Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-12-08

| the country with nre and sword showing
| clearly that it is his determination to take no
| step backward"
The Enquirer of the 23d says OF Sherman
| This only be has gained-and it is no small
| gain when viewed in connection with his
plans for the Tinrer,-tbat Hood is fer of to
| the west, only feeblv threatening his rear
| flank, and with hostile army under Thomas
! between him and Atlanta. It may that this
| was the position which Sherman had in view
when he boosted that he would soon have
Hood where he wanted him. Il is certain
that his pursuit has been but a series of
feints, and that the door to west Tennessee
| was purposely left open to allow the eager
| looks of our gallant men in that direction
Sherman will try to possess himself first OF
| Macon. He could thus obtain command OF
the road which leads from Macon eastward to
Augusta and the seat of Government, west
ward to Mississippi, thus efectually destroy
| ing our communications with trans Mississip p
pl. be would, moreover, cut off Hood and
his army from their base of operations, sup
| plies, and means Of comforting with the seat
of government In these respects the move
| is formidable, and it is of no use to shut our
eyes willfully to the danger. Far better to
look it in the face and prepare for resistance
with yigor."
The Dispatch says: " Georgia will have to
taste the bitter cup that so long has been at
our lips, but her revenge is at hand, and an
| opportunity to show her loyalty, gallantry,
and all the highest virtues is at hand, for
Sherman will place himself in the most per-
ilous situation that can be conceived. He
has cut himself off from his communication.
A very few weeks of warfare must exhaust
| his resources
IL, A.
| ruthless conduct Of the great national army
will tend to cement Georgians in support of
| the rebel government, and cause the luke
warm and hating 10 Immediately take up
| arms and become its most uncompromising
defenders and that the State, after passing
| through this ordeal of fire, will come forth
| purified and purged of its love for the old
Union. The Richmond Wig, though, is not
SO hopeful as It's contemporary, and says: owe
| cannot say that we feel an absolute conYic-
| ton, although, indeed, our hopes are strong,
that Sherman will fail in achieving his final
| object" 1t says that fisherman is a man of
undoubted ability and astuteness, and he
would never have commenced his march from
Atlanta had he not believed he could finally
reach the coast in safety"
The panic created, both in Georgia and
| South Carolina, by the march of the irresisti-
| BILE conqueror is something which has had no
parallel during the war. A levy en- naasse of
| Georgia and South Carolina militia has been
| ordered, and desperate efforts were being
| made to concentrate at Augusta army suf-
ficient to present some opposition to Sher-
mans advancing columns.
The Augusta Constit,aionalist of The 22d
says: " a raiding party of the enemy tapped
| the road 10 miles east of Macon and destroy
cd q mn hon tYaIY EpnIrrh
| ed back in haste. Heavy cannonading and
musketry fire were heard east of Gordon. 1t
was supposed Gen. Wayne at Gordon had
been attacked. Milledgeville had been en-
tirely evacuated by our forces before the
enemy entered. Everything of value was
brought away"
The Augusta Dispatch of the 2lst says
"The movement of Sherman on Milledee.
vile was a feint for the purpose of concen-
tratlng our forces there, and the raid on the
Central was for the purpose Of keeping them
there, whilst the whole force of the enemy
moves upon and captures Augusta or Sa-
vannah."
The Augusta ConstitutionaliSt gives the pro-
gress of column under Slocum About
900 cavalry visited Madison, on the Geor-
gia state road, and burned it on the Goth. An
engine was sent up the road, and found the
enemy at Bucks Head, IL miles nearer Au-
gusta. On the 10Th some of these men were
within Is miles Of Augusta, probably
raiding party.
The Augusta Chronicle of the Goth says, ca
large cavalry force left Greenvlle, S. c.,
bound across the country in the direction of
Atlanta, with view of cutting off Yankee
column moving down the Georgia road in
this direction. 1t is said Breckenridge was
to leave upper East Tennessee with his troops
the l2th for the Georgia line. With Hood
in his rear, Breckenridge on his tanks, and
10000 veteran troops on his front, Sherman
| cannot escape"
| The Augusta ConStitutional1st says: CAS-
! we write, the glad and familiar shout of vet
eran troops, just arriving from the South
| Carolina depot, comes up from the streets.
| If Sherman's men retreat this way they will
hear the whistle of bullets from the trusty
! guns which have often been pointed at fanat-
| les on the banks of the Potomac and James.
Before our readers see this, other glad shouts
| will be heard in our streets"
A Georgia paper abuses, in strong language,
jeff. Davis and the Richmond authorities for
| not sending troops into the State to impede
Sherman's movements, crying in despair, " Is
Georgia to be left to take care of herself?"
The rebel papers show the division of SEN
timent, distraction and the panic which Sher-
mans operations have created in the South,
and authorize US in anticipating the most de-
cisive and glorious results from them.