Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-12-12
From the correspondent Of The y. Y. worlda
BALTIMORE. December ..

From the Correspondent Of The y. Y. worldn
BALTIMORE. December
THE LATEST FKox sHKRxAx's Army
No actual news 10 regard to General Sherman
has been received here since nv last letter: that
is. | mean nothing based upon positive facts re-
ating to occurrences that are known to have Ia
ken place. At the same time. there Is a we'll
defined impression prevailing here among those
who sre the best informed upon the subject and
these views. | am convinced, are much nearer
the truth than the rose colored hopes with which
the country has been RECALLED for the last three
weeks. These views, therefore. | proceed to
give you: and | venture TO say that events will
prove their general correctness.
pEyEysEs OF SAVANNAH, AND WHY II WAS FORrI
YIED.
The statement that is being reiterated with
such complacency, that Savannah has no de
lenses the land side. and that IL IL onprepared
20 stand vigorous attack, l. entirely erroneous.
Savannah Is we'll fortified all sdeE and ia
capable of making a strong resistance. Most Of
the forts aud redouots on the south and west
sides OF the city are old works and were erected
more than two years ago. At the time the first
serious demonstrations were made against
! Charleston aud when the federal forces first
gained the foothOld on the coast in that yicin-
ty. an attack on Savannah was expected by
the rebel leaders. and ample provision was
made to repel il even then.
The rebel leaders never gave way to despon-
dency in regard to Charleston They always
hoped to be able to defend that city successfully
But al the time when the frst powerful expedi
ton against Charleston was being fitted out, and
more particularly at the time when the first CO.
operating land and naval force besieging
Charleston in earnest. aud when the loyal people
of the North we're promised every few DAYS that
Charleston would certainly fall--at that time
there was not one OF the rebel leaders who wss
sure that Charleston could hold out And they
knew very well that If Charleston did fall, that
Savannah would be the next attack. Nay, they
/ feared that If Charleston should be successfully
defended, that the beseging force would turn
! their attention to Savannah instead.
! THE BEsT ENGINEERS HAVE FORTIFIED SAVANNAH
/ While, therefore. the defenses of Charleston
/ were made so strong that they were hoped to be
1 mpregnable. and believed to be capable of
successful resistance "A belief which the expert
ence of two years has justifed). the defences of
Savannah were not neglected. The same engi
/ neers who had erected the forts aud earthworks
around Charleston. transferred their labors and
their skill to Savannah, and. under their super
ntendence. those works arose. and were compile
/ ted more than year ago which now defend Se
vaDnsh OF the vest and south. They have been
inspected by General Beauregard, and he did not
leave the military department ia which Charles
ton and Savannah is situated until he was astis
/ fed of their equal ability 20 stand a siege
WHY SHERMAN FAILED To TAKE MACON AND Al
GUsTA.
The statements. therefore, that have been
eagerly repeated, that savannah is unfortihed,
are AS deceptive as those which used to be made
about Richmond. and "a those which have only
recently Leen made in regard To Macon and Au-
gusta. Both of the latter places the public were
assured. were entirely unfortifed and would fall
at the frs, sound Of Sherman's trumpet. II Is
quite clear now, however, that the public were
deceived on this point; and that Sherman's fail
ure TO capture both OF these places resulted from
! the fact that they were both well fortified
WHAT HAS SAVED SAVANNAH.
IL is believed. Therefore. by those who know
best, that Sherman will avoid Savannah tor the
same reason that lie has avoided Macon and Al
/ gusta: not because he might not be able 10 take
il, but because it is strongly fortified and well
defended and because its capture would entail so
heavy loss upon MS army would destroy its
efficiency, and render him incapable Of accom-
plishing the grand obiec, OF his movement to the
sea No doubt there has been some additional
work on the Notifications going on quite recent
~: strengthening the old works. and perhaps
i erecting some new ones
WHAT THE REBELS INFER FROM sHExAy's AVOID
ANcE MACON AND AUGUSTA
II is known here that this avoidance by Gen
eral Sherman of Macon and Augusta, aud the
certainty shat he will avoid Savannah. has
given the rebel leaders new courage, because they
take IL b. an indication that Sherman's army is
numerically weaker than Was supposed, aud also,
that bis supply Of ammunition Is 20 small that
! il requires TO be closely husbanded There is
not an influential and we'll conducted newspaper,
either in the North or the South. that was blind
TO the obvious advantage which it would have
been 10 Gen Sherman and the Federal cause. and
the damage that would be done to the Cause of
| the rebellion, to have Sherman capture Macon
and Augusta That he would certainly attempt
the capture of both OF these places fully ex
pected, and the expectation expressed, by the
leading New York journal. aud the Army and
Navy Journal. and by the leading Richmond and
Georgia papers. the latter declaring the first
that Macon and Augusta would be defended to
the last extremity, and some OF the former ridl
culing the idea that either Macon Augusta
could make the least defense The same papers
now endeavor in vain to conceal their ehagrin
that sherman has failed to capture either one of
them.
ruE REBELS THINK SHERMAN mas Fsw MN AND
LITTLE AMMUNITION.
To the rebel military leaders the advantages
which the capture OF those places would have
given to Sherman we're so obvious that they are
confirmed in their belief that he is deficient both
IN men and arSVhunition, and this, above sta
ted. has encouraged them TO believe shat the
measures which they have taken will prevent him
from reaching the sea cosst 18th his army in an
efficient condition IL is very true that Up TO
the time he left Augusta on his left, be had not
met with any more serious resistance than that
which he found 81 Macon on the ooh ul., and
that of tie numerous clouds of cavalry tina, hung
on his aud tanks and cut off and captured
his foraging parties
WHY CENTRAL SHERMAN HAS NIT WITH LITTLE
OPPOSITION.
Bot il is believed here that the reason why
this has been 80 i that the rebel leaders have
been Outstanding their strength. collecting their
forces. and waiting until the time should arrive
when Sherman's weary and faded columns could
be attacked a, come point comparatively near
the Coast; in position selected by themselves
on account oil its advantages TO them. snd where
they could actually concentrate agains; Sherman
a numerically superior force Wha. forces the
Confeisra;es actually have in Georgia 10 con-
from: Sherman i now known With reasonable &C
curacy They consist of ten thousand troops
that were recently az Charleston and savannah:
si1 thousand that were brought from Whining
ton by Geaersl Bragg: eight that were brought
from CoFiuth by Gen Beauregari. Gen HardCe
aid General Dick TAYLOR; twelve thousand from
the corrS of Hill and Esell sent from Richmoi a