The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-12-05

f1fttcUkGfS OF He Ae06t AGt0 OH ubS Dut-
tiasore and Ohio Railroad. q l37o4 f.,
From the New York World. 81 g
s..r. BALrIMoRR, NOV. 80 )
NEW REVELATION. 'l7sa5si
The country is assured now that Sher-
mans movement against Macon was only q
feint; that he never intendedrto take Ma
con; that the capture of Macon formed no
part of his programme. But this kind of
language did not begin to be used until it
had been found out that Sherman was not
able to take Macon without fighting SO
we're battle; until it was known that . pow
erful body of Confederate troops had been
concentrated there. Then the country was
informed that Sherman had never intended
to take Macon. .sg. g.. 31ls 1oJ
ADVANTAGES OF THE CAPTURE OF MACON. 81
But before then the country had been
RECALLED By stories of the invinciblity OF
Sherman's army, how every city. ION bis
route was to fall before him, and how Ma
con especially, was to be his first prize.
The country was toll how great blow to
the Confsderacy the loss Of Maconwould
be; how important place it was to the
South; what . great railroad centre it was;
and how the railroad system of the South
woud be broken up by the capture OF Ma
con. If any one ventured to suggest that
possibly Macon might be defended, that it
might possibly be fortified, or that. any
troops could be collected there for it's de-
fense, he would have been laughed at.
Yet the fact is that the intention to cap
ture Maconwas not abandoned until it was
found that it would cost severe battle,
which might not be successful, and which,
even If it did give Us the possession of Ma
con, would so delay Sherman as to imperil
the safety of his army. a1s.s ie.n... 81.
WE WERE PROMISED, ALSO, THE CAPTURE OF
AUGUSTA. r... ssLt sr
Therefore sherman pushes on for Au-
gusts. But 1T Augusta, IS will show pres,
emily, the case will be still worse. Doubtless
there also will beCa much larger and more
effective rebel army at Augusta than there
was at Macon. Is Sherman, then, to avoid
| Augusta too? IL his movement on Angus
"a to be fsint also2 1t will be preposte'
rous to ask the country to believe this
And vet, if it does turn out so, and if Sher-
man strikes directly for the seacoast, what
better than retreat will his whole march
have been? He will have done no more
to Georgia than he would have done if be
/ had rstreatsd to Nashville in tho FIRST
place, and then transported his army by
railroad to Baltimore, and thence on trans
ports to Savannah. II merely to get hi'
army to Savannah. or to some point on thu
seacost be his object, the rebel theory o.
his march 10, after all, correct, and 1t is
after oil, only most stupendous retreat.
HOW rs SHERMAN TO CONQUER oroRGA b
RACING THROUGH IT2 .
| II he had captured Macon; If he cap
lures Augusta; if, in word, he completes
the virtual conquest of Georgia in thl
movement, and then takes his army TO Sa
vannah, he will have accomplished wha
the country was led to believe he woulc
do, Just after he had started But TO leav
Macon on his right, and Augusta on hi
left, untouched, merely because they ar'
fortified and defended; TO hasten through
Georgia % fast a. the legs of his men Cal
travel, and only to reach the ssacosst .
Last without having advanced the conques
of Georgia single step-that is surely no
the entertainment to which the public wer'
Invited few days ago. .. -y9 ,s2d u
CONCENTRATION OF REBEL TROOPS AT AUGUST
But General Sherman is not TO be allow
Cd to do even this, if the information whicl
have received be correct. He avoided
battle at Macon. he can hardly avoid,
battle at Augusta 1t no longer rests upoI
conjecture that large bodies Of rebel troop
have been sent to Augusta to confron
Sherman. The facts are now positively
known. A part of Ewell's corps, and {
part of Hill's, fifteen or twenty thousand
men in ell land these corps are known Il
have been filled up recently to the ful
compliment), are known to have left Rich
mond for Augusta about ten days ago
General Lee could we'll spare this force, fe
besides the recruits he has recently received
it will be remembered that he had also beer
reinforced by two divisions from, the val
| lev; 10 900 troops are known to have ar
rived at Augusta from Charleston and So
vannah. General Beaursgard was at Macol
on the 10th, with 10, 700 men that hs ! ar
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