Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-23

partmcnt,, yet he has no inconSiderable
army, which must be greatly augmented by
the return of detached bodies; and sup
ported, as he could be by the cooperation
Of Longstreet- we know Of nothing but lack
of transportation that should prevent his
driving the Yankee army before him ont Of
Tennessee. We have already seen that
Grant, aware of the difficulties of direct
march upon Atlanta, has detached more
than one-half his forces for the great flank
movement which Sherman has Just fianked
himself out Of in such precipitate haste-
The forces of Sherman alone, which were
drawn from the main body, numbered about
twenty thousand, which, together with the
detached cavalry force under Grierson and
Smith, Grants chief of cavalry, numbered
seven thousand. Logan's North Alabama
column of ten thousand, and the
ten thousand sent into East Ten
nessee' to hold Longstreet in check,
makes the important deduction of for
ty-seyen thousand men from Grants
maximum Of sixty thousand men, leaving
that commander but thirteen thousand
troops, probably increased to twenty three
thousand by the return of Logan's corps,
and these figures give us the force in John
ston's front, the entire available strength of
the enemy for disputing the possession of
Tennessee. The advance of Grants forces,
under the command of Palmer, on Friday,
In threatening attitude against Dalton, was
what the strategist of Bosworth field calls
"a weak invention of the enemy"-an ass
in the lions skin with which to frighten
the Confederate commander strategical
physicians grasp at our military pulse, to
test Its beating under the excitement of the
thanking fever. We have repeatedly said
that the enemy were welcome to all
they could make out of General John
ston, and if they have learned by the
ostentatious advance of the failure
OF Sherman, they are most assuredly
welcome to the Unpleasant intelligence,
having gained it at the expense of tire
some tramp, a provoking repulse, and pre-
cipitate stampede to the notes of Wheeler's
bugles. And now, if the dreams of Hardee
and Hurd roll out martial chorus to the
trumpet-tones of the horsemen, Lookout
and Missionary Ridge will echo back the
strain and extend inviting positions from
which the Confederate artilerists may
plunge their bolts of war upon the camps
OF the enemy, and the heaving bosom of the
Tennessee will swell with exultation at the
reappearance of its lordly possessors
whilst the spirit of the mountains shouts
through the tunnel, "Now, by st. Paul, the
work goes bravely on!" ...
We believe we are not drawing too vivid
q picture, or expecting measure of success
beyond reasonable hope, when we look for
this. The recalling of Hardee to the 'front.'
the reappearance of Hood at the identical
moment, and the advance of Wheeler on
the defeated and retreating forces of the
enemy, we take to be a prelude to the vic
torious pRans Joe Johnston's army are pre-
pairing to shout. With Longstreet moving
at once in timely conjunction with this
army, we may defy Grant to recall his
legions and gather his clans in time for sue
cessful resistance. Our brave boys across
the Tennessee, promise them view of the
Ohio, bid them liberate their imprisoned
comrades, and you shall hear the song of
vengeance which will be their response
There is bright opening for success-the
day of fortune is near at hand-a beaming
ray of peace shoots athwart the war-cloud,
and the proud, victorious shout of "onward''
finds an echo in every patriots heart.