, 1864-03-19
THE REBEL PRESS.
Facts and Fancies About General
Sherman's Raid.
Extracts from Leading Journals in
the Cottoa States.

sBERMAS's OPERATIONS SUMMED ur.
A. correspondent Of the Mobile Register
writing from Demopolis on the LIST of March
TINS sums up the rebN view of Sherman
recent operations:
The great campaign under General Sher
man, announced in the Yankee papers oj
several weeks past, to consist of 10000 men
to move In three columns successfully from
Vicksburg, Vest Tennessee and Huntsville,
Alabnma; to sweep through the States oi
roads, destroy their grain and manufactures,
and capture md reduce their capitals, has
been brought to grief
1.-THE commanding General Of this depart
Inent, while deficient in troops, seems not to
have been wanting In tact, en.rgy, skill or
Judgment. The p1ans Of the astute Sherman
seem to have been comprehended and baftled.
his movements broken down, and his army
forced to retreat. Sherman left Ticksburr
with Is, GOO men, 10000 OF whom were sent
mp the Yazoo. The rest marched In one col
umn through Jackson, into the heart Of Mis-
stEsiprL This was composed chiefly Of in
1antry and artillery. This column was first
confronted by the cayalry commanded by
Gen. S. D. Lee; then BY the small infantry
torcc ut the disposal of the commanding Gen.
eral. Alter crossing Pearl River, Lees cay-
airy was throwf upon it's flank and rear,
and with such success as to prevent all
foragirg.
The stores in depots Of all the railroa Dis
between Pearl River and the Tombisbce were
sent east, and the whole of the rolling stock
Of those roads was placed beyond the enemy's
reach. This being accomplished, the COM
manding General placed his infantry on the
east side Of the Tombigbee, to defend the
crossings, and concentrated the whole Of bis
cavalry on the enemy's second column from
West Tennessee, which he now moved.
Ihe account goes On to describe the opc~
Tations Of the rebels under Forrest, Lee,
Ruggles and Gholson, against Gems. Smith
aud Grierson, claiming that they thoroughly
routed our troops at Okolona, Killed $50, and
took SIX pieces Of artillery. It then closes
With the following:
Gen, Sherman, finding his cavalry cut of,
fell buck to the Mississippi.
Thus has terminated one Of the most re-
n.arEable campaigns OF the war, brought to
nonght By the courage and enterprise 81 our
troops, and the skill and Judgment Of the
commanding General.
ONLY EXTENT OF ONE COUNTY n MISSISSIPPI
HELD DY YANKEES. .
Tho Macon bn}ederate indnlges In the f,l-
lowing gloriieation:
THE State OF Mississippi is almost wholly
cleared Of Yankees. Sherman is once more
In his fornhcations around Vicksburg and
Port Hudson, and there azc 10 Yankees what
enemy, therefore, now hold the area Of one
County, and nothing more =
'tNcyer did IN expedition prove such an
abortion as that Of Sherman. he traycrscda
poor, pincy-Toods belt Of land, running
through the southern portion OF the State;
llabItants, and tore up in Ill about ifty miles
Of railroad. The plea ofthe Yankees nowls,
that they set ont only with the purpose OF
forcing General Polk back upon the Tom
bigbee Riyer-the merest stuff and nonsense
It's perfectly plain that they were after Mo-
lille, and that SHERMAN ard Farfagut were to
+'Ne expect the latter has not heard Of the
retreat Of his ally, or else he would abandon
his efforts against the forts at the mouth Of
Mobile Bay. Our works there and along the
ehore, to the city, are stronger than the works
about the harbor Of Charleston; and there
need not be the slightest apprehension felt
about Lincoln's Admirnl ta.iing them. It is
simply impossible tor him to effect aaythiu:,
wifi. lis water craft In that vicinity.
