Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-21
TuE INDICATIONS are that the good news


cation that this winter is TO witness an
active campaign. We have reason to be-
lieye that for long time the government
has been maturing plan of operations for
this winter in the South. We know that
an immense feet has sailed from Fortress
Monroe intended for Wilmington. We
know that Sherman has Savannah COM
pletely invested. We expect every day to
hear Of him capturing the place and along
with it the Is 900 rebel troops now within
1t. We know that Thomas has defeated
and dispersed Hood, and that he is still
pursuing him. Hoods army is hOr' dH
combat for this winter. His loss in artil-
lery alone units him for activity anywhere,
small arms, so many troops, and suffered
such disgssceful discontinue. His army
is demoralized beyond all utility for the
winter csnpsign.
These things being so, it would seem as
iffortune was setting her face sternly and
fatally against the rebels. We are aware
of the fact that it is an easy thing to put
down a rebellion and also to plan great
successes, likewise to disparage your ene-
my, on paper, but there are notwithstand-
ing peculiar and most fOrcible reasons for
believing that the rebellion is Row in des-
perate and hopeless straits. The army in
Virginia under Lee is the only real army
now belonging to the rebels. True they
have squads of armies here and there, but
altogether they would Rot make up a large,
well appointed, reliable army. Hood has
probably twenty thousand men left to him,
and yet no general has We venture during
this war been followed into disgrace and
oblivion by such a dispirited, unmilitary
and perfectly broken organization as the
troops now remaining with Hood. Beau
regard has no army. He has charge of the
few troops that are scattered at Macon,
Augusta, Mobile, Charleston and other
widely separated places, including the scat
tered debris that remain in Mississippi
Bragg commands at Wilmington and we
shall soon know what force he has there.
From the failures of that general We have
no reason to suppose that he can seriously
combat the campaign at that point. Ifhe
does it will be the exception 10 the whole
rule of his career since this war began
His recent flaming dispatch about
the inability OF Sherman to reach the
coast, must go far to disparage him in the
Of the rebels. Aud the same Is
to be said of Bsauregard, and even of JET.
Davis himself. Never befosesWere high
sOuning pretences and predictions more
suddenly and completely cOnfOuudsd than
those of the President of the rebellion. He
stands Sncw stripped of prestige in the
rebel mind. He sent Hood north charged
with great mission, part of which was to
cut Sherman's connections and then whip
Thomas, take Nashville and proceed to the
Ohio river. He boosted that within thiF.
ty days the principal part of this programme
would be carried out. But it WAS not
Very different has been the course of
events. 1t is a small matter to Sherman
as to what has become of Atlanta's
communications with Chattanooga. Aud
it is a small matter now to Hood as to the
communications of the latter place with
His anxiety and energy is nat
urally directedto the best means of getting
south rs speedily as possible. 1t is inf
nitely more important to him that the Mo.
bile aud Ohio road, from Corinth to Mobile,
should remain intact.
East Tennessee ia now cleared of therebel
invaders. They lave been forced to re-
treat up into Virginia as far as Abingdon.
The whole State of Tennessee is once more
completely ours-uever more to be lost as
wetrust and believe. The fight with rebel.
dom is narrowing down fast to Lse's army.
We all accredit that general with great
skill and uuceasing vigilance. His name
is a tower OF strength to the Confederacy.
He is their last hope. ALI others of their
leaders have either fallen in death or pres.
tige. They have no Stouewall Jackson as
a reserve after Lee, or as great co-adjutor
with him. Longstreet, even the rebel pa
pers say. is aparalized invalid by reason
of his wound. Bragg, BeauTegard, Joe
johnson and Hood have oil been tried and
found inadequate to conduct an indepeu-
dentcampaigu. The rebels have no leader
but Lee. he alone remains. And his army
alone remsiuspowerful. Can be Withstand
Grant, Sheridan, Sherman and Thomas2
Can he Withstand the whole weight and
force of the U. s. BY land and scar Match.
less indeed must be the mani more than
NapoleouI who. hampered as Lee surely
as is bis area for supplies
that still can so use the force at his COM
mand as to resist twice his numbsr, and
bring success out of such imminent andin-
operations as now beset aud threaten
the COnfederacy. Unquestionable as are
the abilities of Lee as military chieftain,
he cannot save the rebellion when it mar.
roWs down to his army alone. He must
At. Il