Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-08
Rebel Views of Shermnn's and
Grants Movements.
sIERMAN's MOVEMENT.

The Mobile Register Of the 18th says:
From the information received up to this
hour, it looks as If the first judgement of
Gen. Polk, about the destination Of the enc.
my, was correct, and that he is really NOV
ing on Mobile. He was certainly at Enter
prise on Monday evening" and we have just
heard that he had made his appearance at
Quitman, ten miles further south. 1t is,
however, the opinion of the last officers,
and others, who left Meridian and Enter
prise, that Sherman's principal force is
pushing after Gen. Polk's retiring forces.
toward Demopolis. If the Yankee soldiers
are not like chameleons, and live on air, it
is difficult to see how they can march thirty
thousand men, and the horses for their
transportation and artillery through bar
rem country, and for such distance. The
twenty days rati0ns which they are said to
have started with are exhausted at least
the twenty days are gone. There Is moth
ing in the way down on which to
subsist man or beast They are said to
have had only five hundred wagons, and
Lee has destroyed some of these. But If
they cannot come on for lack Of food, nei-.
ther can they go back, unless trains come
out from Jackson to meet them. If Sher-
mon pushes on to the Bigbee river or up the
country toward Okolona or Columbus, there
he is to live coming this way, passes our
comprehension. Still the fact is that some
of his troops are coming this way. A day
or two must solve the mystery of his pur-
pose. ~N
Later and fuller information from above
relative to the late movements, induces us
to believe that Gen, Polk has acted with
prudence and energy with the means at his
command. The enemy certainly got the
start or him, and was in full march before
his scattered forces were got in hand. The
consequence was very rapid movements and
heavy work for our soldiers, causing the
usual loss of strength and spirits. But in
saving the public stores and other property,
and In getting all the railway transporta-
tion out of the enemy's reach, there has
been displayed extraordinary energy, re-
sulting in complete success. Everything
was saved at Meridian, including 1000 bales
Of Government cotton, several hundred
hogsheads of sugar, immense supplies Of
commissary, quartermaster and ordnance
stores. In this the General was seconded
by the energy and experience of Colonel
Fleming, the Superintendent of the Mobile
& Ohio railroad, who further succeeded in
removing all the moveable property of the
road, even the machine shop at Enterprise.
General Sherman Is making avery hazard
Gus movement, and one that could be turned
to his ruin by prompt and decisive measures
on the part of the Government. If re-
enforcement to Generals Polk and Maury
could be sent to make them strong enough
to meet the invader on his march, and de-
feat him, not only would his whole plan be
frustrated and the situation relieved, but
his capture or destruction would be COM
plete. This would give us surplus of
prisoners, and compel Butler to give up to
us the 10000 Confederate soldiers In his Gus
tody. Ten thousand additional troopshast-
ened down by the interior line of railways,
would be enough to accomplish this great
result and to deal the enemy the severest
blow Of the war.
We take it for granted that the Richmond
Government and Gen. Johnston are not
blind to the dangers Of this hostile move
ment If LEFT unopposed- and unobstrueted.
II ID easier TO strike the enemy before he
halts and begins % dig and burrow. After
that It win take a far heavier force to oust
him. But whatever the Government does,
/ our duty Is plain--to send Off the non-com-
batants, clear the decks and strip for the
fight. Besides our brave garrison of regu.