Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-12-02
The Theatre Of War.

AS if in sympathy with the political
strife which eliminated in the Presi.
dental election Of Tuesday, the field Of
war far and wide echoed, as the ides OF
November approached, the tramp Of
armies and the din Of battlc--Price and
Rosecrans contendng over the invasion Of
Missouri, Sherman and Hood struggling
for the mastery of the Central Zone,
Grant once more dealing his double blow,
right and left, in another effort to seize
the Southside railroad. The rear Of
Sheridan's victory at Cedar Greek has
hardly died away into the splutter of
vindictive and deadly guerilla warfare
even from the ocean comes news at once
Of later depredations by the Tallahassee,
Of the capture of TIE notorious Florida,
and Cushing's gallant achievement in
destroying the Albermarle, followed by
the recapture of Plymouth, and the reoc-
cupation Of the North Carolina shorc.-
If we do not add to the list all the raids
and threatened raids across the Canadian
border, it is because these belong to the
former, to the political rather than the
military aspect of the campaign. OF all
these stirring phases Of the war, that in
Alabama and Georgia is at present the
most remarkable and exciting, A move
ment Of great bolducss, energy ard skill,
has been inaugurated by Gen. Hood. It.
was commenced on the very heels of the
capture Of Atlanta, by all odds the
crowning victory of our arms during the
present year. Recovering from this stun
Mug blow with surprising elasticity, the
enemy rallied and rcorgaulzed his forces
at the town Of Jonesboro, I;he outpost oil
Macon, lying 20 miles South Of Atlanta
1t was needful for him, in the presence Of
an antagonist like Sherman to do quick.
ly whatever he had to DO. Precisely six
weeks ago, tho preparations being all
complete, President JEFF Davis, sure Of
success, coniled to the people Of Macon,
lloods new plan Of campaign. Tie SIX
intervening weeks have been crowded with
some Of the most energetic aul brilliant
mauuuyres Of war. TIE cnemy's strategy
has been intrepid and dangerous, That
it has thus far been checkmated at every
point, is only due to the admirable gem
eraIship Of Sherman and the good con.
duct OF his subordinatcs and his army
Reducing the apparently pecpIe1el move
meuts Of the enemy to something like
simplicity. his plan and his iiue OF march
will be found to be as follows Break
Ing camp At JonesbCro' at the close Of
September, Gen. Hood, haH ug picked
and thoroughly mobiIi2el his columns,
threw them across the Chattahoochec and
marched straight up the railroad in sAyr-
mans rear, captured Dallas, Kinsrtcn,
Ackworth, Biz shanty Dalton aud other
points on the route. Bat the chic. points
in the chain our sab-deuot and storehou,e,
A A!latooua, thank to the gallant Corsc. he
could not occupy. Threatening Chat
tanooga for momcnt, he broke away be-
tore Sherman's pursuit-lor the latter
was instantly on his trail-and uarhced
westery J to Lafayette, and south westerly
to Gadsdea. There he paused to rest be-
fore pushing across the Tennessee. What
he had already accomplished was sever
ing railroad connection between Chat.
tauhooga and Atlanta duriu. the entire
mouth Of October. At the end Of the
month, however, Sherman's forces bv
great industi and skill, reoponed the
road. Meanwhile, Sherman had not been
idle. Foreseeing the possibility Of all
that had occurred, from the very hour he
took Atlanta until communication was
cut, and all through the ten days arm
istice, ke hurried provisions into Atlanta.
works were thrown up in the city accord
ing to its new commanders idea Of forti-
6cations. II was not done too promptly,
for the enemy was alert. Dispositions
were made for the exigoncy. Troops
were thrown rapidly along the railroad,
to the more important points, and Sher-
man was on the move in time to relieve
Corse at Allatoona, and to assure the
safety of Chattanooga. Then snticipat-
ing Hoods next move, troops were dis
posed at Bridgeport and other points
along the Tennessee. If the Confederate
General, however, iancied that all Sher-
mans army would steam instantcr down
the river, leaving the little garrisons to
their fate, he grately mistook his antas-
onist. S!ocum with the Twentieth Corps
securely held Atlanta, and sufficient
troops covered all the adjoining resiou.-
Sherman closely followed Hood, and
waited alert and confident, at Gaylesville.
while Hood delayed at Gadsicn. Just
before leaving Gadsden, there was "a hap
py time in Hoods army, its chief off.
GERS, Generals, Beauregard, Hood, S, D.
Lee, Cheatham. Clayton, CIeburu and
Bate made speeches, promising, as one of
them SAID, "to whip Sherman from the
list of Yankee officers" Unhapply,
that General would not be disposed OF so
ANONYMOUSLY. Before the enemy had
crossed the Chattahoochee, Sherman had
thrown troops along the railroad to pro-
tect the rear, and held its two oxtremitic,
Chattanooga aud Atlanta, in a strong
grasp, and Alatooua also, the chief point
between them. He rapidly pursued
Hood, and closely watchc! the latter from
Gaylesvile, while the Confederate Cen
eral paused at Gadsdeh.
When, with the first days Of Novem-
Der, Hood struck the Tennessee, between
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