Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-04-13
The Next Advance.

Some Of our Southern exchanges express the opinion
that the first great movement Of the approaching cam
pagn will be an advance by the Yankees upon Atlanta,
with the design of cutting the 0OnederAcy in two In
that direction. They point especially to the fact that
the Yankees are Strengthening their works at Chata
nooga. That they are doing would, perhaps, as
much indicate an intention to place tina. position in
condition to be held by reduced force as to make it
a base Of operations In an invasion OF Georgia
Removed to such distance from their real base at
Louisville KY, every step In that direction but multi
plies their difficulties in keeping open such extended
line of communications. Already the line Of the Mem.
phs and Charleston Z. R. Is abandoned by them. The
Tennessee river will not furnish navigation masy weeks
longer for their boats and the railroads in Kentucky
and Tennessee, communicating With Nashville and
Chattanooga, are liable at any moment to, and are
threatened even now With, serious interruption. Toe
late experiences of Sherman and Seymour are by no
means encouraging to them to venture far from their
gunboats and forsi6cations. IL s,ssippi, without
opposition from our forces one of the best equipped
expeditions OF the war was compelled sullenly to re-
trace its steps overcome simply by the magnificent
distances" of territory. In florida their superior
Numbers were panic stricken and routed by compare
lively small Confederate force when removed from the
immediate vicinity Of their sronghods of retreat. In
Georgia they would encounter obstacles In their 'front.'
and embaassments in their rear with which the exped
tons We havs named can bear no comparison. They
are aware Of these difficulties and doubtless design
holding merely al amy Of observation in upper
Georgia. with view simply of preventing invasion
Of Tennessee and Kentucky by Johnston.
r. L r..
another grand Ga to Richmond" movement will open
tue campaign The three great objects in the Yankee
programme for suoduing the South from the outset
have been, the complete blockade of our ports, the
capture of Richmond and the possession of the Mis-
sissippi river. All their movements have tended 10
these performances Through the inmical neutrality
OF European nations in the case and the incompe
teney Of two Of our Generals in the other they have
in measure succeeded in accomplishing two of these
objects. Yet at the beginning of the fourth year of
the war they have scarcely progressed fuiiher toward
the capture Of Richmond than at the outset. Seven Of
their Generals each idol in turu, have successfully
failed most dissstrousy in this undertaking. Grant,
the last idol Of YAnkeedom, has made his "headquar-
tiers in the Asld" With tho Army of the Potomac. Al
ready the voice OF fame has trumpeted his Western
victories throughout the North and Earope, until all
eyes turned upon him the military rival of
inVincible Lse. Two additional army corps from the
West have already to him. and others are on the
way. Burnside Is equippng at Annapolis and Philadel
phia, While changes going At Fortress Monroe,
which indicate taO cO-Operas<og movements. It is
clear that these cannot be intended 10 act on Atlanta
Bus they pOilt to grand movement in this direction;
and make IL elaaP that Virrina will he tina theatre f
the most active campaign of this year, and Richmond
again DO the stake which the Yankees WILL make
another desperate effort to secure.