The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-06
oRJnrTs OF sHERMAN.s INVASION.

Frou the Times.
We are not Of those who expected vast adyau-
tages from General shcrmans advance through
Georgia, viewed merely as a raid.
Georgia is undoubtedly the granary Of the
Confederacy, and to destroy its haryests will
cripple Lees army this winter. The carrying Off
of cattle and horses will besides lame the trans
porting power of the Rebel COnfcdcracy All
these are benefits Of some importance which we
shall derive from Sherman's invasion.
But on the other hand the Confederacy Is
essentially an agricultural State. Vast OrCadlhs
of land in South Carolina, Eastern Georgia, and
North CMOina, formerly planted with cotton,
have been, during the last year, sOwn with wheat
and corn. II Will be exceedingly difficult to
suarve out such u community.
Again, q destructive invasion of this kind
creates vast number of new enemies. Every
man robbed ana stripped by the temp est of de-
struCtiOn now sweeping through Georgia, Is
henceforth hundred-fold more bitter hater OF
the North and he Union than ever before. All
doubtful and lukewaTm SOuthernerS in that s tate
have undoubtedly become now intense SGCes-
siOnists 1t is Just as il would be here if Lee
should sweep the banks of the Hudson in broad
track Of desOluliOn from Albany to New York,
leaving nothing but blackened homestcads and
wasted farms.
There would be but one effect. Every Copper
head would become at once violent UniOnist,
even perhaps q "black AbOlitOniEt." Patriotism,
hatred Of the invader, would be tenfOld more
strong; for there is a certain limit, beyond which
If you injure man, nothing is left but hate and
despair. Every raid into South or North has a
tendency, without question, "to encourage enlist
ments" on the other side
Still, these are the necessary evils of war. II
solidtes each side. A people like the AuglO-
American could never be reduced to submission
by burning their barns rplundering their houses.
Tue sole and the grand importance OF the in
vssion of Sherman we hold 10 be its military
aim. The cities on his line OF march are OF no
consequence 10 him, unless he can destroy their
depOts of supplies aud their arsenals. Savannah
itself is of little importance, in military point Of
view. The great ends gained by his bold move
ment will be dissection OF the great Southern rail.
road system, the large force Of able-bodied
negroes he may acquire, both for further military
and pioneer purposes, and, above ALL the intu-
eLce he will at once exert on the Virginia cam.
paign.
General Sherman, we may be sure, with his
long head, is aiming at something more than
burning towns, grain, corn-cribs, or capturing
useless cities. He is, besides, only lieutenant
Of General Grant; his movement is merely part
of the great strategic plan which covers the whole
country.
Having gained new base on the Georgia
coast, repToyisiOned his trains, renewed his am
munition, and rested his men, we may con-
fdently expect that his next movement will Oe
nOTthward. He may even pass by Savannah and
Charleston both, make new base at Bulls Bay,
and a secondary base at Brauchyille, and then
easily hold both lines Of the Rebel railroad sys-
lem, the upper and lower.
From this point he could easily operate towards
North Carolina, sweeping the country before
him, until he had formed new base on the North
Carolina coast, and begun his grand final march
into Virginia and the rear OF Lee.
This would be the closing act Of the Rebellion,
and Lee would be placed in even worse position
| than was CORVALLIS nc yorktown.
One cOHtetempS, however, might occur, which
these supposed movements could not prevent.
! If Hood should break through into East rennes-
see, there would be new link of communca-
! tiOn found between the eastern and western Sec
! tions Of the COnfederacy. Lee could be rein
| forced from the west, or he could retreat to the
mountains and transfer the war to Tennessee
! and Kentucky. We must hope that General
| Thomas will put stop 20 any such Concentra-
! tion, aud that that important mountain region
! will still be held by our forces.