, 1864-09-15

From Our Special Correspondent
| NAsHyuLx,' Sept. II. 1881.
at the date Of the latest telegram from the
headquarters Of Gen. Rousseau, that officer
had formed q junction Of eli the passing
forces, and Was within ten miles Of tbs Ten
1tssee River, and in sight Of Wheeler's rear
guard. Matters must come to crisis in that
vicinity, think. before long, and whether
Wheeler escapes across the river or not, he
Will be go demotaltzed that weeks will BE-
required before his forces eau be made avail
able. There Is an apparently well a1thenti-
Gated rumor that Fitzpatrick Ia south Of the
Tennessee, ready to interrupt the raiders,
ehould they succeed In crossing the stream.
This, however, may not be the case
TIE SITUATION At Atlanta.
Cur forces are resting at Atlanta aud light
badly do the men need recupcration. FoH
campaigns on record ever demanded more
labor, more courage, and more Watchfu1.
ness than that which has lust eliminated; +;
aud few, Of purely offensive nature, through
mountainous regions. aud over broad
streams, and extending distance of 140
miles, ever terminated SO gloriously in so
brief a period.
Our lett is at present at Decatur, ON the
Augusta Railroad, six mfles from Atlanta:
cur right Is At East Point, the same distance
from the pizce, and our centre In the CITY IT,
sell Ut the strength Of Cur forces II viii be-
Improper to SPEAK, but even ths bitterest
Ccppethead, the Warmest admirer of Jeff
Davis Will hardly contend that 1t is In any
danger OF being driven from its present po-
siuons. It won them by offensive move.
menta, carried them by gallant charges over
ea1thworks q and up mountain s1des, and it Is
hardly to be supposed that the yaaquisued,
who could not stand on the defensive. viii
be Rbie to turn and defeat men who Were
successful on the offensive
The men are In strong works now-works
will hold them till ordered to advance.
Sherman knows no such word As RETREAT
except that #" retreat" Is OF the kind which
takes him farther Into the heart Of the 1ebei
Coufederacy.
The campaign has practically ended for two
or three weeks, and 1t may not bs improper
to take slight review of what has been lost
and gained. North Georgia is mountatu-
ons region, and was, of course, populated bY
white men-mudsuis: It was from thence
measure, tho weather sections, until recent
y, avoiding the conscrfptlon; aud even
when that became general, they obt TINED fat
places, IA clerks, &c. 1t Ia from the ,or
Of the mountains that the fighting material
Of the rebel army comes. Of this ground,
lue 1ale CHILLY uls! naa put ua IN possession Of
600 square mills, True, the white men
had all been conscrlpted from the country.
but the eonecripts were diecontepted and
anxious to get hotne, but this they couldn't
do while their families we're within the rebel
lines.
i they fee North, their wives and children
WI oe ieit to star7e, as deeerters' families
get no aid from the rich; and this was held
up eycn to #rctched soldiers, aa terror:
and right eflectualiy did it operate. But tnoF
that these msn and their families are assured
of protection, If they escape, they come into
our anes BY the hundred. This know to be
true. At least fifty per day pass through
here, and many, under the recent orders-
over hall, perhaps, who come in-remain at
bomt.
Of the lossea in men, on the part OF the
rebels, think tho fo1lo wing table will bo
found nearly correct, 1t being taken from the
estimates made by Gen. Sherman himself: