Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-10-10
THE REBEL ARMY.

THE REBEL ARMY
The most reliable information that can
be gained from scouts, refugees and deser-
ters, places the rebel army at Jonesboro
and MeDonough, with their pickets well
extended towards East Point. The army
is represented to be in bad condition. The
rations are not as good as they have been,
and the spirit of the army is not at all en-
ooursging to their commanders. They see
nothing IN the operations of their several
armies to give them 8. Y encouragement,
and though the quiet of Sherman S army Is
attributed-by their leaders-to the want
of supplies and the wherewith to carry on
3 campaign, they can see in it but sure
preparation for another loug and success
ful campaign.
They see in the apparently quiet camp
of our army a reorganization Of the armies,
and they know full well that the long
trains of cars that come rolling through
Northern Georgia, carry in them stores
and munitions of war in abundance. This
they are assured of by their friends who
have been sent from Atlanta to find homes
in more suitable company. They know,
too, that the gradual accessions to the
ranks of this army are swelling it in num-
bers, while their own is gradually beeOm-
ing less. In all, then, that makes ar ar
my formidable, they know that General
Sherman's is growing just in3 pre-
portion as they weaken.
Since the evacuation of Atlanta their
supplies from Alabama have been teamed
from West Point. They are now taking
the spare iron from the Macon Road and
other roads, and building railroad from
Griffin "a point midway between Atlanta
and Macon to West Point This new fea-
ture in their operations has given rise to
the report that Hood was transferTiIg g
his army, or at least a portion of it, from
Georgia to Alabama, to cooperate with
General Wheeler in his efforts to destroy
our line of communications, This resolve,
it is claimed, was decided on by JEFF
Davis in his recent visit to that army and
it is further asserted that Besuregsrd has
been given the command of the army, and
instructed with that particular mission.
These are not the assertions of wild, reck-
less army followers, but are from reliable
sources, anu are credited by the ablest men
In the army.
The move it is true, is q desperate one,
UuL NlElI ElbudtlOu O15I6uQs u6zDcE1B6
remedies. They dare not remain idle, and
permit this army to dwindle away by de-
sertion or grow despondent in careful re-
view of their case. An army, in camp, Is
always more or less dissatisfed-in the
field, always in better spirits.
Active operations being determined on,
the movement into Alabama is really moi
the most desperate they might make
They cannot move directly upon Genera
Sherman's army, for thst would be mad
ness. They can not operate in the East
for that would throw their armies into q
country already so over-populsted as tc
afford no extra stores. In Alabama there
might be success.
By sudden movement to the northern
part of that State they might succeed in
laying such hold on the railroads that {
campaign in that country might be ferc ed
on General Sherman, which, to say th'
least of it, would be very unsatisfactory
Their supplies could be gathered from
Alabama as well as from Georgia, anC
though they should be worsted in their eff
forts, they would have inflicted a CORE
spending loss upon us-in this that theI
had rendered useless the country and ad
vantages gained from long and laboriou
campaign.
On the other hrnd, General Sherman
might make it their last effort. 1t may b
that this movement contemplated by then
is all he desires.
he could have garrison in Atlanta, an
with his army operating nearer his tru
base, be able to inAict on them final blow
These speculstions, before they are sprea
before your readers, May be proved to hav
been well founded, and the movements no,
deemed probable, may be already in prC
! gress. Certain it is, that something o.
! struggle is in progress with the rebels an
1 st any time the battle storm may bres
out anew in all its fury. From the pa
glorious record of this grand army and i
commander, the country may well be a
sured that it is ready to meet the storI
= whatever direction it may come, and thoug
! quiet in its thousand camps to-day, it nee
}. but the blast of the bugle to call it to arm
= and but the forward to be sounded