Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-03-12
The Strategic Trlsagle of the South.
west--The tlrand Csmpalgn New
Opening.

rhose whp iii the affairs Of the war. arr
able 10 look somewhat beyond the active
Siluctiaa ca the ntiiifary chess board. and
| reason on the eaEacs of Hew moves and cum.
hinations, wossid do well 10 direct their at.
feation t0 the campaign now opening in the
SOUTHWEST Uhiess VIC greatly misjulge
reasonable success in the operations last
set on foot in that quarter, mast have the
effss.t Ia Bring about cnmplcte change in
the GENERAL military programme. If the
Interpretation NO give these epcrations be
correct. they form pcrhsrs the granicst,
boklest, and, by right, saost dtsisire move Of
the war. s
That NC may grim just appreciation at
the lrarings ot thc neW eamlaign ia the
South WcSt, irt ~ glance nlomens al the
situatian at affsirs on that theatre Of war,
where the ret,eilioH presents is most Iorlni-
datlse frslRi aud where ccitfessetlly. mt the
same litae the t,lp9s that arr 10 crush u
J lntsi he given. We Rsea,l Of eeaisa. Ia
Northern tsenrgia the kry To which Is new
! held b. Gen, Grant at Chattanooga.
The sitnalion AT Chattanooga Is peculiar.
/ t;en Grant finds himself l,lacrd on a line 81
/ operations If the higliest strategic Naiac,
I and vet ~ tireanastanccd as to render tex
I trerneIy difficult 10 turn his advantages to
account. The overwhelmingly ativan.
/ tnge Of Chattanooga are well known TO all
Intelligent readers Itself an impregnable
position, il gives possession OF the great
! mountnia rcgiep dividing the Eastern from
tire Western theatre of war, holds one of the
two naaim lines of rei,el communication he
tween the fwu zones. and forces the enemy
back 20 the States bordering ON the Atlan-
! tic and the GHif
i so mneh for is aslYanlages. The disaa-
vantages are the eiaormetls prolongatioH OF
/ the line connecting the front of operations
with the base OF supplies, the imperfect
character Of the COMMUNICATIONS, the con
segment difficulty Of subsisting largo RIree
NJ Chasfanooga. and tho stiit greater tlifEi-
Guilty Of accommodating sufficient supplies To
make long and severe campaign ia the
t;nlf States This embarrassment Il Island
mot the rebel army, that has formed the
grand obstacle 10 Gen. Grant advance into
Geeseia. xss
OF this fact We have striking sxemplifiea,
ton Ia iatcseyents. Joe Jshaston, a month
ago, withdisew his army from the position Il
kisad held TO bar the advance Of the Union
army throagI. the ds5oackcs of tle noun.
tainsinfo Northern Georgia. The gate fer ihs
possessioa Of which II ksd bcen supposed
the first grand conflict af the spring cam.
paign woHh lie made. bars been voluntarily
ahandoaed by the rcbels Yet ticn Gran,
II utterly unable to take advantage Of tlIis
withdrawal. and this. simply from the Eaei
that he has already iEn ganeil aiiiiculty. n
sustaining bis army whore Il i, without
advancing L . mile further away from IL
base
L has. - taet, by syssxy ono giflcd with
any eapacitysfor military proyisina, beer
Fscogpized rs necessary condition. prece-
dent 10 any advance from Chattanooga
which should look 20 grent decisive alteYiaI
results, that = water-base be opened np
whence powerful c0lamn sheuld march
10 esaaee With and siprort tie Enien ar.
my advancing FROM Chattanooga. There
are bat two possible poissss ut which such 4
watsf- base could be opened up. The ois
II Oh The Atlantic coast, at The etibonchars
, Of tho Saeaanah river SO
The Gnsannah would give watcr high.
way nayIgabse al 81 Aagusta, a., al Which
point Al aiFnneiBa a0inlnn would tap tbs
great SpEfhern litig Of railroad eO.nmnnica,
tioIi--tisr Hcefefn and kfmnsle railroad
which woald hFiae lbam into elective co,
operating relations with the array adyane.
Tag eoufbRam from Chattanooga. FheFs
hre ssye siiffieaisiee Cd doing this: hret. tl,s
rshel dslsnens 81 the Savannah River
Z IRhieh $40 hpweTkr &c n.issf .eonsidern,
tioak nlle eee0nalys and neiahtier By far
the esirsme distance ~ this point ffBsa tbs
ecrtree which troops faast be drawn 70 &c
feet the opsrstilh, snd the disadvantage II
which this ealFnsp Hpafd operate By beine
plagfed on "a exiefief position.
4 The ether point 81 mhiek 4 ssafeF.hase
fasf IN fisss.slssl an Il IN fha Cali and a.
saifet pf tho pEpgFsHl ne qf gpf4etipns now
m Ser tzsen<son II 80 N4flINeS6
ifpsn e many Hiiereat points, afe nov IN.
der way Ia he HDafhnssf a YeFs eower.
siuleaFslfy cegsssn rad e eniamand & Gems