, 1864-12-28
IEGbci Account of Hoods DeEent.
luE SITUATION IN TENNESSEE MELANCHOLY

1kGDcA 4 ACc0AAA1t OF Qc0d'8 k91!4Ass
IuE SITUATION IN TENNESSEE MELANCHOLY
ENOUGH.
from the Richmond Whtc, Dec. s01
We hare as get no direct intelligence from
Gen. hood, nor do Wc expect to receive any
1or some days 10 come. Meanwhile the
Yankee accounts, on which alone VIC depend,
must be received with many grains Of allow
ance. Make what allowance VIC may, how
ever, and 1ar situation il m1aneAoiy cnoxgA.
It WIS black day for the Army Of Tennes-
Fee, the day the command WAS taken from
Gen. Johnston and conferred upon General
Hood, q brave man, It is true, and an excel
lent division commander, but a man wanting
in ability, us everybody ut all acquainted with
him will be ready to testify: Everything has
happened which was fearrd would happen,
aud nothing which has hoped {againsl hope)
htatcn and compelled to abandon Atlanta.
lie then stepped ont Of the way, hat in hand,
and asked Sherman 10 walk through Gcorg ii.
lie himself moved up into Tennessee, where
lie hos now again got himself beaten, md this
time, NC fear, badly enough.
The confcderacy has three great generals of
Tic highest rank. Each Of them Las shown
himself equal to every emergency. In the
hands OF these generals 1t would he safe. One
If them on~h, to command each u the three
great aEmics-ylz: Lee, the army below Rich
lnond; Johnston, the army OF Tennessee !;
Had such been the arrangement Banks would
1ave been captured last spring !: Forrest
would have assisted Johnston by cutting of
::hcr1nan's supplies, and hc would hare been
forced to fight at disadvantage, or fa!l back
into Tennessee; Early would have catered
1ccn bound to change his base. But only ono
Of these grcat generals, it seems, finds favor
The other two are prescribed, never placed
where they can be of any great scrricc.
Quicquid dclirant reges plectuntur Achivi.
The people nEe suffering prodigio1s'y from
this decision. But no mailer! It Is tue roy
decree.
PUTTING THE GEsT FACE OF IT.
lFrom the Richmond Examiner, Dec. a3.1
Tint the campaign in Northern Tennessee
Las concluded disastrously for us. We have no
doubt; but VIC are not much affected by the
kilograms Of Thomas and the bulletin o1
Stanton, which recount the second overthrow
and Eput Of the Confederate army under
Hood. - It Is true that bad General may 50
sarrnngc Ills troops thai they Will be d.icatcd
without loss by their adversary. History,
from the days Of Yarro and Fabius to the
days Of Hood and Joseph Johnston, is full ol
such Incidents. But while the loss Of les.
than 500 on the Federal side docs not aoso
1ute1y diBproye the general statements o
Thomas, the fact that he has no carnage on
7he Confederate side to bsag OF, throws great
doubt on his claim to victory in battle. II
must he rccollected Tint The cncmy'e own nc
counts OF affairs on the previous day, repre-
sent the Confederate army to have been n
ready in motion and we are strongly inclined
TO believe that the explanation Of tue wholt
sequel will be found In the fact that Hood wa'
nctua1ly retiring from the lines before Nash
willie when Thomas attacked him, taking from
him prisoners and guns. In spite, therefore
81 these bulletins and kilograms, VIC rcall.
doubt whether there has been anything de
serving the name Of pitched battle at all
=nd Vt are sure that the worst tale Is nov
7old. The next accounts will dimialsh tn
Importance mud probable consequences o
1Lesc disagrecable events.