Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-12-29
LACK OF MEN AT THE SOUTH

Thefolowiug letter from an officer In Gen. Shsrnans
army who accompanied it through ito march from Atlanta
to Savannah affords interesting Inside view OF the con-
don Of the Confederacy appeared to an intelligent
observer II will ba seen that the writer necessarily
Ignorant Of Gen Thomas's glorious victory:
ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE,
r,. \ Near sSauamnah, December 10, 1864.
The first stage Of our campaign is over We have sucs
cesfay marched the heart Of the enemys coun-
try meeting with little no opposuon nnding lew any
men and living on one of the richest sections OF our land
and now we lie in lines of Investment around the principal
city of the great cotton State-Georgs our SUCCESSES 20
far has been all that Gen Sherman could have snuoPacd
We have destroyed their great base OF commu canon
between Virginia and the Southwestern States have shut
in Savannah some fifteen or twenty thouSand men, anu
afford to wait patiently until hu ger does iis wok on
them eating ourselves hard tack aud such dellcnoies
friends Moth may TO send we have
established base of supplies IN ossabaw sound Ready 20
receive Just such favors.
THE march demonstrates clearly to my mind that the
strength of the CODiederaoy is narrowed down to hor
armies operating Virginia in Tennessee and the forces
under KrbysSmth in the rans-Msslssippi department
The rebe exhausted their resources 80 Tar men
are concerned and that far as they have exhausted
them They have eny OF provisions Of every Kind They
had good lines Of Communication And they experience 90
far as could see but little Inconvenience from the depre-
citation Of their currency for not medium OF ox
change between the Confederate States and the rest OF the
world it matters but little TO the farmers OF Georgia
whether they buy pound Of -four for ten cents old cur
ucy dollars of the new either amount represent.
ing N such standard article the same value dont mean
TO these farmers would be willing to receive
the deprecated TRASH if they bad open market and
made their purchases bass of gold and silver But
when every thing reckoned on the basis OF Confederate
money that money answers the purpose as well a. any
| thing else as medium Of exchange
Inc confederate authorities have therefore little trouble
supply their armies with every thing that the country
Produces as the people take their money with apparent
cheertuoess 10 exchange for their produce But they
cannot get To defend savsnn they have drawn most
heavily from. the gtrisons Charleston, Wilmington
Augusta and almost every other point accessible and BY
shutting this force up In Savannah until they are starved
into surrender, GRIPPING the rebels as much ss if
we had Withdrawn just many men from Their effective
| fighting force Whom Savannah fas--as fall feel It
must-we have excellent base, aud move to Au.
gusa, hundred aud twenty miles into the nte
ror supplying our army by the Savannah river which ia
| pavgabe to that point. Thtn with Auguata as secon
dairy base where will not Sherman got You may think
am counting my chickens before they hatched But
SHERMAN know feels conf jeut that he and will take
Savannah; and be ia by far too Restless remain
| quiet in one placsvery long.