Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-12-17
Rharman at savannah.


Sherman at Savannah. !
There s no logger any doubt thai SHERMAN mas oon-
rived 10 get through Georgia. and 10 rsaoaa place Of
saIety for himself and his army. Il was 10 be hoped
thet be n izht be prevented from accomplishing even
that much; that be night be aOysd during his march
20 .ucA an o1tent As TO embArrAsI his foragng opera
lions and cut OF his supply OF foo that bis way might
Ia obstructsd and his progress npsded BY an eher-
Vs.e u,e of those means which lay opuleny ct HAND;
shAl the militia Of the county might gather In bis
'front.' on his aAnIs in his rear and hArrass bic weary
trOOps by night and by day. and that, anAy BY acc
ODatou of these pinous circumstances, he might
be brought to unlimelJ grief His apparently SLOW and
usud progress through Georgia gave iores and o. Tor
20 these expectations; tor whereas, according TO he
originally contemplated rate Of AdVALe', he SHOULD
nave reached Savannah in twenty days after CON-
uepcinE bis march, he did no! arrive before tlAt place
OH the expiration Of more than p0pth. de vas 90
law, twelve dsys, u long enough 20 match hundred
.1a y AN miles even al the slow rate adopted BY
pimselI. In Lhsse twelve days he might have been
demolished. had the nsAns above suggested been al
hand aud judOIously combined Tor the purpose. But
"A turns out Mai ShsrmAas eAloula ons we're, 70 GER
tain extent well iounasd aud that, for various TeA
sous which, no doubt, had been well weighed BY him,
!, v.s found impossible lot Us so 10 oonSsntra.s OCT
io,oss or 90 combine our IhJrts 70 Inv i've m IL
.ny ssriou4 danger. He has gOt through Georgia at
.s and that Without aaJ material loss. He s safely
..hIsA.d on the sea OJasG. TnaG nush, We pie sums
..,,lsd by The O4ptsrs of Fort MSAnistsE. And
,bs, ALI / r.isi 20 kHOW xiCtly LOW much iUjurl
"a has eted Is, - DO able ~ pFogbeshclte tho
eoutnssnt IesGl OIL h.s noVemsn even al lie max .
np of probabls tucCs AID 70 eel N ne with sppSoI
mate ureciAon the rsl4iVe advantages and dibAdVaH
,gss wing hOa his rsaoAl hLuEs OF nil try POI
~ 4. The 6,sG, 20 lad Mai abe Northern press and
lie H,r.he.a p,ople ware snlr.lJ ds!uSed ~ ihsh
eapscLonS OF - 5aOrdhary results 70 DO achieved ny
S,usFal Susrmsn's army DANG - march. TAo cay
,u,s a n ~ AAd AuguJa not illustrate Abe III
tofV Of th.s grSad laOysasn; bOr ssrs the Federal
D. s0nsrs IrloAsea irOm CAPTIVITY II these formed ANY
part Il shel MS plan, his eampA'ga has been SnsH
,b. tAaurs ~ they not taken into account the
r,st mAsa Gas comparatively Pointless, and had, il
.s.d fan M Sqs the character OF retreat than Of an
,nvasoa. Neither has Sherman succeeded In perma-
o.u ~ seVerng, o. materially njnring, any o.
ous lines Of communication. The straHgAt Of the
SeV York Tines VINO accompanied him Oh an inagi-
,ary thu np'al progress through Georgia and South
CAROLYN; assisted him in CAp:uring Augusta and
IL ,rlss1on; btlpSd hin ~ break up our rail.
0.d ,opnsc,iOn o. BfAnChVilh, and 6nal established
h,r c,m,orsably az GfsSnsbOrOush, mSat be very
c, d,ssus.td TO c ,Tsr thai n Was all nothing buL
-, Aim, rbav d.y dream; aud that SleImAn Was Sc
N, r,ius 10 uje pursuil until he ,culd cOmmuni-
halara fha
o,ratiysiV , unmpor,SDt city Of Savannah. Ia fact,
instead Of cutting 81 our Communication with tht
o,lf States. Sherman has restored to us that main
ma Vasty more important than all the Others for The
oo..ssaiou of uhicEhe fought so many battles, AID
r,o.ssusd so long and so weary mp'igB. He
p,e7 m all The country firm the Tennessee to the
0,san aud the Gulf almost the whole OF the COT quests
a. nearly four years Of bloody stIuggs-Snd expects
n vsIn IN exchange, a seaport which has been for
Ion, lima elosed--Whieh commands nothing tISp. .
ANAL area Of mArshy rice land and which can serve,
At best only as bse for the renewal from ths ocean
aide OF the ssieme Of rest which has confessed
failed from ths mountain side Of the Oonisdsraey.-
An of which would be- In Iff,ct, so rGconmsnoe an.
other four years Of var. Aud Savannah 10 not taken
vet, The fall Of Fort hOAll;ster doss not BY any
means involve the fall oil Savannah. That post Waf
intended o guard Che OSschse river 'gan,t the land
ing of YANKEES aruy approaching Savannah from that
aide. A, sooa a. Sh arrived before the FORT il
ceased to serve any such purPoe. !; vas his way
only a. il prevented him rom communicating With his
acct. Il could not b, held against him except by
6ghtins til. battle for it; aud it vas not Of SUI.
6sisnt eons,Q ,enes TO warrant such risk Sherman
. noS, " suppose, begin the siege Of Savannah
OF uhat th Yrnkees call siege; that ID to GHy, he
gill establish him ELF before is and Try to take is in
some cay We do not think he can carry II BY E'
sault, and IL hs cannot Gu oG oomnunieatiOn aud
completely Invest IL, us 60 not see 10" he ear
lure IL a ALL Bat Savannah is not tie OonfsdeTsoy
nor yet Georges, nor yet any hing more than imply
Savannah; aud it, cap urs would count about Ss much
OUrdS the conquest Of the s1utb IS tbS sapturS Of
OaicasO towards the cOLquest OF the North,