Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-11-16
CONFEDERATE RELATIONS.

10 Wo LJ}&N1nfV " UtUyn, H0tO tH
SESSION.
CoEFEDERATf; RELATIONS.
Tie war is still waSe;l against the peo-
pie Of the Confederate States, by the gov
eminent Of the United States, with a vim
dic'iveneSa and cruelty which has few par
;l'o!s in history. For nearly four years we
have met the mighty assaults of the Fed
eraI armies, and have repulsed and driven
Them back on many hard fought tiell.-
We have lost important points. but none
which we cannot temporarily surrender to
the cnc,nv. aad, with good management,
tnaiy succeed. Atlanta was probably
the most vital point TO our success that has
be en- won by the superior numbers of the
enemy. Its fall was severe blow. and
tor "a time caused great dependency
among our people. | am happy to see,
however, that they are fast recovering
from depression, and confidence is being
restored.
At the time Of Gen. Sherman's march
from Dalton TO Atlanta we had large
force west Of the Mississippi Of as gallant
troops as ever faced an enemy. which had
been almost in state of inactivity since
our splendid victories in Louisiana last
spring had driven the enemy, except 4 few
garrisons. from that department. Major
Gen. Early is said to have force Of 90
900 men, Of the very best of the army in
Virginia, with which he had driven the Fed
cral General ont Of the valley of that State,
and pressed forward inio Maryland and
Pennsylvania, and remained there till his
presence provoked those and the adjoining
States to organize force sufficient to drive
him back and to threaten Richmond in
the rear. Gen. Forrest, with = large cav
airy forge, was operating in North Misss-
sippi, repclling raids from country that
had been nverrnn till there was bnt little
public property for the enemy to destroy {;
and Gen. Morgan was raiding in Kentucky.
While our forces were thus scattered from
Pennsylvania to Texas. General Sherman,
strengthened by a concentration of the
enemy firces from different departments,
vas steadily pressed forward to Atlanta,
the very heart and railroad centre Of the
Contoderacy, with a force sufficient, by
reason Of superior numbers, to continually
flank and drive back the-gallant army OF
Tennessee. During this whole calewign
Gen. Sherman's base Of supplies4ng ASH
vile and Louisville was hundreds s. miles
in his rear, and he was dependent u pom a
railroad constructed through an exceeding.
ly rough country, with bridges, cuyerts
and curves along its entire line. In this
condition. more than three hundred miles
from the border of Kentucky, in the mids,
OF an enemy's country, he was permitted
TO go forward, without serious interruption
in his rear, aud to accomplish his CRANE
design.
.Georgians, whose homes have beer
overrun, property destroyed and field,
laid waste, have naturally inquired, a.
doubtless the future historians will, VIII,
part of the large force unemployed ives
of the Mississippi was not brought to ait
the army of Tennessee during the summe
months! And why. when the enemy were
driven from the Valley of Virginia. til.
key points were not garrisoned and hel,
by part of Early; force, and the balanc
cent to Georgia. instead of the whole be
ing sent upon the campaign into Maryian.
and PENNSYLVANIA, which only served to sti
mp and unite Northern sentiment acains
us, snd to enable the Federal government
to'raise All additional force sufficient to driv
back the expedition with disaster to on
arms. If this whole force could he spare,
from Richmond to invade Pennsylvani;
might not part of it have held the Vale
of Virginia, and the balance been sent +
Georgia. And could not Forrest, even a
the expense Of temporary loss in Missis
sippi, have been sent to destroy the raj
roads in the rear, and stop the supplies 9
the Federal army? If we had adopte
the rule by which most great Generals i
such emergencies have succeeded, Of til
evacuation for the fine OF all points nc
absolutely vital. and the rapid and vigo1
ous concentration OF every soldier in til
Confederacy not necessary to held Ricl
mond and probably one or ether Ike
noints and fastened the whole to Atlant
pud to Sherman's rear, and hurled thel
anon him in his exposed and critical cor
.Iition, the repulse and rout. if not the dc
struction or capture, Of his army coul
. scarcely have been doubtful A nid. 'I n n
army was the only defence psov 19 o
the Federal government tor the " ", es'ei
States such a consummation would M
only have relieved Georgia, Iennesse
North Alabama and North M'ssss'Pl
from the presence of the enemy, ont
wonld have thrown open the gree
i;sldsv Of Kentucky, which have bee