The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-20

etdereO Anie-Shern0n AT NHNhuhhh-
The city an UnimportRnt POint-FOrt
McAIIister of No AccOunt-The Fight
at COOsawntehIe - Peace Resolutions
Again.
Ffon ne Richmond Wing, Dec II.
There rs no LONGER any doubt that SHERMAN has
eontriyed to get through georgia, and to reach a
pace OF safety ior himself and ms army. II was to
be hoped that ne might be prevented rom accom-
plishing even that much; that he might be annoyed
dunng his march to such an eNfont as to embarrass
his foRging operations and cut of his supply ioodi
that lis way might be obstructed and his progress
impC ded by energetic use OF those means which
lay opuenty at hand that the militia the country
might gather in his front on his TANKS, in hs rear,
and harrass his weary troops by night and by day.
and that finally, by comb nation OF these unpropi-
tous circumstances he might b. brought 20 untimeiy
guci.
his apparently slow and languid progress through
Georgia gave force and color to these expectations
for whereas, according to his originally contem.
plated rate of advance, he should have reached Sa
Vannah in twenty DAYS after commencing his march,
he did not arrive before that place Till the expiration
of month. lie was delayed twelve days, long
enough to march hundred ana eighty miles, even
at the slow rate adopted by himself In these twelve
days he might have been demolished, had the means
above suggested been at hand and jud'ciouslY CONF
bmcd Tor the purpose. But It turns out tnat SHER-
MANS calculations were, TO certain extent, well
founded, and that, tor various reasons which, no
possible for concentrate our forces to combine
doubt had been well weighed by him. 1t was tound im
our efforts TO involve him in any serious danger.
He has got through Georgia at last, and that with
out any material loss
He is safely established on the sea coast. That
much, we presume, is settled BY the capture of
Fort McAllster. And alter ali, 1t is a relief 10
know exactly how much injury he has inflicted on
u.s. to be able TO prognoshcate the contingent suits
OF his movement even at its maximum of probabl
success, and 20 estimate with approximate precision
the re advantage and dlsldva ntages howing
from his radical change OF military policy. In the
first we find that the Nor then press and the North
ern people were entirely deuded by their expecta-
tatons OF extraordinary results TO bo achieved by
General sHERMAN's army durug its march.
The CAPTURE Macon and Augusta did not illus
trate the history OF tn is grand movement;
the Federal prisoners Te oased nom captivity. If
these formed any part OF SHERMAN's plan, ms cam
paign has been q lament able failure. II they we're
not taken into account, the great march COM
paralYoy pOintless and had, ind eed, far moro the
character OF a retreat than OF INVASION. Neither
has SHERMAN succeeded in Dermane ntlY seyerng,
or even materially injurng any OF our lines OF
mm icatOn.
The strategist of The New York Tfltos, who accom-
named HIM on an imaginary tTiumphai progress
through Georgia and South Carolina, assisted him
in captun Augusta and Charleston, helped hlm
to break u cur railroad connection at Branchyiile,
ana finally established him comiol tably at Greens
borough must be very much disguised 70 discover
that Il was nothing but an Alnaschar day dream;
and that SHERMAN was really trying TO eiude pur.
SUIT until he could communicate with his fleet, and
seat himself before the comparatively uminpOftaut
city OF savannah In tact, instead OF cutting of our
communication with the Cult Sta,es SHERMAN has
restored TO us that main me, vastly more impor ant
than all the others, Tor the possession OF who nc
fought many battles, and prosecuted 30 long and
weary campaign.
He Piyes up ali The country from the Tennessee to
the Ocean and the Gull, almost the whole OF tle
eonquCsts OF nearly Iour years OF ooly struggle,
and expects to gain, in exchange, seaport which
has been Tor q long tlme closed which commands
hing except small area OF marsny rice land,
anu winch eau serve, AZ bostJ ony as base i0T the
renewal rom the ocean SIDE OF the scheme OF con-
quest VIII ch has eOniessedly Riled from the noun
tan size Oi the Comic, eraoy All OF which Wou
be in effect to rccOmu ence another four years OF
war. And saw nnah is not taken yet. The fall OF
Fort McAliter does not by any means involve the
in ! OF Savannah. Tnat post was intended to guard
Il e Ogechee River aga nst the landing OF Yankee
amy approach ng savannah from mat side. .
