The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1864-03-19
The Expedition Of Gen. Sherman.
From the Nashville Union, March 9Th.

lrgV4u Suc NusuSIlAe Union, Maren CtO1
The mystery which has so long sbrouded
the designs Of Gen. Sherman is beginoing
to be dispelled by the course Of events.
That be is now retiring leisurely to Vicks-
burg, without the least apprehension of
danger, appears 20 be settled.
The question, then, naturally arises {:
What weIe bis designs, and how far was be
enabled to accomplish his purpose? And
preparatory to answering, it will be neces.
sary to briefly refer to the situation of af.
fairs in Mississippi.
The farmers of the northern and central
portions of the State, relying on Federal
advance, and feeling secure on account of
their isolation, from rebel impressments,
bad planted largely, both of corn and pota.
toes but Notwithstanding the.hoped for
immunity, no sooner had the crops matured
than heavy cavalry force, under Lee and
Forrest, was sent thitber to gather them
and send them to railroad stations for trans
portation to Georgia. The subsistence thus
obtained was a matter of the 6rst import.
ance to the rebels, and we'll did the Rich.
mood Whig declare that to cut these of
would be to damage them more than to win
victory.
In the next place, the railroad from SCI.
ma to the Big Black was in running order,
aud We have reason to believe that it was
meditated at Richmond, to seize and held
some point on the Mississippi; at least to
hold it long enough to interrupt communi-
cation for soue time, aud perhaps to draw
reinforcement from Arkansas and Texas
In the attempt they must have failed but
q large force would have been necessary in
order to thwart taeir designs. Indeed
few thousand rebel troops. juciciously dis
tributed, might keep large force employed
in defending the banks of the river.
The expedition Of Sherman has not onl,
cut off the rebel supplies to which We have
referred, but it has also rendered an attack
on any part of the Mississippi un,enabl.
Tie destruction of the railroad to the Tom.
bigbee, is better than defending force of
twenty thousand men.
The road has been effectually destroyed.
Bridges, ties and culverts were burned, and
rails bent SO as to render them worthless
and We are all aware there are no facilities
in Dixie to replace them indeed, We doub,
il, under any circumstances, the road could
be put in running order under four months
But this was not all. The extension Of
this road was destroyed AS far as the Tom.
bigbee, and perhaps farther. though We have
no positive information upon that point.
and the Mobile & Ohio road was rendered
equally worthless, as far south as Quitman,
and to place twehty miles north of Meridian
This will effectually cut of the corn fields
Of North Mississippi, and will end all ap.
prehensions of rebel raid on the Missis. |
sippi river.
II is almost certain that Sherman would |
have penetrated as far as Montgomery, had |
not the expeditions of Smith aud Grierson
failed, and rendered comu uunica:ion with |
the Tennessee river impossible. Much has
been lost BY that failure but With this
drawback, Sherman's expedition has been
productive of as many advantages As any
other since the war began.
We will also refer to one thing more it
effected. 1t is not now out of place to re-
fer to the weakness Of our army during the
winter, on account of the absence Of two
thirds of the men on veteran furlouehs the
return Of the greater portion of these
troops, With the arrival Of large bodies Of
recruits, has rendered it useless to bold the
secret logger. The diversion created BY
Sherman prevented johnson from attempt
ing to take any advantage Of our weakness;
and if nothing but this had been accom-
plished, the expedition would not only have
been fully justified, but absolutely demand
ed.