The New York herald., 1864-12-16

reStrain0u, we may DO cOmpoile0 20 classify
these disgraceful combats, in tho catalogue OF
the epidemics Of crime, with other heinous
offences agains! public safety.
General sherman-Ths Probable Cap
ture OF Savannah.
There is hardly room to doubt that General
Sherman is now in possession OF Savannah.
Indeed, the capture Of that city on the 10th has
been positively announced; and though there
is no improbability in 1t, the announcement is
still very likely premature General Howards
command, as we know by persons directly
from it, was within ten miles of Savannah on
the 9th inst, and was thus within five miles OF
the enemy's outer defences. General Foster
reports that heavy firing was heard in the direc-
tion OF Savannah on the 10th inst, and he sup
poses that on that day an assault was made on
tue outer defences. But the capture of those
defences was but preliminary operation; and
if Savannah had been really fought for and
taken on that day positive intelligence to that
effect could have started for the fleet the same
night, and as there would then have been no
obstacle to communication, that intelligence
must have reached Hilton Head before the 18th,
which is the date of our dispatches from that
point. But it is worthy of notice that some i'm
portant and very agreeable news had certainly
reached Hilton Head after the departure OF the
steamer which left there on the 18th; for while
the feet was still in sight, but out Of telegraph
ing distance, it was observed that the ships
were being decorated with colors and were
firing salute.
There is probably no exaggeration in the
statement that the most intense CONSERVATION
prevails in both the cities OF Savannah and
Charleston. Both Of those cities have good rea-
son to dread the presence of Northern soldiers,
and to fear that If our army will be moderate
anywhere it will certainly not be in those hot.
beds of rebellion which have ever been the
most extreme in their declarations of brutal
hatred for the Yankees, and in their use against
Northern men of all abusive epithets. There is
no reason to believe that Sherman will meet
with any very considerable resistance in an as.
sault on the city. Twenty thousand is the
highest number at which the rebel forces there
have been stated, and that number is made up
largely of militia and Of the decrepit old men
and small boys Of the city. All these are under
command of tho great Beauregard. Sher
man will not strike until he has his whole force
in land, and then he will show the Southern
chivalry how o veteran army can make grand
assault, if necessary, and how useless will be
any quantity of militia to resist it.
The news from General Howard veri6es the
facts insisted upon by us the other day, that
Shermans army is fresh and in good condition,
aud we'll suppiied-despite all the wild stories
to the contrary that have teemed in the rebel
papers. Sherman's skill as strategist is made
more clear by the fact now known that Sa-
vannah was, from the first, his objective point;
but he so drew attention to other points that
the Southern papers came to the conclusion
that he did not know exactly where to 60, and
" drffted" to Savannah. He has also corrected
the rebel error in relation to his progress.
He has not moved slowly, since he has gotten
to bis destination ten days sooner than he ex-
pected to. He did not think il would take him
ten days longer TO march the distance, but
he thought that it would take longer to
destroy the railroads. He thought that the
confederacy was stronger than he has found it,
and that it might put some trouble in his way.
1t did not, however, and his only delay has
been merely the timo necessary for completely
Gripping SO many roads.