The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-11-16
HOOD AND smERmAN-TuE WESTERN
CAMPALNN.

From me Times
We do not think that, in the whole course of
the war, the Rebels have ever made military
mistake as great as is the diversion of Hoods
army towards Tennessee. The soldiers of that
army were publicly promised by the leaders q
month ago that their feet would soon press the
soil of that State, and JEFF. Davis himself in his
Columbia speech, spoke of their going as high
Orthward as the Ohio river.
Now, when we reflect upon the past course and
present aspect of military affairs in the South
west, tho madness Of such project must be
apparent. The war in that section was Jeg,Rl on
the Ohio river pushed up the Cumberland to
Donelson, across Kentucky to Bowling Green
and Mil Springs, down 10 Nashville aud Mem
pills. onward to COrlHth and Chattanooga, aud
still forward and southwark till our army stood
triumphant In Atlanta. As it marched, /, de-
stoyed oI drove before it the armies Of the Rebels
defeating them IN not Tess than twenty pitched
battlts OF magnitude. The country zee left Oehad
us In our advance w1s very efftctually conquered
and Sutdued.
The whole bclligcrent and nble-bodied pOpuIa-
tion was in the Il bel armies that we whpped
and all the main Strategic or otherwise important
points we captured, fortified, and ggrrisOuod. la
striking for tennessee, Hood struck for a region
where the successful prosecution of offensive
military operations was next TO impossible. Il
was easy enough for Forrest and bis hOrsemcn
TO dash around ana capture little towns or
assault outpostS. But when It camo to the move
ment ot large army, the matter was altogether
different. On every hand there were great for
tresses; all around there wore minor but
powerful works; the rivers wero pttrolled
by guDbOats the railroads guarded by
block houses; the cities garrisuuedi and
besides all this there was large movable army
Qeav!pg sherman altogether Out of the count
ready az any point and az any moment to meet
the Rebels in robt, TO ass Ill them in uank, - fall
upon their n TT, or 20 cut their communications
and destroy iheir supplies. The Rebels could
not have selected u more hopeless region 10 wnich
m lion fsEl, . g
durable results, than the State of Tennessee.
East, Genre, aud West Norgh aud South, It Is
ours, and every y here il Is o iell prepared for
battle. Under these circumstances and cOndi-
tioLs, What could Hood possibly hope 60 effect
Sweep swiftly across Tennessee lit might be
done.
Across Western Kentucky Il were not altogether
impossible. Up 10 the Ohio, and across the OhiO
Well, what then Has ne gained anything Does
he hold ythiDg Can he stay there Has he
got Chattanooga, or MurtroeSbOIO, or Nashville
Has he got Knoxville or Memp phis ? Does he
command the Cumberland, the Tennessee, or the
Mississippi Has he got the state OF Tenne3s5
What has he done 10 forward the triumph or
secure the indeI endence of tho Southern Con-
federaCy Well might the grim Sherman give
vent to the most ineXpressible contempt in regard
to the norhward movement OF Hood we'll might
he eXclaim :-"Let him so North, N him II
he will go to the Ohio river, will give him
rations."
Where Hoods main body is stationed at this
moment is not given o1ti but the appearances are
that he has no, as yet pressed Tennessee; that lac
has not even yet got beyond North Alabama
In the meantime while Hood 3 army, according
90 the programme SGT forth by himself and by
jeff. Davis, was to be moving into and through
Tennessee, what was sherman, at Atlanta, 10 b3
about what we're the opportunities that this
mad Rebel movement afforded him Sherman
followed Hood q considerable distance but get
ting dkgusted with the pursuit, and being deter
mined, as he remarked, that the Rebels should
not plan his campaigns or mark ont his course for
him, hoturpcd back toward Atlanta and prep ircd
ior lhe prosecution Oh new GlhpasI IN h9Oel-
gone where he himself could effect nothing; he
had not only fnied in drawing sherman upon
wild. goose chase after himi but he had uncOy-
cred tho whole Of the important country between
| the Savannah and Alabama rivers, and from tho
mountains TO The sea. So that whether Sherman
deshed to strike for savannah, for Mobile, on for
Lyucbburg, his work was simpIihed and his path
rendered Comparatively clear, by the fact lnat
Hood was struggling OBVIOUSLY and wretchadly
among The bristng sronghOlds OF Tennessee