"Uton the whole the situation in tic West
Is perfectly satisfactory"
"TASKEE'' occCPAT1oS OF MERIDIAN DES-
cRrDED IT REBEL LADY, >:
/ think that you will find the following
specimen Interesting. It is letter written
Iy Q lady Of Meridian, Mississippi, to her
ense pens IL II Ms0I bhaygsE AMI svsf ea is g5rsghs
Willie In the former place:
t'MEn1DtAx, Feb. Is, 1861
''-.ir DEAR MOTHER: AS t3nc OF or nelshbors
roeE down 10 Mobile tomorrow. will send you a
iew lines to LET yon knoy how We came oat Il thie
A. ~, as guide 10 Gen. Polk. The Yankees cane
u at r. II. in in1i turce They skrmiti.ed little
II orr yard, which frightened NJ very much. The
snail portion OF oar servants went away with Er
husband. 70 no oIc rexaamed with me but Vloletta,
Louita+ Luci:Ga, my no1hez-in-!aw aad three chill
.'Afcr tue diminishing stopped, tue mob ran
around going into houses. breaking open doors.
trtEEe, locks, &c. tearing up and destroying every
thing they could. Caught all the chickens In the
Place In half an loLr- I Legged for my things and
@avcd nearly everything: foF while was talking 10
the Fart Of the 1aob who entered my house, cent
mother of to look ur some Of the Generals, and try
10 get guard, telling IEem ssas betn, run over.
Ger. uuiIlut gave rs the guard. 0ns f1ve men ca
tered my hoEsc.anI demanded my keys. tcoE some
5s met to E .1ea 1,S s,hSST,ne Tlnnsss; tod 5hea
said no; ttey cn3y wanted all arms and gold and
silver he'd / told ,hem they might hare al Of
teth they could ind, hur had none. They search,
ed the btEsan drawers snd trpn'; before the guard
arrived. One man ran up the stairs and took three
tacks Of four &nd three OF -four blankets and wse
e e Sua T9o
30 Of tor tie -four; but that was never returned.
The gtIM stayed a. nlsl,, Sunday and Monday.
1na son5 Fan. and ASKED f0 az
only demand. and granted II; sol only oecnpied
rWS ropme and u1elheT ktpt her Own room, did
nv cooking In one Of my roomsi as had already
moved Into tic house ali the cooking utensils,
cofieenin, in fact even to an axe. hs that means
ssTed lien al'. Ine1 the General and told him
that l. three little children and IN old nothe:-In
law, ciahred hts protection. lie answered, will
take care Of ypu madam, as long Sc an here
ea;d. 7 Eear all Meridian is to be burned down !;
VII my houEe be burned. tooS ] hope not
madam We thcn passed few more words
.I did cot Fec the General any more TIL the next
tay, when met him In the passage. He was very
n!enrsrt One Of his ofhcers asked me where my
fusbald was. Irold him Ee lett on Sunday. He
aeked ii I was SonthcEer. replied, Yes: 4
genuine Southener, as had never beca n North
coully. eaid, Il III to, but End II very hird to
ne; moi be, a. ron chall not be disturbed
AL of the children were Questioned Te-T close
II. but cot on finely. Mary said Just what sac
rlcased. Told them she did not Ike Yankees. One
Ct the Captains tod herif ane would ony 60 aeme
!, piled, No; am q rebel, ard 90 not VAIL 10
"Cnr storc was burned to the ground, and 20 vas
aro1lcr one Of our new houees. ~ two milc9
COVE xcsc Killed, aud every one IN tno towa, anu
Our horse was not at home. The printing once
and all public buildings were burned nP. ana nj NJ
nsgsdafe's Hotel. cu]lcn's. TGriu's, and tie Bur
-ssAil lie railroad is torn up, both M and down,
for niles and all the ties buried and the iron oent
believe yon or any one else would know the place.
There'e not a fence in Meridian: have not one
Iaii 1eft. Ecme OF tho indies nbuut toMn hare but
one bed left, and but one or two quilta. Mra. NC
EaEuy, fhct sone colonel In our army hss not one
I. Ing len. except nhat she and her daughter Ean
cut Of tbc hnns, with fhefr haeEH-1uAt efte