Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-31
a GIGANTIC OAMPAIeN.

March Aer0SS the CGT0tiRGs to hteh1I1i1'
az Special 70 the New York kTimes.E
/ 80. WAsHmsFoa,- Dec. 90, leo
The capture ofaSavannah, which forms
1.-THE brilliant chlminaidh Of one camp -,
"opens another eamPaign, the msjestic oats
lines of which must loom up on the mind
of any Intelligent student OF the mi
map. The march from Atlanta to tho sees
board-a march as long aslthAt OF Nap on
from the Niemen TO Moscow-is i'm 81
sive rather on account Of the wone iul
skill and success with which an entef lss
of enormous difficulty was worked put
than from any positive material ra1nlt3.
springing directly from IT, "a
Before Sherman Gould begin efecf y
! work, IL Was necessary that he should r.
cure base and point d gppui for his army,
and IN the execution of his grand move he
| purposely postponed all minor enterprises
until he should have achieved this.
Now of all available military lines on
which to establish base for ulterior OPP
erations, that of the Savannah river is the
very best EmptSipg into the Atlantic, its
headquarters touch the great central noun
tain ridge dividing the eastern from the
western theatres of war. A glance at the
mapiwill show that the possession of this
river covers every line Of railway commu-
nication between the Atlantic seaboard
States aud those of sthe Gulf. Much has
been said about the dissection of the Con-
federacy; .bpt unu this liue was held by a
Union force, .the South could hardly be said
to be really rent In twain.
Gen. Sherman has planted himself on
this line, and is extending his forces to
"hold, occupy and possess" it. To effect
this needs but the capture of Augusta, and
it will, doubtless, be found that this is his
FIRST objective. The possession of Augusta
will complete his command of the line of
the Savannah, because twill give him the
interior railroad; while its vast material
importance as the prime centre for the
manufacture of all munitions of war, will
make its loss an irremediable blow to the
enemy. H.-..-.-.-.-..........-
Given the completion Of these Prslimi-
naries, it lies within the-next ten days, aud
Sherman, turning his face northWard, has
before him asucOession of -eOnquests daE.
zling enough to FIRE the most ambitious
Imagination, and which ara destined to an
initiate the armed force of the rebellion.
| Shermsn's ultimate objective is nothing
less than Lees army. now held tight in
Richmond by Grant. But between his
present position and his ultimate destina-
ltion lie the States OF South and North Car.
I.oIina. Now, whatever in these supports
the rebellion-whether sesports through
which contrabaud of war finds entry from
abroad, or depots of supplies for teeding
the rebel force in Virginia, or railroads and
rolling stock for the transportation of men
and material, or capital towns whose fall
brings distraction, Generalization aud dis
may TO the srebelljOus population, or ne.
Rfoas hiclt forpastli a EeE sine sie
| tfebeilioh-aH lie prey To ny efflg
columns. From Augusta he can sWiSs
down on Charleston, cutting every railroad
on which 1t depends, and enyeloping it as
be has enveloped Savannah This of 1t.
self will be a portentous blow at the rebel
lion, for it will bTuise the head of the ser
pent of secession 10 lts home and hstChing-
place. But it will not be all he will have
his heel on that naughty State, and. on the
stiff necks of its Febellious population, who
will be humbled and brought low.
If our prisoners are still allowed to re-
main within the confines of thisStAte, they
will be released; If they are tfanbferred
further north, the rebels, becoming unable
to feed them, as they are pressed upon by
Sherman's advance, restricting the area
from which they now draw subsistence,
will have to let them go. Nor does North
Carolina lie less open TO our arms. And
here we may confidently hope not merely
for military conquests, but for moral tri-
/ QEQQQHs FOELeE huu ubutl6E uU uOb uuGaus
while take they are able TO
do NO more than reduce the forts at the
entrance of the water highway on which il
stands, which will Of itself be great gain
in sealing it up for blockade runners
Sherman will certainly give it the coup de
OTGce, But there is the best reson TO be.
lieve that with the capture of the capital
of North Carolina, Raleigh, which Sher.
man will take en- route, we shall witness
powerful spontaneous Union reaction aud
revival, more fatal TO the Confederacy than
any featS of arms, however brilliant. FIJI
nally, from North Caeolina Sherman moves
/ up into Virginia, where he joins Grant In
dealing the death blow Rtthe rebellion, the
head and front Of which is Lees army at
Richmond.
. This programme may seem to some
rather wild sally of speculation than an
outline of operation, actually to be realized
| oreven in serious contemplation. And
yet 1 venture to say it is neither more nor
lless than what will be done this Winter
neither more uor less than what will be an
accomplished fact by the opening of Spring.
/ In justification of this anticipation the two
following considerations may be pre-
septed
l. What adequate military force can the
rebels oppose 70 the advance of Sherman
over the lines indicatedf Within astretch
of several hundred miles there is absolute
Iy no organized military force that can Of
fer even show of opposition, Hardee's
fugitive force numbers but fifteen thousand
men, whereof nine thousand are raw mill
tia. With the force added to the six thou.
sand which Beauregard has at Charieston,
the aggregate will still be too Insignificant
to do more than compel q temporary halt
before Charleston and perhaps at Whining
ton: thence onward the route is clear. Be-
hind him throughout the vast stretch Of
the central military zone lying between the
/ Alleghanies and the Mississippi, he leaves
nothing that can harm him Hoods force
thanks to the succession OF telling blows
I nduinisteted by Thomas, has ceased to be