The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-05
THE POSSIBLE RESULTS OF GENERAL
SBERAsAN'S CAMPAIGS


In the absorbing interest Of the Virginia cam
phign so near 10 US, the public have hardly taken
,in the full import OF tina. other great advance
which has carried our armies into the heart Of
Georgia.
As time develops GeReyM Grants plan of
strategy, il isseen on how grand Il scale Il was,
and how immensely the usually uncertain chances
Of war are in it. favor. In May, he opeued his
campaign by fotr different attacks on two vital
points Ot the eDemy's lines.
Tbrve armies, destined ultimately 90 concen-
trate, were directed against Ice and Richmond
one on the Rshdan, Que on the James aud
one in the valley, TO I've strengthened by the fur
ther nnOn OF Crooks, Aveulrs, and the Ken
tucky oetachnent. iatGnded 10 strike a. Lynch
burg-the side door tO Richmond. A. the same
time. CeDCral Sb an vas started Ou his diili-
cult campaign inEo tho very centre OF tue Rebel
territory.
Should any one Of these various attacks fail
and the res, spectcd. or three fa and Que be sue
eessful, the game wds ia Giants hands. II
GeneTGl buter had AZ on, q captured Pecrsburg-
as be came 90 near o. npshiug-RtchInOnd
would bRye been nssaied IA the rear, aud its
eyacnAFAon ultimately insured. Or, if Sigel and
HIS ailiee had 0oc pied aud fortified Lynchburg
the mos important LINKS between Lee : army aud
the South wUuld havs been cut, and Rtshm md
really separte from that portion OF Yirsinia;
and General Grants uldmats mDyement sOlth
Of the James wOuld have almost conple;od its
practical investment.
OF fcourse, witt the success Of General Graat's
main army, all would have beeu lost 10 the
Rebels. But with the incomplete success Of the
Virginia campaign, or m indecisve result aud,
at the same dme, the victory Of General Sher-
mans army over Johnston's army Ia Georgia.
and the capture OF Atlanta, the great campaign
was still sHccessful. So that even now, II Gene
raj Grant accomplished nothing but u wearing
siege OF Richmond and gradual cutting of Lees
communications-with Sherman victorious, the
game Is his.
II must be remembered the most important
strategic line OF the country has been won for U5
by Bnrnsides Campaign of last year-the Eas
Tennessee line-and on that line, after few
weeks repairing of bridges and relaying rails
General Sherman can retrans port the great body
OF his magnificent army within thirty miles o.
Lynchburg, and be in Lees rear.
Nothing could prevent the transfer IN few
days of 10000 or $4,000 of the best Boders on
this continent, nushed with victory, and under a
General scarcely second 70 any, 10 fall upon the
Rebel line OF communications and pne Lee
between two fires. or course the shilful Rebel
General would al once attempt TO evacuAte ViT-
ginia and transfer the war 20 North Carolina, but
the evacuation Of Virginia is a loss from which
the Confederacy could never recover.
We see In the light of this possible movement
the peculiar importance OF Lynchburg, for which
both parties have commended 80 vigorously IL is
the fortified entrance 70 the East Tennessee line
OF communication. Such a grand transfer OF
troops could only DO made, OF coarse, after Geor-
sa was thoroughly conquered, but, in that
, event, twenty thousand men might be enough TO
bold the State.
But General Sherman has still other possible
movements which would equally wear out the
Coniederacy. II successful In taking Atlanta he
can press on 10 Augusta, march down the
Savannah river, and assall Savannah In the rear.
Ihere are only soulo twelve miles, We believe, oi