, 1864-03-16
TEE EXPEDITION OF GEN.
SHE EEN1AN.


From the Nashville Union, March lsl
The question. then, naturally arises-what
were his designs, and how far was he enabled
to accomplish bis purposess And preparn-
tory to answering, it will be necessary to
briefly refer to the situation Of affairs in
Mississippi. ,
portions Of the State, relying on Union adj
vance, md feeling secure, on account Of their
Isolation. from rebel fmprcssments, had
planted largely, both Of corn and potatoes;
but Notwithstanding the hoped for immunity,
no fooner had the crops matnrsa than
heavy cavalry force, under Lee aud Forrest,
was sent tla1ther to gnther them and send
them to railroad stations for transportation
to Georgia, The subsistence thus obtained
Was matter Of the first Importance to the
rtbele, and we'll did the Richmond NhsJ de-
clare tlat to cut these OIL wonid DC 10 dam
| In the next place, the tnllroad from Selma
| to the Big Black was In running order; aud
/ we hare reason to be}icre that It was medi-
tntcd ut Richmond to seize aud hold some
point on the Mississippi; ut least to hold 1t
long enough to interrupt communication Tor
some time, and perhap6 to draw reinforcc-
mcnts from Arkansas, or Icxas. In the nj
tempt, they mu6t have failed; but large
force would have been necessary. In order to
eaud rebel troops, iudiciously distributed,
might keep laryc army employed, In de-
fendinn the banks Of tile river.
The expedition Of Sherman has not only
cut of the rebel supplies, to which sc have
referred, but it has also rendered an attack
on anF point on The mississippi untenablc,
TIE destruction Of the railroad to tho Tom
blebee is better than defending force o1
10000 men.
That road has been eHectually destroyed:
Bridges, tics and cUlyert6 we're burned, ant
rai1s bent 90 as to render them worthless
l 81 ft1ern mt ia c14
ties in Dixie to replace them; lndeed, W
doubt II, under any circumstances, the roa6
could be put in running order under fou1
But this was not all The extension 9
this road was DESTROYED as far a. the Tombls
positive Information upon that point; amt
, | ihc Mobile and Ohio road was rendered
| equally worthless, as far south as Quitman
and 10 place twenty miles north Of Aeri
s This will effectually cut of the corn-held
; of North Mississippi, and will end all appre
r hensiops Of rebel raid on the MISSISSIPPI
: River
} have penetrated as far as Montgomery, ha'
e not the expeditions Of Smith and Grcrso3
& | failed, and rendered communication VIII
The Tennessee River impossible. Much ha
been lost by that failure; but with this draw
back Sher.nan's expedition has been product
{ i've of as many advantages as any other sine
: the war began. :. !.
' We will also refer to one thing more II e e:
, I fected, It is not now cut OF place to rete
: to the weakness Of our army during the Tir
! ter. on account Of the absence Of two-thlrd
t Of the men on veteran furlough; the retnE
: Of The greater portion Of these troops, wlt
= The arrival Of large bodies Of reefaits, ha
: rendered it useless to hold the secret lonse
: The diversion created BY Sherman prevente
c johnston from attempting to take any adya1
I tage al our weaknessi and II nothing 81
e tEfs had been accomplished, the cxreditln
! would not only have been fully justified, b'
absolutely demanded.