Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-11-29

failure OF TIE movement and Sberusn's return
20 Ficksburs, the Northern pevspsrers, seem
lnglJ forseiiul Of Il cir recent premonirons. de-
ci.red Is to oe nothing more than grand recon
noisssnce, intended only to effect the destruction
Of the crops and the railroads in Mississippi. aud
70 Inspire alarm IN the Corfedsrate military sr-
thorltles. No one. however, believed but thar il
vac indeed what IL had been declared TO be 10 sd-
yancc-an audscioEs movement involving
vast and subtle combination, looking 10 q per-
msnens severance OF Communication between
the Atlantic States and Gulf States, and the
conquest Of eli the territory lying between the
| Tennessee river and the Gulf OF Mexico, 50
far east as the line OF the Macon and Atlanta
railroad
In order to effect this purpose, Sherman start
ed with moveble column. intending to traverse
rapidly the States of Mssissippi and Alabams,
PROFESSIONALLY expecting 70 oyerwhelm or drive
General Polk, and TO effect Judgment fnally
on the Gulf, either at Pascagoula or on Mobile
/ Bay, where he would be enabled 10 establish =
secure base of operations, and whence be could.
after effectiug The rsuction Of Mobile. control
the line OF the Alabama river es far Selma or
Montgomery, and by threatening Johnson's rear.
compel that general to fall back from Dalton 70
/ Atlanta. and ultimately from Atlanta 20 Macon
/ The conception was grand enough: the execu-
tioAs W = Pothts Was AauittcScs Jul ~
| that point the whole scheme tailed. in conse
quence of the disastrous defeat inflicted BY For
rest on the co operating columns which had sal
| lied out from Memphis under Gen. A. j. Smith.
| Sherman had come with only sufficient supplies
to last him till be could enter the fertile and pro-
ductive grain growing regions of Alabama, or
until Joined by Smith, who was destined TO re-
plensh the Yankee commissariat.
But system of we'll devised obstruction inn
peeled his march, and after crossing Mississippi
he found himself at Meridian. snll confronted by
| formidable force, while his own diminished
supplies and the defeat of Smith warned him OF
the surely fatal consequences OF prosecuting his
! march While it vet time, he turned and
fed, without striking single blow, and reached
| Nicksburg again with army which, in this
brief campaign, had suffered much as If il had
passed through bloody battle
We refer TO this episode in the history of the
campaign OF 1854, in order to exhibit an illustrs-
t0n Of the dangers which beset the most mag
ni6cent schemes and the most audscous enter
prses; and likewise because We find in il the AL
te,ype of Shermans present movement, admit
ting that report speaks truly, end the KEY 90 his
actual designs
The departure from Atlanta and abandonment
of the Chattanooga base imply an intention to
seize some point on the coast for 4 new base, and
TO effect IN this way the coveted severance Ofthe
Atlantic States from the Gulf States Whether
that objective point is on the Atlantic or on the
Gulf. remains to be seen. Be the course of hi,
march what it NAV, our methods of defense will
be materially the same and our resources TOT
| that defense very much the same in extent
When Sherman was careeaing across the State c
! Mississippi prominent General in service
with full knowledge OF the comparatively small
and irregular force left 10 oppose him, we arr
assured, felt confident that with proper energy
there were ample means at our disposition il
that quarter for his discontinue and 10 that enc
urged the prompt collection aud vigorous EN-
poyment of heavy gangs of negroes in felliuI
the timber across the roads, and otherwise DO
sirrctng the possible lines OF march of the
enemy. not only in his immediate front, bu
on hi tanks. AID, far practicable. in hi
rear.
BY this means his march might be delayed un-
eli Ms supplies would he exhausted and fore,
concentrated for the exigency sufficient TO in
sure bis destruction Added to this, our ligh
cavalry should carry off consume by N,
torch all means OF subsistence on bis tanks. IL
this simple. practicable way. and by resort e
military resources, Of which We have abundance
In the threatened quarter. We doubt not Sherman
nay be caught in toll from which there is M
possible escape for him. and with shat confden
expectation We shall look forward to his oIera
tons without the least apprehension.