New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-11-25
GENERAL smERnAN's CAMPAIGN

The news from Gen. Sherman Is vague and
imperfect, but very interesting. 1t Is certain
TIA, on Saturday or Sunday last-tho accounts
difer-hc was within eighteen miles Of Macon,
and that up to that point his march had been
unopposed. 1t is further reported that col
umn, probably Of cavalry, had entered Mil
ledgevile, and captured among Othor trophies,
mart of the Georgia Legislature, which was in
session. The admission by the Richmond pa.
pers of Shermans presence near Macon Oh the
18th shows with what steadinesS the plan Of
his march had thus for been accomplished.
| He started On the 18th from Atlanta, and ex'
pected to move on an average fifteen miles g
day. Macon is lOi mncs from Atlana-just
seven days march; and it appears that tho
army had actually accomplished very nearly
that precise rate. OF course there can haze
been no opposition whatever to their advance.
Now fifteen miles day, which the order OF
Gen. Sherman prescribes for his troops, is e1-
tremely rapid travelling for column forty thou
sand strong; and it is especially difficult for
such column to get over that distance in the
beginning Of its progress. An army is Ike q
machine, or rather it is machine and its differ.
ent parts do not all at once when the steam Is
first lot on move smoothly together. The fact,
therefore, that Sherman has at the very outset
brought his army along on schedule time. IL
proof enough how perfectly it is organized. and
low completely this magnificent body OF veie-
rams has become nodded into the expression Of
one mans irresistible purpose.
, We have no doubt that Gen. Sherman
reached, and little doubt that he occupied
Macon without q contest early in the present
week Something has been said Of the forces
under MesMs. Howell Cobb and GustayuS
Smith, but the armies which those leaders
marshal, are, if they have any existence out of
the Richmond papers, wholly composed Of
Georgia militia; class of troops never men
toned in the Rebel press without contempt,
except when they become the only resource Tor
terrifying the North. On such occasions they
answer well enough for scarecrows, but
We do not apprebend that it is either
feared or expected that these warriors will
seriously try 10 interfere with Gen. Sherman.
The delenses, so called, Of Macon may OF may
not be considerable, but they will not be held
against Sherman by Georgia militia. 1t is worth
reinarking, further, that in the same papers
which threaten disaster 10 Sherman ct the hands
Of these vegabonds, the spirit and even the
disposition OF the Georgians are sharply re-
preached. Tie Richmond Scn,ind coniesscs to
an apprehension that the people there will not
exhibit spirit and devotion suitable TO the
OCCASION" Georgia "has been distracted
| By bad politicians. -. The course pur-
sued by Gov. Brown and others is doing a
great deal OF mischief. E. Tho Con-
iederate authorities lie iInpedes at every step
of their legitimate duty. .... Georgia is not
ready, We fear, for the shock that is upon
her," And much more TO the same effect,
which, if less important with reference TO the
question how much Howell Cobb's leyies arc
good for, is significant Of the probable tact. as.
sent By the people Of Georgia to the passage Of
Gen. Sherman. The State has always been
noted for lukewarmness in the Rebellion.
Georgia troops arc not deemed much more
Trustworthy than those from North Carolina.
The State contains many Northorners, and is
imbued with much OF the manufacturing and
commercial spirit which those emigrants carried
with them from their busy homes in New.
England Such people will not be swift
70 destroy their property OF the approach
Of An army which they ere more than
half inclined to regard with friendly feelings.
They are not the people to burn provisions oyer
breadth Of fifty or o hundred uliles--for Gen.
Sheyman's long arm is likely to reach in some
cases even to tho latter ehtont, and it will be
impossible TO anticipate his arrival and to make
barren the country through which he shall pass
unless almost the whole Of Southern Georgia is
laid waste. We DO not believe its inhabitants
capable of or disposed for such wholesale de-
struction Of their property. II, on the other
hand, IN attempt il made, as suggested by one
Of the Richmond papers, to enforce by military
authority, or by help Of what is called law, a
measure Of such reckless desperation as this,
would be, it is likely to DO met BY
general resistance, and to convert the
present indifference Of the Georgians into active
hostility to the Richmond Government. And
We may assume, in estimating the difficulties
Of sherman's march, that his course lies amongI
two populations, perhaps nearly equal in n1m.