Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-02-13

come eNiles from their homes while that
North is prosperous beyond measure, and
the arm of the Government is strong to save
them For one we will not, And yet this
Is The question Of questions On the one
hand, Orefd dad speedy and cheap Transport
Widn, on the other starvation or eriiei Let
the Government and the North decide this
question Of life or death, and decide it
quickly The destiny of the most loyal
people in the United States hangs trembling
ON that decision,
But what guarantee have we that commu,
nlcaton on the Nashville aud Chattanooga
road may not be interrupted? How often
has the Baltimore and Ohio railroad been
broken up during the war? How often the
Louisville and Nashville road? And may
not this road be also? We hope not, but
still it may be, The road from this to Nash
Vile distance Of two hundred and sixty
olic miles, runs all the way almost parallel
with the lines Of the enemy, and it is liable
to be cut nj any time and at any point. Sup.
pose the great bridge at Bridgeport or at
Runnngwatcr were DESTROYED. Are wenot
thrown back on the river and ON wagons
and mules, whore We were at the time Of
the battle Of Chickamauga In that con
tingcncy Gen, Thomas army could hardly
be subsistcd, much less il, and the army of
the Ohio, and the people, BY that route.
il is about six hundred miles from Cncrn.
matt to Knoxville; by the route We propose .
less than three hundred. BY that route to
it is about four hundred and
fifty miles, by this about four hundred and
TO Dalton by that route near five hundred
miles by this four hundred That route
runs for two hundred miles parallel to the
anemys lines; this one runs of at right
angles from il, and would therefore be much
moro secure. But in truth we need both
Dads and in our opinion, We are compelled
o have both.
The Knoxville and Kentucky railroad
company. chartered by the Legislature of {
ne State Of Tennessee, has already graded
ms road from this place to Clinton, in An. /,
IerSon county distance Of nineteen miles. ,
md the road is finished half way and in
Use, The bridge across Cliuch river at Gin
on is more than half completed and only
oodS the supcrstructurc. The route from
hat point to the Kentucky line. through -.
he Cumberland Mountains. has been caro- .
nIIy surveyed and located. 1t passes from '
linton, by easy grade. through the lower !
nd Of PowclI's Valley around the side of 7
ross Mountain into Whccer's Gap, thence !
own the waters of Elk Fork, until that Y
.rcam cmpties into the Clear Fork of the 5
cumberland, and thence down the Clear
ork to the Cumberland river which il
POSSES at or near Williamsburg, kentucky. 4
he grades through the mountains are licht
JT'inrrrrn Nor y-rourt ..r,..:--I a. =.
ocular formation Of the Cross Mountain "
nd Whceler's Gap, and by the streams st
,hich here rise and flow northward into the
river. BY far the most difficult ,,
art Of the route, that between Knoxville a
nd Clinton is already graded The cost
f grading the balance of the road to Viii
amsburg will be comparatively light.
II is said by engineers who have surveyed =
he route beyond Williamsburg to DanvilIc n
hat it is entirely feasible We understand o
hat the city Of Louisville, or the State Of -
kentucky, and we urc not certain which, is
ow engaged ii extending the Lebanon
ranch in this direction to Stanford. From
he latter place to Knoxville is one hundred
nd forty three miles. That leaves one hun !
red and twcnty-iour miles to be graded be
wccn Stanford and Knoxville.
We submit this plain statement of facts
D the consideration of our military author
ties and the Northern public. We ask them,
n all seriousness, if they do not demand
rompt and energetic action. We ask them
t military considerations, as well as the
uty of saving from starvation our ruined
cope do not demand the building of this
Dad without any further delay. We re {
mind them of the fact that, during the late
icgc of Knoxville, nothing but the stern
Of the people Of this region, who s
re now on the point Of starvation, which
ed them bravely at night, in the face Of the
nemy, to float boats down the river filled |
With corn and meat, as testified by General
Burnside in his speech in New York, saved {
i'm and his heroic army from famine and
apture Let them take warning by that =,
Example Finally, we ask them if it would
rot be graceful compliment to the loyalty
f these people, and some slight return for
heir many suflerings and losses, to build 1
his road, and thus open up to them the
means ofreaching the granaries ofthc boun-