Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-12-28

Nimeaha got within hsiiiDg Iisiance. hut
the flag fuler eonhI nor Us upaRrded
any further. II
The n.xs ~ss s,on told. Snermah bad
captured FIri AcAliisfer. and reopened
communication, and settled quietly down
to prosecute the siege ofSavanDsb The
history of the grand march rs related by
the intelligent scouts, whose nRrTations |
sent you in my last, was confirmed IN
every particular. No fghting-modcrdie
neutrality-suspicious. lying-whoie rail-
road lines taken up and smashed-the
militsry Shell of GeoTgia shst,ered info
as MANY fragments - an army with the
most higtly cultivated organs Of desrruc
i~iveness cared 10 produce, with every i'm
p~lsnent Ihey could desire, and ~ith all
The leIzIre they mad any use iOr.
SHERMAN DEscENDs THE oGEEcuEs.
On Wednesday''morn;ng. the 18th inst,
Gen. Saerm,u came down the Oseeci-e
River in e small boat. captured on that
s;resm He was received on board of the
Nimea!ia, where he Was most cordially
greeted by Gen Ester and Admiral Dahl
gren. Sherman looked \ littIe Ius;y, ami
wore The same dropping round ton fslt ha;
which was Observable for not being new
when ne dInked Atlanta; hut he WAS in
buoysnt spirits, and laughed ard chaited
rs only a man OF his s%aDguins traits can
He said lhat the resistance OF his march
9as less than lie anticipated. The enc
nv mad nibb!ed a Little of his advance
guards and io.aging parties, bur avoided
fighting with great perseverance, he
had roamed the heart Of Georgia for a
month. his army mad lived iuxurisntiy
off the necessities of Lees aud HooPs ar
mics. and he had destIoyrd railroads.
beyond repair during the var AL this
he hsd done. wirhou. the loss of a thou
sand men. The whore story OF his march
could be sum'ned up in Il few worrs: he
had not only accomplished every thing
ne had deemed probable, but many
things which We're simply possible
Among the latter was the capture of
Savannah; now he was certain of the city,
with strong hopes OF its garrison.
Gen. Sherman remained in consulta-
ton with Gen. Foster and Admiral Dahl
gren for several hours, during which time
of course, plans for the CO operation OF
Fosters army and the feet Was arranged.
| have il, on the authority of one who
heard the remark, that all the navy IN
the world could not. unsided, capture
Savannah. About 3 o'clock on Welnes
day afternoon, Sherman returned up the
0geechee River, and rejoined his army.
Sherman's army stretches from the So
vsnnah River TO the 0geechee River. west
of the city, and there IS to be found the
frmest ground in the approaches. East
and south OF the city. Sre rics-felds,
which, always marshy, are low probably
1-1-l,-- , @ q .nAuua e .Iafanrn It's
possible that Sherman may find a route
around the city by which be can attack
the water batteries below Savannah. but
i, Is d"u5sfnl whether he can maneuver
a large force in that direction. We have
a large feet of iron clads and gunboats IN
the Savannah River. which is ready to CO.
loperate from below. Il is = significant
fact that all the available gunboats in this
vicinity have joined the feet during the
last two nights.
rus CAPTURE oP PORT MlcALLIsrER.
On the 18th inst. Hszen's division
commanded by General Shermt IN him
self formerly. of the 18th Corps, was or
dered 10 storm Fort Macallisler, sitter "a
demand for is surrender had been refus
ed. The charge was made in column at
the double quick, and in less thar fifteen
minutes from the time the word to storm
was given. our flag ioatsd from the fort,
which is strongly built OF sand. with deep
bitches and massive parapets. The garri
son., consisting of three hundred men. |
were captured, together with twenty-th three
line guns of heavy caliber. The loss of
the division in the charge was seventy
killed and wounded. The great strength
of Fort Macaliister renders its capture by
storm a feat of arms second to no vslor-
Gus achievement of the war. Il was Gen.
ttaz=u's division that bore the brunt of
Hardee's attack upon our right at Jones'
boto, the day before the rebel evacuation
Of Atlanta, 30 its talent for defence and
ofsnse is pretty firmly established. Gen
Sherman may be justly proud TO say, as
he did in describing the assault, THAT
was once ny own division"
snERxAS's POSITION AROUND y
General Sherman feels certain that So
yannah is bis legitimate property. and the
position of his forces sround Il at this mo
ment would seem fully to justify his an
ticipatiOns. The main body of his army
IS on the west of the city, stretching
around it somewhat on the south. He
has passed a body Of iVantry north Of The Sa
vaandh River, he only direction Of escape for
The garrison. Il
The situation is simply this: Sherman.
with an army of veterans, ~outnumberine
the garrison, four { one-perhaps more
is beleaguering Savannah, holding all the
railroad communications. and has passed
a body of troops north of the Savannah
River, almost directly in the rear of the
force which has been confronting General
Foster at Pocotaligo, and hindered a sci
cure of the Charleston and Savannah Rail |
rold north of the river. The only avenue
for the garrison 10 escape. is over a marshy
country, between Fosters army, near Po-
cotaligo, and Sherman's force, north of the
Savannah River. and it is only through
this interval (which may at any moment
be closed). that further reinforcements OF
supplies can enter Savannah. Siucs the
war began we have never had such i'm +!
mense advantages over the garrison of any
city in the South. At the very initiation
Of the Investment, We hold all railroads
and have very nearly closed all outlet and
inlet. Military writers would call this q
start.
The defences of Savannah consist OF in
rer and outer lines, the works on the west
and south having been built deliberately
and with care, long before the city was
seriously endangered. The outer line is
between three and four miles from the
city, and can not be very tenaciously held
by a garrison SO overwhelmingly outnum-
bered. The garrison can not be well sup
piled. for long before Sherman approached
the city, he had cut all its railroads except
the Gulf line and the Charleston line
The former is a branch road, and could
little in men and means, and
the capacity of the latter is limited.
The water batteries below Savannah are
Cd the south side of the river, and are
liable to fall as Fort McAllister fell. pro
vided enough firm and can be found in
the rear of them to permit the movement
of a sufficient body of troops.
suERNAS's NEW BASE.