Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1864-02-23
UNI On nsP &c TAToRpAND GENRRAL>ADV 3 R Ills ER

Z !.
| MoBIIEIhc movement against Mo J
bile say the Richmond Dispatch .of the
10th inst, is now engrossing Pablo az
tenfion. The march of Sherman from
Vicksburg is a bold project, land waspros-
ecuted with steadiness up to last Dates.
His route was first due east from Jack
son alongtne Southern Mississippi Rail-
lroad. Gen Polk, with his forces, had
retired to Meridian from jackson, where
he had skirlnished somewhat with the
enemy. At Meridian the Mississippi
Railroad joins the Mobile and Ohio Rail
i road, which runs north and south, crossing
! the lines of the Mississippi Railroad at
/ right angles. He was there awaiting
llSherman's approach; but when the
Yankee commander reached Morton.
isixty. one miles from Meridian, he divi.
ded his forces, sending Mcpherson with
3 column obliquely to the right, to march
Ito Shuhuta, upon the Mobile ard Ohio
E Railroad, ninety six miles from Mobile,
in order to intercept Polk and get be-
tween him and Mobile. Upon the APP
, proach of the column under Hurlbut-
/ with which Sherman, it is supposed.
| continued Meridian, Polk retire L
; in What direction, We arc not informed.
! 1t is inferred that the portion of the en-
emy'ss forces at Meridian turned south
wardly Immediately afterwards to Join
the other column at Shubuta, and
lthcnce It was the plan for the. entire
) body to proceed TO Mobile.
FNb n opoy,,xv ,y,o,ol,
! cd much in his TANKS by body of cav.
. AIRY under Gen. Lee, Is. d. and was
) also smart!y attacked by q small body
: Iof Confederate forces under Gen. Adj
} ANS. He was marching without train
!. relying upon several days cooked ra-
: tons in layersacks and supplies to be
brought up by railroad train, our troops
not having destroyed the railroad from
: jackson when they retired. Whether
: he Will lie allowed to Get such supplies,
! or whether or not we have forces suifi-
t cient to interrupt them remains to be
1 seen.
: Meridian is. thirty eight miles from
Shubnta, AID one hundred and thirty
f four from Mobile. AS it was evident
A from the preparation made by the en-
e envy that his expedition was to be rap.
. id, we may look daily, nay hourly, Tor
s1news oftlc attack npon Mobile, which
/ was to be a combined one-a fleet OF
1 transports and iron-elads having been
sent by the enemy to. Paseagoula bay
+ on tie Gulf, some thirty miles south Of
i Mobile, from which it is supposed co.
y operation with Sherman by both land
i and water was designed.
b The Examiner Of The 10Th says that
It ISherlaan continues unintcrruptedly to
advance upon Mobile by the line OF
! the Mobile and Ohio railroad. An Off
e cial dispatch to the War Department
e on the 18th announces that he had ar
il rived at Quitman, village on the Mo
t bile and Ohio railroad, one hundred
S miles from Mobile,
3 Though the enemy has not yet met with
c Opposition, we feel tauthorized i'll saying
S that he will not be permitted to take
!, possession of Mobile without a despei ate
y battle.
s This advance Of the enemy is, beyond
i comparison, the boldest movement OF
y the war. On tlc12th inst. Sherman, with
n between twenty live and thirty thousand
0 men, provided with twenty days cook
8 ed rations, left Yicksburg and took MP
n the line ofmarch eastward, tearing ZIP
!. tile railroad and bridges IN has rear.
5 = Clearly he lneditates no step back
Y ward.
. The moving spirit is one ]. B. Nc
= Phorson, of Ohio, a very young officer,
E with the rank in the reg ular army of
] Junior captain of the corps Of engineers
and tie rank in tho provisional army
e of brigadier. This is the man who
: made Grant famous, and he is now to
3 TRY what he can do for Sherman, who
e is himself man of ability, and in ev-
-lery way the superior of Grant. Since
e tho beginning of the war success has in
: variably attended the plans of McPher-
! son it was he who planned that bold
? and successful movement upon Yicks-
\ burg. We hope his good luck has
bred in him rashness that will be his
S ruin.
!, The Conference Communicable is
e due to the mem ers OF the Committee
: OF Conference, who perfected and
8 1gave final shape to the important meas
. ures published yesterday, that their
! names should be made known to the
: public. They labored zealously and
: ,are entitled to credit, at least, for the as
O Is;dsity and devotion to the public in
! terests, which they displayed, in the
e discharge Of theirs important.and deli
u lcate trust.
0 The Tax and Currency Bills were
l. comm ittcd to Messrs. Hunter, Selnmes
and Orr, on the part Of the Senate, and
Ito Messrs. Baldwin, Boyce and Ly-
u .,s.. OF Ala, on the part OF the House.
, Mr.. Boyce declined to sign the report
! upon tie currency bill Mr.. Baldwin
declined to sign either report
The Military Bill was committed to
v Messrs. Sparrow, Wigfall and Johnson,
$ of Ca, on the part Of the Senate, and to
i Messrs, Clifton, Swami and Holcombe,
9 lon. the part of the House. spacA. lVh9g
: PROMOTIONS TN THE ARMY