The Goodhue volunteer., 1864-03-02
sgliseellaneonS Bealing.
Shermans Campaign.
From the n. Y. Times.

Shermans Campaign.
From the N. Y. Times.
The situation at Chattanooga is peculiar
Gen. Grant finds himself. planted on s1ne
of operations of the highest stragetic vaiue
and yet So circumstanced as to render 1t eX
tre.nely difficult to turn his advantage tt
account. The geog1aphic-stratsgic adVan
tages CT Chattanooga are we'll known to al
intelligent readers. Itself on impregnabls
position, it gives POSSESSION o5 the grea'
mountain region dividing the eastern from
the western theatre Of war, holds one Of thf
two main lines of rebel communication be
tween the two zones, and forces tue elemy
back to the States bordering on the Allan.
tic snd the Gulf. The disadvantages are
the enormous prolongation Of the line con.
Meeting the front Of operations with the
base of supplies, the imperfect character o
the communications, tbs consequent difficult.
ty Of subsisting a large force at Chattanooga
and The still greater difficulty Of accumula
ting sufficient supplies to make long and
severe campaign IT, the Gulf States. This
Embarrassment it is, and not the rebel ar
my, that has formed the grand obstacle te
Gen. Grants advance into Georgia.
OF this fact we have striking exemplifca
ton in late events. Joe Johnston, mouth
jago, withdrew his army from the position il
had held to bar the advanc. Of the Union
army through the detcuches Of the noun
tains into Northern Georgia. The gate 70,
the possession Of which it had been suppos.
posed the first grand conflict of the spring
would be made, has been volun-
tariy abandoned by the rebels. Yet Grant
is utterly unable to take advantage of this
Withdrawal, and this, simply from the lac,
that he has already too much difficulty in
|subsisting his army where it is, without ad
vancing it a mile further away from its
base.
1t has. in fact, by every one gifted with
any capacity for military provision, been re.
|ccgnized as necessary condition, preceien,
to any advance from Chattanooga, which
should look to great decisive ulterior :csuIta
that water base be opened up, whence a
powerful column should march, to CO nnec,
with and support the Union army advanc
ing from Chattanooga. There are but two
possible points at which such water base
could be opened up. The ore is On tie
Atlantic coast, a, the omhouchre OF the Sc
vannah River. The Savannah would ei,,
water highway navigaols up to Aususts.
Georgia, at which point an advancing col
umn would tap tia great Southern lire Ct
railroad ccmmun:sa,icn-the Weste.. ant
Atlantic Railrosd-wh:cn would bring then.
into effective CO operating relations with ,lis
army advancing sou Inward from Ctatsano5
ga. There are .wo difficulties in doing .hi
first, the rebel dcfences Of tee Sayannah
River, (which ere, hows7er, c! minor con
|sideration;l j and secondly, AID weightiet.
by far, the extreme distance OF tL:s po:E.
from the centres whence troos5 mus, 10
drawn to effect the operation. and tie dis
at which this column 1cu!o o.
crate by being planted on an exterior posi-
ton. /
The other point at which a water base
can be opened up is on the gulf aud Tao
consideration Of This point leads Us inso the
midst Of the programme ef operations COW
under execution 10 the southwest.
l. is known that three distinct columns
from as many different points, are. now un
der way in the Southwest. Z very pows.
iuI cavalry column under cognnsr1' Of Gems
Smith and Grierson, has started from Cor.
inth and Holly Springs: An infantry col.
umn, composed OF the two corps of H.rl.
burt and Mcpherson, under command ol
that able officer, Gen. Sherman, is unda,
way from V,cksburg. A Combined land
naval expedition IS moving from New Or.
lIeans.
There IS not the slightest difficulty ia as
signing the objective At which the latte,
|force aims. It is Mobile Of course. Ths
cavalry column is for grand raid through
Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Blu
what IS the objective Of Sherman,s co.smn
i The frst and mos obvious answer 70 tn
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