The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-30
mn sIrIATI0N HEFoRE Al 0NTI.

/
TnB SITUATION BEFoRE AII tNgi.
The nunfor of the Rebellion aro c1'loct0l
In two ami, s-s1ho one defending RlshnOnd, the
political capital OF the COutedorh "; this other
defending Aranta, che natural capital ottha Con-
2 .federpcy
In fontof Atlanta "a planted the superb army
, con mrndod by General Sherman, man Ot M
surpassed mii'aYy ahility. He has placed his
aTny inthat position afier En advance frpm G iAt-
tnDooga'Of ne0rlv q hundrrt miles, marked ~ -
series sar brilliant m9Du1uvrHs and actions. In
whifh the enemy's forr, 1ltq beeu driven from 3
successon OF strongho!ds, looked upon as im-
pTegnahlP.
Awning IN front of Atlanta he has en- thrice
assaed by an enemy Wiling u lavish every thug
in The desperate effort % drive hin ~ k. rla
enemy has thrice met a bloody rcplls9. Sh r.
man is now working slowly but surely r1rnd uu
the Rebel Communications, two lines Of which
he holds. He is completing this ny cyJerfing
his to &C. around on their only rsm2 liIg iine--l
task whi,s cessErily demunds some timg for
hs aecOmp ishm,pt.
But there is no dead lock at Atlanta, AMI thos3
who present the situation IN this iWn., uttarlv
IA" . grasp the true mi iJlrY Hisnid alCc Of
Wbh. Sherman il doing. General Sler nan can
take Allan a ans day; hut he tim4 d moro % tu
bat-he means he d's rugiion Of the W-9'Crl
army of the C0OE derncv. Aul, indse !. ci Der
tn result or its carly light IS a matter Of speedy
certainty.
At rbe same time that he r. thug pressing v.'l
fatal weight on the enemy. sherman 0yu com
municaG Ons STc safe. which is muah 10 be Inis ~
say uf line tv"t thirds a. l0"g AZ thgg Of NiDl-
Icons from the Neman 10 Mlscow. Toe R'h'is,
who have been uniting on disiJdging lm from
before Atlanta, b, operation on hi4 line. have
been taught ny the failure OF heir lBsJ atto'nl-,
ma vi their whole available cavs'ry, ths
emptiDess Of th'ss eNpec Ati1n-i VII - thDsH
among ourselves who Oosing at the enormous
depth OF his line, have been soHciyJus EOT hs
saf,ty, Nay dismiss their fears
The suNstaniinl grounds Of this se'Grity arc
not proper 20 make pun lie; but iC is not unScenly
20 say this much-that Sherman (Rhn has o
genius for supply ing bis army unel lutisd by Any
Commander in the leld,) is practically I1deDen-
dent Of his line Of communication for any time
during which The enemy can possibly Ia errUJt
II This, therefore, leaves ham free G. work ont
tbe Rreattay bafDge bm aud private ivios1 from
bimself 10 the GOyernme eot giys che ass1rel hope
of early accomplishment.
OF tho Gtlsct Of tbe CaptQre Of Atlanta 10 Is U1t
100 much to say that secondary in is political
importance 10 that of Richmond, vet in material
and military point OF vi6w-ln its pressure On tho
issue of the war-its efeccl must be ten-sOld thN
Of the captnre Of the Rebel capital. IL oncemo-e
ens The COniedeTacy in twain, and cOmpels th9
Rebel amy, il he allowed - retreat ~ all, O.
make towards Montgomery, in which ctse ~ Is
thrown on &c eDfFically and nwlv from its con
meet Ons with the Rebel force in Virgins, or else
% move into the CarOlinas, in which case rhe area
Of The COnttderdry /, capiuet, c-i0heh, and con-
nDed wi hn The restricted limits of the paralsl0-
gram Of the Atlantic sesbpard 6tates.
Iii.
nm SITUATION IN yIRdINIA.
In Virginia the military s,us-ion prescn;s even
= on the suTae an aspecI much more cncJur iglng
than II has yet worn since tue army GRO sed the
James. II General Gran, u nO' seen assuming
the offensive on a scale rOmnensuTnt3 Vi:h tue
public expoc'a ions, he isquieny working out tho
solution Of The great problem inrusted 70 his
hh ds- working nrt ny o policy nec3aslrty
somewhat cautions, what be viii gladly CARY
through ny bOser ana more brilliant measures
when lie obtains the means which the people viii
shortly give him.
The iirIn foothold the leit wing has obtained
on the Weldon road sewers hat important line,
and. what 4 even of moro moment, gives pD.i-
zion from which 10 menace the mIin (ohGl liHe
OF communications with the South, namely, che
Dan,ill road. So vital is this % the xi,tencc OF
Lees mmy, that it Is accepted by all military
men a. a fxcu fact that could wc plant force
on Aat rad, or even SERIOUSLY thTc ten it
would compel the Abandonment Of lNchmOud
aud virginia, and obigo lee 70 fat back 20 Tho
iine Of the Roanoke, IN which c's-, given the
successful execution Of General Shemau's pro-
2ramme, and the entire remaining Rebe. force
Would be shut up Ia the CarOlinas.
Wlthout pushing speculation so far as this,
however, or going beyond the actual elements of
The situation, there is nothing in them TO discou-
rage, ana much 70 encourage. One great cause
OF lear IN ali preUons combinations on the mill
tary chess.board OF Virginia, has been the facility
which the Rebels have had 10 throw us back on
Our base whenever The Army Of the Potomac Las
been pushed forward so 6s to threaten Rich
mond. In The present state OF facts such counter
movement Is for the first time not to be feared
" could only be undertaken by the Rebels in tit
Of cesperation and would be certain 70 work out
their destruction.
tfor tue first time in the history Of the wer the
Shen6rdoah yalley-the gate through which the
heoels in each Of then three inyasiOns have Gu
Seieo loyal States-is thoroughly gurded. We
nave theTe a line army, under thoroughly able
hfarsallshlp, IN a position which perfectly covers
sr,,a' on93 saa3 fennsy lvauia and Washington lt l.
eomboss ~ y no secret that this army is largely
t,l PVseu ~ y, tloops that have been Withdrawn
FAR from '' tbis I%SSth OF the James, but 80
so much available force Out Of ne y,av. dpna pus
so Tar from its being any source Of hanIliatioa
OF Iegiet, l4e corps under General Sheridan
arc really doing more for the general .s,,so aJ
even for the special problem before Petersb"rc uaS
than they could II back in the Army Of ths po,6'
mac. For while the Army OF The Shensndosh
acts as a defense Of Washington, thus RELIEVING
General Grant from all s0licitude on that score,
il plays something more toan merely defensive
part The time Is not now citing 70 reveal the
motives Of the late forward and backward move
ments In the valley, far less TO indicate the pro-
eramme assigned 70 General Sheridan in thai