The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-11-18
THE VAR NEWS.

general impression, gathered chiefly from
hints dropped by the Yankee press, that
Grant is preparing for the final. grand
movement of the campaign in Virginia,
which it is confidently hoped by the
Yankee people is to end the war by
taking Richmond. Constant and re
peated failure seeming to have no effect
upon him, We know of no reason why
ne should not make another attempt to
disi0dg0 our army. As Butler's canal is
not yet finished, an attack on our centre
is hardly to he thought Of, and his next
attack will probably be, to some extent,
repetition Of his last, except il will, we
think, be the last reversed; that is,
he will assault with his heaviest
columns on the north side. His eXpe-
rlence on the south side should satisfy
him there is nothing to be hoped from an
advance in that quarter. He may argue
that, II he conl1 throw two corps on the
Williamsburg and Nine-Mile roads at the
points essayed by the Eighteenth corps
on the eth ultimo, he might effect
lodglnent 1t is said he is already mus
| tering his forces for the frav, aud dcScrters
report that he has, ,been reinforced by
portion of SheridaRs command from the
Valley but this we shall not implicitly
credit until it comes to us through some
less questionable channel.
From Petersburg we have nothing of
interest. The Yankees continue their
raids and depredations into Surry and
the neighboring counties, and are treating
the inhabitants with unusual barbarity-
the raiders being mostly negroes.
THE VALLEY
Passengers by last nights train say
that nothing special has been heard from
Early at Staunton for two days past;
| but it is supposed that ls is driving Oh
towards the Potomac. CUR cavalry had
been within a very short distance OF
llarpcI's Ferry, and made some captures
of men and horses.
The Yankees have been behaving
worse than usual III Winchester. They
have turned their stock in the cemetery,
| and have not only pulled up the tomb
stones and oveTthrown the monuments,
but broken them in pieces and desecrated
the graves. They had taken possession
of all the churches in the place, as hos
pitals, except the Episcopal, which they
said was too damp for the patients.
Sheridan has, without doubt, sent
away a portion of his force and they
have, it is said, arrived at City Point
This information comes from desertcra,
as well as from our own scouts. An
other informant says some of them have
been put into Fort Harrison. There is
evidently great scheme oD foot, and the
Yankees are determined to spare no
efforts to render it Successful.
FROM dEoRGlA-suERMAN's MOVEMENTS.
The only Official information received
by the PRESS yesterday was that Sher-
man lad destroyed the Northwestern
apu Atlantic railroad from Atlanta to
Altoona, the Chattahoochee bridge in
cluded. This movement is difficult to
understand, except as explained by un-
official reports that were in circulation
during yesterday. If they be true, the
destruction of the railroad can be under
stood, though it will still appear super
tluous labor. The reports had it that
Sherman, having burnt Atlanta on the
10Th, last Tuesday, had set out for Ma
con with three corps, amounting together
to thirty five thousand men, and that he
had, on yesterday, reached Jonesboro',
twenty-five miles south of Atlanta
If there is truth in these accounts, US we
believe there is, Wheeler has much to
answer for. 1t devolved upon him to
| watch Sherman and keep posted-as to
his movements. Only four days ago he
reported him moving towards Bridge
port Now, it is said, he reports him
moving towards Macon, as above stated.
We regret to sag this latter report is cor
roborated by other evidence.
Sherman will, we think, meet with
opposition he does not calculate upon
before he reaches the fOrtilications of
Macon. These works, should he ever
reach them, he will find Of the most for
maable character, and with the troops
that before that time will be collected in
them, they must give him vast deal
| more trouble than he evidently counts
upon. If the Georgians will battle for
their trenches as the Petersburg militia
did last June for theirs, or the Richmond
militia did at Staunton river bridge, later
in the summer, Macon will he saved.
In undertaking this expedition, Sher-
man is too prudent man to RELY uyc.
subsisting his army on the country. II
becomes interesting and important t,
consider what point he calculates upon
making bis base Of supplies. His de-