Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1864-11-23
How Thomas is watching B.sursgord
and Hood.

hnu
The Nashville correspondent Of the Ciuciu-
natl Commercial thus describes the relative
positions of the armies Of Hood and Thomas
"Iiood, finding the crossings and fords Of
the Tennessee all viglantly wstched, dis.
patched hs entire mounted force under Forrest
and Wheeler to atlentt a crossing at or near
Johnsonvile, while with his infantry he ma
nnuvres in the country between Memphis snd
| the Tennessee river. The mounted forces IN.
der Forrest succeeded In capturing few Of
our gunboats and transports at and about
| Johnsonyillc, and before reinforcements dis
| patched by Gen. schofeld could reach them,
succeeded in frightening the garrison OF the
place, by firing rapidly shot and shell from
| few batteries planted In uncomfortably close
quarters to our men. The commanding officer,
| whose name Ia unimportant, thinking the
whole force Of the rebel army was confronting
| him, and fearing lest the vast amount Of sup
| plies there accumulated should fall into their
hands, ordered the torch 10 be applied, and In
L a short time the flames were wrapped about
the huge pile Of stores; and, though some
were afterward saved, the bulk Of them were
| soon pile Of ashes. This destruction Of prop
| erty would not be understood to claim was
useless or unnecessary, for the true facts have
not been made known. Certain 1t is that II is
| far better that the Government should have de-
stroyed them, than that they should have been
turned over TO the rebel commissariee, who
no doubt would have been quite willing to
receipt for them in bulk
Though the stores were destroyed, the place
was not captured, and our forces, reinforced,
now hold the post. This place, 1t must be re-
membcred, is on the Tennessee river, an exten-
stve depot Of supplies, about seventy miles
from Nashville. A railroad 10 Nashville has
been built, and the great bulk Of the stores for
the vast armyat the front are handled at this
depot. The rebel horse chieftaiu evidently
knew where and when To strike. From John
sonville, Forrest having failed in his main
effort, namely, the capture of the place and
| stores-moved, and after extensive depreda-
| lions In the country about, rejoined the main
| army, now operating about Corinth, Holly
Springs, and Memphis. The possession Of
| this country, already so thoroughly devastated
| by the armies that have marched forward and
In retreat over its extended plains, can hardly
be considered as great gain for so much exer-
| tion, or as a sufficient reward for the great
loss that ere long will be demonstrated to be
the result of the transfer OF that vast army
from Southern Georgia to Middle and West
! Tennessee.
| "Gen. Thomas, on the north bank OF the
Tennessee, has so disposed his forces as to be
the master of the situation, and let Hood or
Beauregsrd dispose their armies as they may,
they will find ready to meet them force COM
petent to meet their wants; forces, too, that
have confronted them before, In some OF the
most stubbornly contested nelds In Northern or
| Cherokee Georgia.
| The Tennessee river, from the Ohio TO the
northern boundaries OF Mississippi and Ala.
bama, runs nearly south. Near the Shoals 1t
makes grand curve, and thence to ChAtta.
nooga runs nearly due east. The extremities
OF this curve or arc of circle are nearly equi.
distant from Pulaski, hence this affords a fine
point for the concentration of the reserves
And here is to be found large force of Gen
Thomas's army. All the main points Of the
river are guarded, and from Pulaski a force
needed to strengthen any threatened point car
easily and speedily be thrown"