The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1863-10-14
Tiie Battle i'm Georgia.

repulsed but the enemy have won no VIC
tory. The distinction is important. Gen.
Rosencraus failed in his attempt, but Gen.
Bragg's purpose ls also unful6lled. That
brilliant strategy which, without battle,
recovered East Tennessee, had an ulterior
less than the subjuga-
ton of the Gulf States. Thus, the mo-
ment that Chattanooga was obtained, Gen.
marched into Georgia, forcing
the enemy into immediate opposition, pre-
cisely as the Army of the Potomac was
to give battle when Pennsyl-
vania was invaded by Lee. Had the
enemy refused battle, Georgia and Ala
bama would have been ours, and the re-
bellion actually imprisoned in Virginia
and South Carolina. Bragg, therefore,
had no choice but between instant battle
or immediate ruin. He gave battle, and
the fate of the whole Confederacy de-
pended on the issue for, had Rosencrans
triumphantly succeeded, where would the
rebellion have been driven? Such o blow
would have been mortal to the infa-
nous conspiracy it could not have sur
Vived three months.
But the blow has been parried-Ros-
encrans repulsed. A great army, strength.
ened by reinforcements from every source,
confronted him; all the available power
of the South was concentrated for the
defence of Georgia. The greatness of the
danger demanded greatness IN the de-
fender, and those able men who control
the armies of the rebellion exhausted
their energies in making this trem sndous
fight. Every regiment that could be
wruug from the people by conscriptiOn,
or formed by volunteering, or spared from
the battle-worn troops of Beauregard and
Lee, was sent to Bragg. At Chattanooga
the rebellion fought for self preservation,
and the rulers at Richmond nay well be
proud Of their own energy, and thankful
to the fierce courage of their armies, that
Georgia and Alabama are not wrested
from them, that the end is again post
ponsd.
1t is only postponed. Bragg's second
object, the utter defeat of Gen. Rosen-
Grams by numerical superiority, with the
recovery of East Tennessee, and the res
torstion Of the old situation, is not at
tanned, nor likely to be- His own dis,
patch confesses that Rosencrans still con-
fronts him. Invasion he prevented, but
the invader is only bafled. Gen. Rosen-
Grams purpose is defeated, but his army
is not. The tremendous attacks upon
Gen. Thomas, who bore the brunt of the
two-days battle, failed 10 shake the cour,
age of our troops, or to regain one inch of
the territory we have won.
Rosencrans, still confronting Bragg,
still fighting him, inficting terrible injury
on his army IN every savage fght, slowly
falls back and concentrates on Chatteno0-
ca We 90 not believe he will be driven
thence, and until he is driven, Georgia is
still threatened, and the rebellion has
simply succeeded in battling his first at
tack. Thus, while we deeply regret the
failure of this grand attempt, we know
that the failure is not half so important
10 US, as their success is to the rebels.
Our stake was little compared to theirs.
The very life of the Confederacy was
risked IN this battle, but we have lost
nothing but time. There is no reason
for loyal hearts to be discouraged; so
much has been won In the West, that a
repulse can be cheerfully and hopefully
sustained. The campaign is not aban-
doned, and the Army Of the Cumberland
is ready and able to maintain its position
in East Tennessee. But it will have to
be heavily reinforced before it can again
attempt the conquest of the remaining
Gulf States. As we drive the enemy to-
wards his centre, we enable him to unite
and concentrate his armies, and this fact
explains how Rosen Grams was outnum-
bered Concentration gives to the rebel
lion temporary advantage, but the vast
superiority of the North cannot be long
resisted. General Rosencrans has sus,
tanned the heaviest blow the South could
deal, and in this proof of the national
strength less exultation will be felt by
the rebels than disappointment. If this
is all they can do against Rosencrans, how
will they meet Rosencrans and Burnside
and Grant in the compined advance,
which is inevitable ? 1t is not strange
that the Richmond Wing should be des-
pondent In this great battle the rebel.
lion has tried its full strength, and may
well be disappointed by the result
Press.
1t seems that the Rebel loss at Chick
amauga was Thirty Thousand-double
that of the Unionists. Lees best men
were taken 500 miles by rail to aid Bragg
in a hard blow, which has failed, and the