The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-09-10
FAIL of Atlanta.

Tho hearts Of the loyal people of the
country were made glad on Saturday last.
by the official bulletin of Secretary Stanton
announcing that Gen. Sherman had cap.
tured Atlanta.
General Sherman in his official report
briefly and modcstly describes the brilliant
movement by which he effected Judgment
on the Macon railroad, and threw his army
between Atlanta and the Rebel fortified
position at Jonesborough. A Rebel assault
having been easily repulsed. then followed
u general attack on the position at Jones
borough, which was carried by assault by
the Fourteenth Corps, General jeff. G.
Davis commanding. capturing ten guns and
a thousand prisoners. General Hood find
ing his army divided, and the only road on
which he depended for supplies occupied by
our troops, blew up his magazines in Allan
tn, destroyed seven locomotives and eighty
one cars loaded with ammunition, small
arms and stores and retreated with his
beaten and demoariZed army to Lovejoys
Macon Railroad, to which point our army
had followed him. General Slocum' Corps
occupied Atlanta, capturing fourteen pieces
of artillery and a large number Of small
arms. Deseriers were coming into our lines
constantly. We captured i'll this final move.
ment on the city about two thousand pris.
oGers, whilst our entire loss will not exceed
twelve hundred. The Rebels left three
hundred dead on the field The history of
the war has not furnished a more brilliant,
mastery and successful movement than that
which has given us possession Of Atlanta
1t is fitting elimination of Gen. Sherman S
splendid campaign.
The city Of Atlanta contains about 20. 600
inhabitants, 5000 having been added by
refugees and Government officials since the
war began. Being in the heart of the Gulf
States, it was supposed to be peculiarly
safe, and therefore well adapted for armo-
ries, arsenals and supply depots. 1t was,
moreover, the center of the railroad system
of that section, whence men and material
cond be advantageously distributed to all
points. Three main railroads diverge from
it the road to Chattanooga on the north;
the Georgia road, running east to Charles.
ton, and the road on the south, which forks
into that leading to Montgomery and Pensa
cola on the southwest, and into that run,
ming through Macon to Savannah on the
southeast.
The city is laid out in circle, two miles
in diameter 1t forms, says recent retu.
gee, one vast Government warehouses
fere are located the machine shops OF the
principal railroads the most extensive roll
ing mills in the South, foundries, pistol and
tent factories, &c., &C. In addition, the
Government have works for casting shot and
she'll, making gun carriages, caps, shoes,
clothing, &c. The steady advance of Sher
man has doubtless compelled the transfer of
much of the machinery and warlike stores
elsewhere.
The Importance of this capture of the
Gibraltar of the rebellion and the Terri
torial key to the Confederacy, it is impossi
BILE to over estimate. In a military point
of view its effect will be incalculable. 1t
involves the loss of Georgia, narrows the
limits of the rebellion to small compass,
breaks up the unity of the Confederacy,
isolates component States, and gives assur-
ance of their earlier or later dismemberment
1t deprives the South of that linked system
of iron roads by which intercommunication