Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-11-21
SheImana WaY.

somstas in ths monlh Ct February last Hs think Il
We. General sherman commenced one Of those mar
ysl5u5 nov, msnts Which the Yankees are 50 fond Of
Announcing 70 Al sstonished Vorld. Il vas indeed mar
ysloas In is conception, and Ia the snergJ with shiloh
10 Eas prosecuted up to q certain point /. would have
bssu sluI more marvellous bad it been dow Ilpsd to the
pJ.ut sf intscdsd consummAtoL After thu failure Of
SIC m0y,msat aud sasrmln's return to VicksbGrg, the
Northern newspapers, seemingly ~iOrgsuul Of their re-
ciut p.smolidoas, declared e TO be nothing more than
s grand reconnaissance, Intended OalJ 20 eject the de-
srueuoa OF tie crops and the railroads in Mississippi
aud 10 inspire alarm In she OoristerAis military Au-
t~hor!tes. No che, hoSsy2r, b,heVed but that it vas
iad,sd Eusi IL had been declared TO b. in SdTauce-an
sldacious movement involving a vast aud subtle COM
binaiol looking 10 8 permanent EoSeTanoe OF oommu-
uica,ion3 between hs Atlantic States AID Cult States,
and the c1rq rest OF sl the territory lying between the
FJLuss.ss RIVER sd tho Galf Of Mexico, as iaT East -
khs Inc Of the Macon and Albania Railroad.
In order to ed c. this purpose, sherman started Sith
q movable column, i~n'elding to traverse rapidly the
S aies Of Mississippi aud AabAms, uuqaeJtionsly sx-
paodng 10 oYeEEhslm o. drive before hun the compar'
a,ivsly feeble force uater General Polk, and to edeOta
lodsmant 6asl!y On The Gut, either 81 PsscsgOuA or
On Mobile Bay, Shsre he would be enabled toisstab-
lish q secure base Of operations, aud whence be could,
alter sf C !qz tie rsducIO1 Of Mobile, control the line
Of the Alabama river 80 tsI ar Selma aud Montgomery.
aad by threatening Johus,Ol's rear compel that Gsue,
RI 60 Gl tacE from D lt1u 70 Atlanta, snj ultimately
from Atlanta to Macon. The conception Ess grand
enough; theexscutioB up 10 a certain poilt was fault
less; b.. Ct that point tho shols 'sChems failed in con-
stousrc5 Of the DISASTROUS defeat {. ae'sd BY Forrest
-. -.rar-ff-r n,fvmu uhrrh hnd aaliod mt from
Msup-i5 ucdsr Gen. A. J. Smith. Sbormsn had eone
with only sJHl ient -5uppfss TO last him till be could
enter TIE fsrie aud productive grain crossing regions
Of Alabama, or until jrinod b7 Saith, uho Vas destined
20 repiaahh the Yankee Commisssrist.
Be-, O System Of vol devised obstruction iups-
ded his march, sai alter crossing Tho Ssls Of Nis6iI-
sppi, be found himself a Meridian sul confronted BY
a ~fornideble force, zbilo his owu diminished supplies
and TIC defeat Of Smith warned him Of the surely is-
tsl cons. o1encss Of prosscu,ing his march. While it
vas yet tine he Turned and I'D, without striking . siE-
gle blow, AMI reached V.cksburg aga'a With an army
which, in Thu brief esuPlisu, mad sUHared as much IS
il it bad pas ed throUga q bloody battle
We refer 10 thls episode 10 the history Of the car
psien Of 1884 IA order 10 exhibit al illustration CT the
dangers which oeset the moss magnificent schemes and
,be most aui.cious enterprises; aad likewise because We
6nd in il the ante-.Jps Of Slsrmans present move
men!, admitting that reportsP,aEs uuy, and the key
70 DIS GO ul desigap. Too departure IRON Atlanta and
abandonment Of 40 Chattanooga base Imply al inten-
ton 10 sa!z, rome point on the coast ios 4 neN base,
s-d 70 an Ct in this Eay tho coveted severance OF the
A.;anuc Safes from The GMi s,stes Whether that
objective point Is On the Atlantic OF on the Gulf
remains IL b9 eecn. b Le c,usso Of his
march uhas it may, or methods Of d5ien0o viii be
materially tie ssus, ana cu- TesourC's ioT that de-
fsRco 7sry muo- tt5 SAME IL .K;eat. Wien Sherman
vas sareeIiag across ths State Of Mississippi : prcmi-
J rent General ia our service, With full faoEleige Of the
comraraavely smsn aad irregular tOrea ieft % oppose
hin, Ne arc assured, fsi confident that with proper
energy thoro were ample means a. our disPositoC in
thu. quarter for his discontinue, and &c that cad
p,ved he prompt collection and vigorous employment
. of heavy gangs OF Degross il telling the timber across
,bs ro,ds. and Otherwise o5struotng the possible lines
- mach Of the enemy pos orly in bis immediate
!, ,,o,, IN, on his A.nks, aoS, az far as practicable,
\, ~, ,s,r. B, this mssa4 his march Nigh. be de-
a,s4 until bis supplies would b exhausted, end .
fOsoe corcsntrateJ for the ~szigeHoY efficient to ensure
his destruction. Aiisj 10 Ills. Cur light cassT5 srou's
carr OF o. consume By the torch al means OF cut
sseDss OF Lr a4ass, I, his single, PFso isatle vaJ
sn3 b. rss-Et 80 uliisly rss01DJs, CT Eeieh Ee hsFs
sbznjsre5 II me threatened quarter Ne aluoi no
Sherman may 30 eagle in 5 toll iron Ehoa there
viii Be no possible ssosPe for him, snj With that cen
easns expectation We Shal look forward 70 he ePsrs
iona Eithoss the lsssi apprehension.