Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-10-24

army, ana the new relutOrCements, which
need not name, form the left wing, protect
the river for forty or fifty miles below, and
guard the Nashville and Chattanooga rail-
road. The bridge guards until lately have
been only small detachments, inefficient, of
course, against guerrillas, and having no cav
airy within supporting distance; now, strong
bodies of cavalry patrol the whole country,
and make bridge-burning rather perilouS
business. In some places in Middle Tennes-
see the citizens not only use moral suasion
against the bushwhackers, but are organized
to keep them down.
In the absence OF more exciting matter, l
Will endeavor to give some geographical in
formation and dry statistics, which will not
perhaps be of immediate interest, but may as
slst in forming future opinions and estimates
of things done here.
Nashville and Chattanooga are one hundred
and fifty miles apart, and are connected by
the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad,
which is in the form of siphon, the former
place upon the Cumberland at the extremity
OF the long arm, and the latter at the end of
the short arm upon the Tennessee. The road
a5cehdS rapidly for the distance of eighty
miles to the highest point of the Cumberland
chain OF hills, IN sOutheasterly direction,
then descends at once to Stevenson, Ala, six
teen miles from the state line, runs eastery
ten miles, and crosses the river at Bridge
port by "A fine bridge, now partially Destroy
ed. This bridge is rebuilding, and it is ex-
pected that trains will cross by the middle of
November. After crossing the general direc-
ton is northeast by the river bank along the
bases OF the hills, which in some places are
cut down two hundred feet to admit of free
passage. The expression, 60 crossing the
mountains, but poorly suggests the difficulty
OF the undertaking, for the ''mountains'' con-
slst oil such an endless succession of chains
ridges, spurs, and other natural pro-
tuberanceS as one could not even think
of without WEAKNESS. The scenery along the
route is fine. and trip through this region in
peaceful times must have been. unusually
agreeable, continually changing panorama
OF wooded hills, with cultivated lands living
quietly between. Tla work upon the road
is generally good, the bridges and the trestle-
work are substantial, and the twenty six miles
south OF the river between Bridgeport and
Chattanooga Is laid with the best + rail,
nearly new. The only obstacle to the speedy
resumption OF communication by rail with
Chattanooga, is the passage of the Tennessee
and OF Running Water,-a deep ravine with
mere thread OF stream in ordinary times
and-the possession of the south bank of the
river by the confederaies. They possess it,
but are not known to occupy in force any part
8 ae sh Tang serr Of hs Which ih forms
southeastern horizon; only our pckets
at the lords see occasionally grey objects
moving at distance, supposed to be rebel
scouts. But with our present relntOrcementS
and those expected, there is no doubt that
the road can be repoSseSsed as soon the
repairs are completed. The Tennessee river
Is also an important avenue OF cOmmunica-
ton. When the water is high boats of re-
spectacle size pass Muscle shoals and even
go up as far as Knoxville; but at low stage
of the water only small boats, such as west.
ern men say can run upon heavy dew,
navigate the upper part OF the river. Two
of these boats were taken at Chattanooga
after its evacuation and more at points
above, while several are constructing at
Bridgeport, although none of them will be
of any service until the rebels are driven back
from the river. The fact that these boats
were left unframed, and that so little damage
was done to the railroad, shows that the CON
federates intended to draw Rosecrans away
into the mountains south Of Chattanooga, get
behind him, annihilate his army, retake east
ern Tennessee, and compel the shattered re-
mains of DER forces to fall back to Murfrees-
boro. And it is not unlikely that all this would
have been done if the battle had occurred ten
miles beyond Chickamauga. The prisoners
taken in Sundays fight arroganty boosted
that Bragg would seat his dinner" in Chatta-
nooga on Monday, and their army would be
in Murtreesboro sin two weeks" Such talk
as this however, would be rather more alarm
ing if the southern generals were not SO much
in the habit of taking prospective dinners in
distant and diminutlve places, like New York
and Philadelphia, and ''watering their horses"
at remote streams at an enchanting distance
within the Union lines.
A few words in regard to distances, with
what has been said respecting the face Of the
country, may enable you to realize the diff
Guilty of carrying on military operations in
region so vast and inaccessible. From Nash
vile to Murfreesboro it is thirty miles to
Duck River Bridge, the scene of the recent
raid, about sixty mieS-tO Elk river bridge,
the most important on the road except that at
Bridgeport, seventy-fve miles-to the tunnel
on the top of the mountain, lately attacked by
Wheeler'S cavalry, eighty miles-to Steven
son, depot of supplies, one hundred and thir-
teen mlles-to Bridgeport one hundred and
twenty-three miles-to Chattanooga depot one
hundred and fifty-one miles. Knoxville is
about one hundred and ten miles from Chat
tanooga, and Atlanta one hundred and forty.
Huntsville is on the Memphis and Charleston
road, fifty or sixty miles from its junction
with the Nashville and Chattanooga at Ste
venson. All the southern and eastern por-
tions of Tennessee, and the northern por-
tions of Alabama and Georgia, are thick
sown, so to speak, with rugged hills, over
which, when the weary and dusty troops have
marched, and the long lines of wagons have
traed, other hills still await them sleeper and
more rugged than those before. Into this re-
mote region supplies must be brought over
more than two hundred and fifty miles of rail
road, guarded by large reserves, whose abb
sence weakens greatly the main army, then
transported by wagon trains forty or fifty
miles to the place where they are consumed.
Every league of railroad opened requires an
additional detail, which must be made larger
in proportion to its distance from the army.
Compared with this the fighting ground OF the
Potomac seems but a cockpit, over which
those noble fellows have marched and coun-
termarched until the little circuit is dotted
with their graves.
This region seems to the soldier, abstractly
considered, not worth fighting for, and they
continually speak Of it with the most supreme
contempt. They are sometimes heard to de-
clare that it is more honorable to be changed
at the north than to die a natural death down
here" Of the people who are left i'll the
southern part of Tennessee, the north eastern
corner of Alabama and the northwestern cor
ner of Georgia, l would not speak unjustly,
nor would | doubt their loyalty without cause.
Ii there has been any Union feeling at the
south it has been among the inhabitants OF
thasa Mountains They have suffered from