Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-03-17
The Expedition of Gen. Sherman
From the Nashville Union. March A.


| The mystery which has so Ions
shrouded the designs of Gen. Sher.
man is beginning to be dispelled by the
course of events. That he is now re-
turning leisurely to Vicksburg, withou,
the least apprehension of danger, ap-
pears to be settled, if we are to believe
the statement of rebel kilograms, bear
ing different dates, and sent from diverse
points, by different parties; and their
general concurrence is evidence of their
truthfulness.
The question, then, naturally arises
what were his designs, and how far was
he enabled to accomplish his purposes /?
And preparatory to answering, it will be
necessary to briefly refer to the situa-
tion of affairs in Mississippi.
The farmers of the northernl and cen
tral portions of the State, relying on
Union advance, and feeling secure on ac-
count of their isolation, from rebel i'm
pressments had planted largely, both of
corn and potatoes but Notwithstanding
the hoped for immunity, no sooner had
the crops matured, than heavy caval-
ry force under Lee and Forrest, was sent
thither to gather them and send them
to railroad stations for transportation to
Georgia. The subsistence thus obtained
was matter of the first Importance to
the rebels, and well did the Richmond
Whig declare that to cut off these would
be to damage them more than to win a
victory.
In the next place, the railroad from
Selma to the Big Black was in running
order, and we have reason to believe that
1T was meditated at Richmond to seize
and hold some point on the Mississippi;
at least to hold it long enough to inter-
rupt communication for some time, and
perhaps draw reinforcements from Ar
kansas, or Texas. In the attempt they
must have failed; but large force would
have been necessary, in order to thwart
their designs, Indeed few thousand
rebel troops, judiciously distributed,
might keep a large army employed, in
defending the banks of the river. TN.
The expedition of Sherman has not
only cut off the rebel supplies, to which
we have referred, but it has also render
ed an attack on any point on the Mis-
sissippi untenable. The destruction of
the railroad to the Tnmhhiohee is better
than a defending force of 20, 900 men.
That road has been effectually DESTROY
ed. Bridges, ties and culverts were
burned, and rails bent to render them
worthless; and we are all aware that
there are not facilities in Dixie to re-
place them; indeed, we doubt, if under
any circumstances, the road could be put
in running order in four months.
But this was not all. The extension
OF this road was destroyed as far as the
Tombigbee, and perhaps further though
we have no positive information on
that point; and the Mobile and Ohio
road was rendered equally worthless,
as far south as Quitman, and to place
20 miles north of Meridian.
This will effectually cut Off the corn
fields of North Mississippi, and will end
all apprehensions of rebel raid on the
Mississippi river.
1t is almost certain that Sherman
would have penetrated as ia; as Mont
gomery, had not the expedition of Smith
and Grierson failed, and rendered COM
with the Tennessee river |
impossible. Much has been lost by that |
Iailure but with this drawback Sher- |
mans expedition has been productive of
rs many advantages as any other since
the war began.
We will also refer to one thing more
Il effected. 1t is not now out of place
TO refer to the weakness of our army
Turing the winter, on account of the alb
sence of two thirds of the men on vete-
ran furlough; the return of a greater
4 L. ~ II.
val oflarge bodies of recruits, has rem
Tered it useless to hold the secret any
onger The diversion created by Sher-
mad prevented Johnston from attempt
ng to take any advantage of our weak
less; and if this alone had been accom-
,lished the expedition would not only
ave been fully justified, but absolutely