The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-12-31

better to bring along the superfous hcyses.
TEE GREAT RESULT. !.
! If Sherman passes Savannah and. cctsl es
to the coast for supplies, his hardest bt,svs
win have been simply suspended. IT tis!not
now, perhaps. that the tremendous iDfh<y
be has done the rebel cause IL apparai,s =
True, he has abandoned Atlanta-that Is.
he has refused TO ho.d point which y i'd
ceased to have any military signif "a Se
The rebel armies, supplied as they ART ~
tithes collected over vast extent o. IL Vi
tory, and with the assistance Of gresk u: ses
Of railroad, are peculiarly vulneraaA An
their communications. We cut tbs W
2 wilted pear. Il
The railroads leading from Atlants Ia AZ
already badly cut, it only renal I'D ITO
burn the manusactorses and foundt ier,tO
divest the place Of the slightest nc iltNty
significance. We have the evidence af the
enemy that the City Of Atlanta has 'lmt,st
ceased to exist. It's depots are in .uiss;
heaps, and its iar-reaching iron arms after
suffering paralysis, have. been rutttessly
We have only to suppose that lsood's
army had remained confronting Shet man
south Of Atlanta, to see a. once how es and
II the conqueror OF Georgia has employed
his cppor unity: It was, undoubf sdly.
, .
plunge on his rear, TO iortisy Atlants and
use 1t a. secondary base in . CAM sNign
for the last great rebel line Of rail cot mu-
nication-that running through Macsn.-
Had Hood remained 10 oppose this nfve-
ment, i: is not certain that We should lave
reached il this winter. As 1t is, SheYfnan
has not only reached it, but spent fouy de-
branches, and, at the moment / wYitk, he
IS fastening a fatal girdle Of vetetens
around Savannah. That city capture6. he
can operate from q secure base against
Augusta and Charleston, and render GER
tain the permanent severance Of the tail.
roads he has just uproo;ed.
Hood has made a counter advance, but
We have not heard that be has any Fort
Royal harbors on the Cam berland or Ohio
River for repose and reirvigoration. Time
VIII prove thar hts movement into Midnle
Tenneesee was the sheerest folly Of the
war. He has no immediate line Of railway
communication, and could no: protect Z II
he had. He is not opposed BY m army
raised in fortnight from invalids, minors,
valetudinariaus, and worst Of all, civil ex.
empss. HdEhas no certain communication
with his War Department. II he retreats
toward Corinth, the last Of these evils IL
not remelied, and his army would largely
desert. II he attempts to cross the Cum
berlard Mountains and unite with Lees
army, by marching through Eastern Ten
nessee, he win, in addition to the natural
an enemy issuing from fortified strong
holds on his front, rear. and both tanks.
IL he moves into Kentucky. he loses every
avenue OF retreat. No sane man can IA
thomthe capital folly and a;m!essness of
his advance. The moment he failed to de-
stroy Thomas at Franklin ne failed utter.
~, and il is something Of problem 10
know what he will 10 next.
have been led into these remarks by
the thought that may be compelled to
mail this before It is known whether Sher-
man will capture Savannah on his passage
TO the coast or not. His scouts report that
he has plenty o! provisions and ammuni-
ton, but military prudence may induce
him to come to Hilton Head Island and es.
tablish his communications before attempt
ing the works around Savannah. IT he
does this, no one familiar with his energy
and genius as a soldier can doubt that he
will turn again upon the city the instant
lis cracker and powder lines are open.
OUR PRISONERS NOT RELEASED.
The hopes tha. Sherman would reach
Milien In time to release the body Of our
prisoners were not realized. The rebels
had Sbundant opportunity to remove them
BY rail and on foot. They were hurried to
Columbia, South Carolina, viG Savannah,
several days before our advance reached
Millen.
THE LATEST FROM SHERMAN.
| The scouts who brought in this informa-
ton have probably been sent back to Sher-
man by Gen. Foster, who still remains q,
Ossibaw Sound. No regular commun.ca.
ton has been opened, though some othe.
scouts have reached us, bringing the news
tha. Sherman has completely surrounded
Savannah. They report the place defended
| by 1900 men, under Generals Dick Tay.
| sor, Hardee and Howell Cobb. Even here
! at Hilton Head We can hear; at intervals
the faint thunder Of artillery at Savannah.
The garrixo on Is composed largely Of mill.
tia, and our hearts beat high as we reckon
| up the advantages we have at the very
tcommeucemen: Of the siege. First, the
garrison is no: relatively large one, and
| has been hastily organized, mainly from
doubtful material. Second, the attack il
| made from a quarter least expected, and
| at the weakest point. We do not know
what supplies and ammunition they have
collected, but can imagine that. they arr
not fully prepared for siege in those vita
| requisites. 9.a -
Sherman's army stretches from the Sa
vannah River to the Ogechee River, wes
Of the city, and there is to be found thu
frmest ground in the approaches. Las
and south Of the city are rice-folds, which
always marshy, are now probably over
flown as . means of defenss. II isPossibit
that Sherman may find route around tn
city by which he can attack the water. bat
teries below Savannah, but It is doubtfn
whether he can maneuveE large force IL
that direction. We have large neet .
iron-clads and gunboats in the Savannah
river, which is readyto cooperate from ne
low. 1t is significant fact that all th'
available gunboats in this vicinity hav'
joined the feet during the lAst two nights
The rebels have three iron-clads on Sa
vannah, which probably are contributing
to the defense ofthe city.
Huron HEAD, Dec. 10.
COMMUNICATION OPEN.
| Just at dusk last evening, Gen. Foster
flag boat, the Nimeaha, came steaming VI
from the South, decorated with counties
flags and pennOns. The decks were sool
crowded with anxious hundreds, inspiret
with that joyful suspense which comes a
near being pleasant pain as anything 0