Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-10
The Spirit of the Rebel Press on sher-
mans Campaign.


The rebel press, especially that Of Rich
mond, Keeps up up the most gloomy pre-
dictions in regard to Sherman. According
to the Richmond Philosophers he is doomed
to destruction, before he shall catch sight
of the blue waters of the Atlantic. They
see him foundering in the swamps and
marshes. The Augusta ConststRtionGList
Of Nov. SOth, says.
It is very generally conceded that Sher-
man, avoiding both Augusta and Macon,
has gone on his winding way, either to Sa-
vannah, BrunsAiek or Port Royal. To
reach either Brunswick or Savannah, he
has to traverse barren waste Of land to
meet, as he approaches his destination,
swamps impenetrable to an army, save by
causewsys, which could easily be destroyed
before him. One good road, indeed, is at
his option; but then he may find upon that
road an opposition which he little dreamed
Of, and which may stop his march.
Rising with strong wings on the inspira-
ton of the vision of destruction thus con-
jured up for poor Sherman, this Augusta
knight of the quill, breaks out into rap
turOus frenzy, and shouts:
Somehow, we are, in common with our
fellow citizens, strongly Of the opinion that
Sherman and his robbers are marching to
doom, We know some very good news and
see some very excellent signs. Bspatient,
the fruit is not yel ripe.
The Richmond press, however, separated
by many hundreds of miles from the scene
| of shermsn's operations, grows more in
spired than ever. The Dispatch sees the
hero fugitive, vsinly essaying to escape
from the tolls of his adversary. The slow
progress he is making is evidence Of the
fact that he is in bad fix and knows not
how to escape. 1t then indulges in The
following high-wrought fiction:
They have been sending up rockets anC
! hlnaIirhts along the shore to encourage hi
/ efforts and TO guide his way. But Sherman
does not see them. He is far back ameng
the pines of Georgis, with many a weary
waste and swamp and barren between hin
and the friends who 80 anxiously await him
Nor signal lights alone. Trustworthy in.
teligence,p says the Charleston Mercury
of Wednesday, twas received yesterday
that a feet of some eighteen Yankee trans
ports had assembled Broad river" Thi
was an expedition for Sherman's relief
party sent to meet him, or to open his wa,
to Beaufort But these solIcitous friend
failed to find him. They found, however
the confederates, by whom, indeed, the.
we're soundly chsstised and driven back
but without word from Sherman. He
beyond the sound of cannon and out of tn
sight of rockets. His last words in settini
| out Were:-"Do not mind me; I am al
right" But they do mind him. and the
fear that he is not all right. They haV
cause.
But not content with thus narrowing u
the Yankee soul with tremblings and agt
nies for the safety of Sherman, it draws
picture of what awaits him if he chance
to reach the sea.
The Dispatch does not believe that Shel
man intends to cooperate with Grant. o
the contrary, it believes him anxious tx
get back to Tennessee. If mis- purpose ha
been to cooperate with Grant, he woul
would have gone to him by rail. says tn
Dispatch. But as it is, he is anxious to Re
turn to Tennessee. Of the perils he hs
undergone it thus gloatingly speaks
Four weeks will have elapsed from Il
day when he set out from Atlanta to thl
on which he takes refuge at Beaufort c
some other place, with the remains of b
army. How many of his soldiers will haE
= / 1rS1lnI no hp'
many will have struggled and deserted
how many will have broken down unde
the marchings and fghtings and vigil
only the official reports may tell. The
will number many thousands. FOU
; weeks in time and many thousands of me
will have been expended to place a foo
l sore and weary army in an Atlantic por
A sea voyage of six hundred miles, aion
' our most dangerous coast and around ou
Q stormiest capes, would remain to be mad
f -and made in the tempestuous season
a the year-before Sherman's forces Nigh
reach Grant What feet of transpor
and what length of time would be requires
the reader may estimate.
d But all this time Sherman Is taking
e easy. He is in no hurry. BE stays fI
: days at AIilledgeville. He fingers at otht
7 points. He does SO, because delay is nece
o sary to accomplish one of the chief objec
? of his movement. His intention in settin
: out from Atlanta was to destroy railroad
burn cotton and crops, pick up able-bodie
i negroes, use up the material resources
+ the rebellion as much as possible, al
weaken them in every way. To do tf
d requires delay in Georgia, and that is WI
g 10000 soldiers are not in hurry to s
the blue water.