AS soon as SHERMAN arrived before tho fort, II
ceased TO serve any such purpose II was in hs was
only as II prevented him from communicating wilf
LIS e.t l. II could not be held against hlm except by
fighting pitched battle Tor IT, ana Il was not OF su.
fcicnt consequence TO warrant such risk. sHER
NWill now We suppose, begin the siege OF SlYal
nah what the 4aHkees cal siegei that ls to say
he vii establish himself before It and Try 10 take
IN some way. W do uOt think he can cary lt d.
assault and il he cannot cut OF communication an'
completely invest t. we do not see how he can cap
tura IT at ALI But Savannah IS not the on ederacY
nor yet oorgia, nor ye anything more than smpl
SavanI an, and us capture would coun. about a
much towards he cOnques Oh tho South "a the car
tme OF Chicago towards the conquest Oh tho Norl
Fosters Operations News from the Coast
From tee Charleston Courier, l2h.
The enemy ON Friday afternoon madc an atta1
on our lines az Soos1watcme, and wer' az an o!dl
II
ire tC-woik and the Coosaw atchie bridge. The he,
vie I hghuI was between the enem 's troops col
sstn OF brigade OF infantry and ariillery est
ma ed az about three thousand, Commanded by Gel
HAICH, ana the George a troops under the comm1n
oi General J.. Il, GARTRELI, on our right, restiu
on nhfnny Creek All accounts concur IN Stain
that tho light was hOtly contested. The musketI
frne was terrific. our iorce was estimated at n'
nine drcd, con ISM ng o uetaclm'Hts o. O.
Hth aud Fort ty-seveuth Georgia, and the tirs an
skirInishing commenced early in tho morning
and was Kept up with more or less yigor until IQ'
O'Clock IN the afternoon, when the engagement b
came general The enemy attempted TO ram 20
session ol the Tihhnny Cut and tteste-wOtk, an IN
portant position commanding the line OF railroad
CoOsawatchie. Our troops ON lnG enemy appfJae
gaye a cheer, and before they could come up charge
them with great gallantTy. The light lasted abo
two hours and halt the euemy being hnaIly drive
back to their intrenchments. Inc enemYs ioss
said 10 have been very heavy, while ours Will n
exceed one hundred Killed and wounded. Gener
GARTRELL was painfully wounded by fragment
shell in the arm and side. Captain SHEFFIELD
brave and gallant officer OF the Fory-seyent
Georgia, was killed on the heldi Captains LEAR
NETT aud WOOD, OF the First Georgia Reserve
T6e Reserves have received the highest enc
miums Tor their disiingmshed bravery. me colo
bearer OF the First Georgia having Deeh wound
a Lieutenant whose namo we could not learn, toe
hold, and rushing forward was killed within thir'
wards Of the enemy's line OF battle.
From prisoners taken IN tins fight, as well as rol
some OF our own men who were captured, and :
forwards escaped, we learn that the enemy estlml
their loss I'M last Thursdays engagement at Detwe.
seven and eight hundred killed ana wounded. o.
loss I'm this action was seven killed ana III
Ihe enemy have evacuated BOyd's Landing al
established their base at Bees Greek, from whi'
there Is a direct road TO the COosawatohie halTol
bridge Iher gun-bOats In Bees Greek comma1
the Battery in Gher present position near the line
Tal1oad "A despatch from Major-General JoNE
received last evening reports all quiet at Coosawa
chic ard PocOtaligo.
Oi SHFRMAN's movements we hear plenty OF r
lnOrs Our latest ana most reliable intelngen
states that he is moving cautiously towards q
coast below Savannah, probably i0f Genesis rom
Fighting was reported on Saturday at hOnue
,abOut ten miles from Savannah. The Savanna
RaihOad was reported torn up from the torm'
n int 20 tho junction OF the Central and Savanna
RailIoad. A day or two wall develop SHERMAN
inter tons. Our preparations 10 defeat him are b
Aoyod 10 be ample.
The War.
S.ro,a ~ Richmond SeRhaeI Dec. H.
(lu fiis side OF the river the calm which has pr
,,ailed Tor erai days HndistuTbed. There was
~arnor vestenfav OF fighting on the south side, bu
N q rumor was not confirmed
rbe PefereburQ EEpreSs OF yesterday morning
uaysi-Weduesdsy aud Thursday afternoon "a