American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-06-15
Sherman and Johnston.

Sherman and Johnston.
Atlanta is thronged with famished fugi-
tives from northern Georgia and Alabama,
and an aspect of gloom pervades the place
Johnston has buoyed up the rebels of At
lanta with hopes of what he was going to
do, until at length they find every point
of exterior defence abandoned successive
ly, and Johnston beaten in conflict and
thwarted in strategy He made an at
tempt to save Atlanta by marching towards
Dallas, to cover the turnpike leading to
Atlanta but after erecting formidable
works and fighting useless battles. he finds
that Sherman was all the time amusing
him there while portions of his army were
marching by the flank toward Marietta
which they have now reached, and are
thus established on the direct railroad to
Atlanta, at the principal town on the road
south of all the formidable positions and
within easy reach of Atlanta.
IF johnson now remains in his fortified
position near Dallas, Sherman will take
possession of the railroad and run his for
ces to Atlanta. IF Johnston breaks camp
there and moves to Marietta, Sherman
then has the turnpike road open to Allan
ia, and can move by it. A pitched bat
tie of the most desperate character would
be Johnston's true policy, and this will
account for his assuming the offensive
and attacking Sherman but he does not
seem to have the courage or resolution to
risk a decisive battle, and therefore his
fights never amount to much. We pre-
sumo that he will retreat to the line of
the Chattahoochie, and attempt to defend
it against Sherman. This will be diff
cult task at present, in consequence of the
position Johnston finds himself in, with
Sherman's forces occupying both the rail-
road and the turnpike.
The possession of Mariette by Sherman
will cause the immediate abandonment
by the rebels of all points on the railroad
north of that place, including Kenesaw
and Alatoona, the two strongest positions
south of Buzzard's Roost; and as Sher-
man always keeps his locomotive ready,
the cars will soon reach him at Marietta
and open communications through to
Kingston and Chattanooga. We are
aware that is this long line of commu-
nications to MAINTAIN, aud against gener-
al of the capacity of Lee itmight be per-
ilous; the Johnston's policy is so purely
defensive, and Sherman's so necessarily
offensive, that the line ispretty safe, more
especially since Kingston has been con-
vcrted into see5blary base.
In approaching Atlanta, Sherman will
now be apt to dthe turnpike roads south
of the railroad, because he thereby pro-
tccts the approaches to his own communi-
cations, there being no roads north and
east of the railroad running to Atlanta
from the north except by very circuit
Gus route. He will be apt to do so also
for another reason. In undertaking the
seige of Atlanta, he would desire it to be
severed from the railroad which would
cnonnect it with the most available rein
forcemcnts, which being the one leading
to Mobile, comes in the way of his march
from Dallas.
= Should Johnston retreat to the line of
the Chattahoochie on finding Marietta in
possession of our forces, Sherman would
probably follow the same policy he pursued
at Kingston and other places-keep his
main army on the line of the railroad and
send column marching by the parallel
turbpikes. If the direct one to Sandtown
and Atlanta was open, he might thereby
secure an available crossing of the Chat
tahoochi but as Johnston would proba-
bly, defend the river at Sandtown, it
would be necessary for sherman's detaeh-
ed praties to march by the circuitous
route from Dallas to Campbellton.
In point Of fact, Johnston has retreat
ed go far, and lost so many good possi-
tions, that he has now got himself in
to a very awkward dilemma, where the
defence of Atlanta seems almost impos-
sible. Without moving on Dallas, Sher-
man has but to send detachment by
the turnpik to Villa Rica, and he would
hold position commanding short and
direct road to Kingston, on the north,
and another to Completion, Sandtown
and Atlanta, on the east. This route
completely turns the flank of any avalla-
Bile position Johnston is likely to take on
the line of the Chattahoochie, and also
give Us access to the great southern rail-
way connection oPAtlanta.