The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-16

main line i'm westerly direction until
they arrived at Strawberry Plains, with
in few miles of Knoxville. All this
was done in a few hours, and then the
work Of destruction commenced on the
right.
The track was torn up and bridge
destroyed just east Of Strawberry Plains,
and other work OF destruction was per-
formed as they wendell their way back
to the junction. Between New Market
and MOrristowR a long piece of treste-
work, over half a mile in extent, was to-
tally destroyed, and near RusselFille an
other bridge met the same fate as its
neighbors, Thus they fell back, destroy
ing as they went, until they again
reached the Rugersville junction, at Bulls
Gap, where they met with their friends
who had been operating on the eastern
part of the road. 1t will be seen that the
operations extended within few miles
of the whole length of the line, and de-
stroying the travel of greatly over hun
dred miles in extent,
A large force Of troops had been sent
by this route to reinforce General Bragg,
and this operation completely cut off
their chance ofresching MurfreesbOro by
the Tennessee line. The Lynchburg
Republican states that at the present
time ''ihe road is taxed to its utmost ca
pacity." The break, so extensive in its
character, must have been disastrous to
their arms, especially so when it is ia
ken into consideration that these troops
from the rebel capital were wanted to aid
in the resistance offered to Gen. Rose
Grams march. No wonder, then, that
| the rebels at MurlreesborO retrested
from that point Their reinfOrcements
had been delayed aud cut off,
and there was not the slightest
chance that they could reach Murfrees-
borO by any other route in time to save
the day. The plan is certainly q good
one, and has beer well carrisd out. All
honor TO him who conceived it.
Were this the only railway line from
the rebel capital to Tennessee, the effect
would indeed be most disastrous TO the
rebel cause: for the communication
could easily be kept broken at one OF
auother part of the route. 70 securely
guard the whole line from raids would
require more men than the rebels could
well spare at this or any other time, anC
therefore the road would never be secur,
from destruction. The rebels have, how.
ever, other lines of communication. TIL
line between Danville, Va, and Greens
boro, n. G, has been completed, and thii
gives a nearly direct route from Rich
mond, Va, TO Columbia, S. c., via Allan
Ia, Ga, to Chattanooga and MurfreesborC
Tenn. Another route runs via Peters
burg, Va, and Raleigh, n c., and con
meets with the same line at Greensboro
If the line from Goldsboro to Whining
ton should have been repaired, nearl
direct route from Richmond, Va, to Char
lesion, S. c., thence to Chattanooga an
f Murfreesboro. Again, by aid of the Sa
vannah branch, another route is Opene
q from the rebel capital via Weldon, Colds
I boro Wilmington, Charleston, and Sa
{ vannah, thence by the Central Georgi
railroad to Chattanooga and Murfrees
boro. Thus it plainly appears that III
, operations, splendid as they are, hav
: not entirely cut off the supplies from I'll
: rebels, bat will only delay them by fol
:; cling them to so over a longer route {
! travel. However, it has done its wor
> for the present, and done it welL-M
Herald, 9Th,