Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-12-08
RUTLAND HERALD
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1854.
sneInan,s March.

REeTmuhS "atSh.
While so little IS certainly known OF
the progress and ain, of Gen. Sherman,
rumcrs and speculaiions are OF course
unusu--y lIv y va.'H~s and multitu-
alnous. Few o. D re rumors and spec
MAJ. ,ns are worth snytullg, but all are
nevtrtheles- Interesting for want of
something more reliable. We have now
the report through IN escaped Union
soldier nom Charleston, that both Adj
miral Dahlgren and Gen. Poster are
cogniEant Of the movements Of Gen,
Sherman and are cooperating with him;
that the movement has already been
made to sever the connections of Will
mington and Charleston, and as soon as
the probable time OF Sherman's attack
upon Savannah (where this report says
he Is going) arrives, Foster will make
demonstration on Charleston, Porter up
on Wilmington, Grant upon Richmond,
while Sheridan's column will also be
busy. We have from other sources In
timations of approaching activity about
Richmond and on the sea coast, and 1t
IL not unlikely that there may be
"thunder all around" before Sherman
CO npletes his bold and gigantic under
aing. The Winter month upon which
We lave just entered is probably to
witness most active and extensive
campaign. The work has already COM
menced VIGOROUSLY in Tennessee.
The Richmond Examiner OF Nov. Goth
has some interesting speculations as to
Gen. Sherman's designs and destination,
which we append:
The news from Georgia, now the most
interesting of all, is exceedingly meager
and Enthusiastically. But no doubt
can now be entertained OF Sherman's
design, or of his destination. When
Davis sent, and Hood took the only ar
my apparent In the country off his
shoulders, and carried it through the
mountains to stick 1t in the mud be-
tween Tuscumbis and Florence, Sher-
man determined to make an attempt on
the lines OF communication between
Virginia, the Carolinas, and the rest of
the Confederate States. His work In
Northern Georgia was done, and for ul-
terror operations any point on the sea-
coast would be q better base than Chat
tanooga. He risked much in appear
ance, but perhaps little In reality, by
DESTROYING his communications. A
marching army can transport ammuni-
ton for at least three pitched battles,
aud for supplies at this season of the
year he might partly rely on the coun-
try through which he proposed to pass.
Ifhe could take Macon or Augusta by
the way, he would accomplish great
doings; but the destruction of these
towns was not his main object. His
design was TO destroy the railroads as
for az he could, which run from South
ern and Western Georgia to Virginia
and the Carolinas, and to rest his army
at Beaufort and Port Royal That he
would go to that point rather than Sa-
vannah is nearly certain, for If he di-
rected his course to Savannah or to
Charleston, he would find fortified and
well defended cities, and his troops ex-
hausted by long march, both in
strength and ammunition, would be
wholly unfit to reduce either place
But the enemy already has possession of
Beau rt. He would have no fighting
to dc mere, and he would find transports
lad with every species ofsupply await
ing AS arrival. 1t is, therefore, reason
able y believe that Beaufort is the point
of l., tination, and that if he fails at
Augusta, he will make his way thither
as far as the Confederate troops permit
him. II the reader will glance at the
map, he will perceive that when Sher-
man has passed from Chattanooga to
Atlanta, and thence to Beaufort he will
have severed every railroad between
Georgia and Virginia. This severence
will be easily repaired; but if he can es-
tablish himself permanently at Beaufort,
he may be able to operate against those
roads repeatedly. Furthermore, Beau
fort lies between Charleston and Savan-
nah, and can be conveniently used as
the base of land operations against Ell
ther city. 1t is evidently highly impor-
tant that Sherman should never take
Augusta or Macon, and should never
reach Beaufort.