwrfull upsn 4 im g7
Not even Gen. Bragg himself can contra
dict,them, excerpt with his rword and such
strokes as il may please Heaven TO send US
through his hands, IN the few days OF fall
weather Just before us. Unless we hasten
to make hay while the sun shines, The story
as thus told will bold good through oil iime;
the spring will open uDt9ward dangers to
our arms; the cause which now turns upon
the pivot of its crisis will drop like flower
which has been intended, and the end mns,
fade out of sight in d rolling ,orrnt Of dis
asters-in fog and gloom. God forbid it.
AZ present the case stands in about this
wise. We have los! the gate to lower East
Tennessee, the river which was our base and
the facilities which these afforded for pro-
Ersssive moyements into Fast Tennessee and
Kentucky. We have gained hand to hand
fight; We have repelled powerful invasion;
We hsve preserved Georgia, and secured
commanding position around tho enemy
Rosecrans, on the other hand, has acquired
alltbat we have lost. He has reached Chat
tanooga and fortified It, taken up the river
line rs his base. and now prepares quietly
20 winter in his new quarters, leaving us un-
eiyilly out in the cold to take care of our
selves a. best we can or must. Physically
and to all appearances, in the aggregate he
is the gamer; for, after the prisoners, stand
ards and artillery taken at Chickamauga are
counted, our victory istold, whil.t opr deficit,
in the long sum total, glory included, does
not make up for any results yet achieved.
In a word, we have lost ten or twelve
thousand men without gaining an eqlIiva-
lent in producing territory. The whole
question, therefore, turns upon the situation.
and what we will do with il. In military
circles il is generally believed that Rose
GRAMS has blundersd into position which,
improved by an adversary Of genius, might
be turned in three adrot movements to his
eternal ruin. II this be 80, and the move
ments speculated, but by no means explain
cd, are made, the victory Of Uhickamauga
will be complete, and tho many lives there
sacriffad will become ~ 20 many trophies to
nobIe'Nork. But if this opinion be false,
and tho movements suggested as possible
fail to be makic. and we continue to gaze
listlessly e-h the bold knobs Of Missionary
lid, sSon comfortable barracks vt the blue
varlcss below, then may we tremblc for the
next campaign Tor as sure as there is any
surety in the Future, the Spring of 1864
must see us far from the borders Of Georgia,
or near the verge of destruction Nail 1t to-
your DIOR, men Of the South, AMI refise to-
be deluded into any other belief. Fuod and
raiment are our urneeds. We must lave them.
Kentucky and Middle Tennessee oan only
supply them. Better give up tho sea coast,
better give up the Southwest, aye, bettor
and win these, than lose the golden field,
whose gpaiR md woof are our sole hope. =
Tho enemy has Just one army too many in
tle field for u.s. We must crush this over
plus; We must gain one signal, StonewalI
jackson campaign, Destiny points to the
!, very place. BE Rosecrans the victim. De-
feat him, pulverise him, run him to the
Ohio River, and then close the war with the
next summer. And how? Nothing easier.
Tho bee which has really stunQ our flank So
long, once disposed of, our triumphs and
legions have a clear road before them. Fed
rumptpously through the winter, well shod
md Glad, they have only to meeta dispirited
foe, retake tho Valley Of the Mississippi,
SECURE the election OF peace Democrat to
ths Presidency in the Fall, and arrange the
terms Of treaty snd Independence.
These results eau be accomplished no
where ethan in this Department The
Hcwhwsst Is our real adversary. No mat
tor how often We whip the East, the effect is
still borne to the end. Let us teach the
{ true contestants lesson Of peace and sober
Ness, and the difference will beseen as speed
ily as our need calls for the deed.