Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-12-22
FROM THE NORTH.

The Jew I ork Times announces that it is not OF
those who expect vast advantages from Shermans ad-
vance through Georgia, viewed merely raid"
and it goes to give what in its views, does cons
tute the advantages which are to arise from it:
Georgia is undoubtedly the granary of the Coned-
eracy, and to destroy its harvests will cripple Lees
horses WILL beside lame the transporting power of the
rebel Conederacy. All these benefits of some i'm.
portance which we ehal derive from Sherman's nva-
sion.
But, on the other hand the Confederacy is essential
Iy an agricultural State. Vast breadths Of land in
South Carolina Eastern Georgia and North carolina,
formerly planted with cotoD have been, during the last
year, sown with wheat and corn. 1t will be exceeding
~ difficult to starve out such community.
Again, destructive invasion of this kind creates
vast number OF new enemies Every man robbed and
stripped by the tempest of destruction now sweeping
through Georgia Ia henceforth hundred fold more Bit
ter haer OF the North and the Union than before
All doubtful and lukewarm Southerners in that State
haYe undoubtedly become now intense secessionsts-
1t just would be here if Lee should sweep the
banks of the Hudson in broad track OF desolation
from Albany to New York, leaving nothing but
blackened homesteads and wasted farms There would
be but one effect. Every Copperhead would become
at once violent Unionist even perhaps black abo
litionst.' Patriotism, hatred OF the invader would be
tenold more strong for there is certain limit, be-
yond which, If you inute man, nothing is left but
hate and despair Every raid into the South or North
has tendency, without question, to encourage
lisments " on the other side. STILL these the
necessary evils of war. It sodifes each side. A peo
pie like the Ango-Ame-ican could be reduced to
submission by burning their barns plunderng their
houses.
The sole and the grand Importance of the invasion of
Sherman hold to be its military aim. The cities on
his line of march Of no consequence to him unless
he destroy their depots of supplies and their arsen
ais. Savannah itself is Of little Importance, in mill
ary point of iew. The great ends gained by bis bold
movement will be the dissection of the great Southern
railroad sy STEM the large force Of able bodied negroes
he may acquire both for further military and pioneer
purposes and, above ALL the influence be will at once
exert on the Virginia campaign. Gen. Sherman, we
may be sure, with his long head is aiming at something
more than burning towns grain corn cribs, or captur
ing useless cities. He is, besides only lieutenant OF
Gen Grant his movement is merely part OF the great
stratecic plan which covers the whole country.
Having gained new base on the Georgia coast re-
provisioned his trains, renewed bis ammunition and
rested his men, We may confidently expect that his next
movement will be northward. He may even pass by
Savannah and Charleston both, make new base at
Bulls bay, and a secondary base at Branchve, and
then easily hold both lines Of the rebel railroad system
the upper and lower. From this point be could east
ly operate toward North Carolina sweeping the coun-
try before him. until he had formed new base on the
North Carolina coast, and begun hs~grand hoal march
into Virginia and the of Lee.
This would be the closing act of the rebellion, and
Lee would be placed in worse position than was
CORVALLIS at Yorktown