Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-11-19
sberman,s Advance.

1t is now dennltely setLle0 tnAb OheA-
man is marching upon Savannah River in
two colums. The first set out toward Ma
con on the 9th, driving everything in front
apa destroying everything behind him
that could aid the enemy. His force Is
variously estimated at from fifty to sixty
thousand, a large portion (l6lOOO) being
cavalry under Fitzpatrick. At Macon he
can destroy the railroad connecting the
East and West. At Augusta are the
powder mills of the Confederacy besides
immense depots of munitions of war and
supplies. If once Beaufort is seized, the
point at which he appears to be aiming as
q possible base of supplies on the Atlantic
Coast, he may advance through North |
Carolina to the aid of Grant, if not trans
ferred by feet.
The following is an important statement
of some of the conditions" attending his
movement:
From Atlanta to Augusta by railroad is
| III miles. From Augusta to Chsrl eston
is 1877 miles From Atlanta to Macon lob
| miles. From Macon to Savannah 100
miles. From Augusta to Savannah ls2
miles. The country from Atlanta towards
Augusta is quite rolling, and in places
rocky, with plenty of small streams and
springs, and abundance of wood and for
age lor the army. 1t is really well set
tied farming country. There are but few
| swamps, and the roads generally good. The
only serious Instructions the inhabitants
could place in the way of an army, would
be in the destruction of the bridges over
the Savannah at Augusta. If they do
thst, the army could turn its attention hrst
upon Savannah instead of Charleston, or It
could re-bridge the river without any seri-
Gus delay.
The country between Augusta and
Charleston is not as good as toward Atlanta.
Part of it is inhabited by poor "sandhiller,"
and part of it is very sparsely inhabited;
, From Branchville, the point where the rail
roads from Augusta and Columbia unite,
to Charleston, 81 miles, the country is very
fat, with a good deal of swamp, and in
! summer time is so miasmatic that settle
ments are sparse, though there are some
large plantations, and when cotton was
king there we're great many slaves kept
at work upon the dry spots Of this swsmpy
7 region. It is not 3 bad one to march
through in cold weather. 1t would be
deadly in summer. Immediately around
: Charleston the land is very fat, sandy OF
swampy.
e The road from Augusta to Columbia, the
! capital of South Carolina, is ''across the
: ridges which are generally low sandhills
and over small streams, the borders o.
which are cultivated by small cultivated
: cotton planters and farmers, who keep {
u good deal of stock, and have plenty o
I grain and sweet potatoes. The Congsre'
. river, at Columbia, is a respectable sizeC
; mill stream, nothing more, and so Is tn
. Wateree, eastward Of it, and so are the tw'
II Pedees, and if an army ever has to marcl
u from Augusta to Wilmington, it will in'
l. no serious obstructions in the way, eKcep
/ in time of high water, when every smal
stream overfows its low banks and cover
a broad swamp. The whole way is goot
" country for an army to march and subsis
in. The distance frcm Augusta to Colum
J. bia is about eighty miles, and from Colum
n. bia to Wilmington, n. G., about two hun
is dred miles. Some of the richest cotto
re planters in South Carolina are found alon
N the rivers, which such amarch would eros
le The Indianapolis Journal, on informs
G ton received from gentlemen just fror
= Atlanta, relates the following additions
" items:
s. The General had issued an order to h
In troops, telling them that they were aboI
st to enter upon an important campaign, an
T. that the country through which they we
ht to pass had never been occupied by eitht
nd army, and that they were expected to su
W sist of the country they were to take 8
ng the horses and mules within their reac
lis There were many other items of intere
de concerning intended movements, which
~ would not be prudent to publish. B
nd army consists of four splendid corps: Il
- I4th. in command of General JEFF. G. D
he Wis; the 10Th, under Osterhaus the II
er- under Blair; and the goth, under Slocul
las Fifteen thousand cavalry under KLlps
las rick, and brigade of artillery are sdde
of making total force of between fifty tho
on sand and sixty thousand men, the who
he perfectly equipped, well supplied with W
a material, and imbued with as much pluc
- confidence and good hoalth as were ev
ed compacted in any body of troops in t
nd world.
to Our informant left Atlanta upon t
le" same train with the psymssters, which "
we understood to be the last train that wou
full leave that city, and Atlanta is before Il
Try time pretty thoroughly destroyed-thst
er- all its public buildings, depots, manufsc
les. ries, &c, rendered worthless. The rs
he roads north and south of that city, and
aw the Surrounding defensive works hs
uld been destroyed. There is to be no tur
md ing back, and nothing left behind Il
nt's might prove valuable to the enemy.
Er- General George H. Thomas is at CHI
tanooga organizing an army 0 attend
Hood, and is reported to have suficie
troops at command for an offensive MOI
RS ment, whenever it is deemed necessa
ion | Many military men assert that it will
Far impossible for Hood to escape South aga