Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-12-06

~le<4at tFr-pen4Sncr u ~ ~" A'tA WIFI
BALrINoRE. November 30
Eff NEW EKvELATIoS.
The county is assured now that Sherman's
movement against Macon Was only feini that
he never intended TO take Macon that the cap
ture Of Macon formed no part Of his programme
But this kind Of language did net begin to be
used until il bad been found out that sherman
was not able 20 take Macon without fighting
severe battle until it was known that Macon
was strongly fortified until j, known that
powerful body of Confederate troops bad been
concentrated there. Then the country was IN
formed that Sherman had never intended TO take
Macon.
ADVANTAGES OF THE cAPTUaE OF MACON
But before then the country had been RECALLED
by stories Of the invincibility Of Shermans army,
how every city on his route was 10 fall before
MIN and how Macon, especially. was 10 be his
first prize The country was told how great
blow TO the Confederacy the loss Of Macon would
be how important place il was to the South
what great railroad center il was and how the
railroad system of the South would be broken
up by he capture Of Macon. II any one ven
tured TO suggest that possibly Macon might be
defended, that it might possibly be fortified,
that any troops could be collected there for IFS
defense. be would have been laughed at Yet
the fact is that the intention capture Macon
was not abandoned until il Was found that il
would cost a battle. which might not be
successful, snd which. even IL II did give US the
possession OF Macon would 80 delay Sherman
as to mperl the safety Of his army.
VIZ WERE PROMISED, ALSO. rHE CAPTURE or
AUGUSTA.
Therefore sherman pushes on for Augusta
But at Augusta, a. will show, presently. the
case will be worse Augusta also will be found
10 be fortified, and there will be much larger
aud more effective rebel army st Augusta than
there was at Macon Is Sherman, then, to avoid
Augusta too? Is his movement on Augusta TO
be feint alsog IL will be preposterous to ask
the country to believe this And vet. if it does
turn out SO. and il Sherman strkes directly for
the sea coast, what better than retreat will
his whole march have been? He will have done
no more TO Georgia than ne would have done il
he had retreated TO Nashville in the FIRST place,
and then transported his army BY railroad to
Baltimore. and thence on transports TO Savan-
nah. II merely to get his army to Savannah. or
20 some point on the coast be his object. the
rebel theory of his march is. after all, correct,
and il is. after all, most stupendous retreat.
HOW Is sHEEMAs TO CONQUER GEORGIA By RACING
THROUGH 1T.
IL lie had captured Macon: if he captures Au-
gusta; if, in a word, he completes the virtual
takes his army to Savannah. he will have accom-
plished what the country led 80 believe he
would do. just after he had started But to leave
Macon on bis right, and Augusta on his left, I'M
touched. merely because they are fortified and
defended; to hasten through Georgia as fast "a
the legs of his men can travel and only to reach
the sea coast at last without having advanced the
conquest of Georgia single step-that is sure
" not tie entertainment to which the public ere
invited a few days ago.
| CONCENTRATION or REBEL TROOPS AT AUGUSTA.
! But General Sherman is not 10 be allowed to
do even this, if the information which have re-
| ceiyed be correct. He avoided battle AZ Ma
con lie can hardly avoid a battle at Augusta.
1 IL 10 longer rests upon conjecture that large
bodies o, rebel TROOPS have been sent 10 Angus
ia to confront Sherman The facts are now
poSi,ielvy known. part of EwelPs corps
and part OF Hills, fifteen or twenty thousand
men in all land those corps are known to have
been filled up recently. To the full comp emeut)
are known to have left Richmond for Augusta
about ten days ago. General Lee could well
spare this force for besides the recruits he has
recently received. it will be remembered that be
has also been reinforced by two divisions from
the valley 1000 troops are known TO have ar
rived at Augusta from Charleston and Sanan
nab General Beauregard was at Macon on the
20ih. with 10000 troops that had arrived from
Corinth, besides 5000 Georgia militia. General
Breckenridge. a. stated above, had. 10 doubt
arrived At Augusta by the 9th inst, with l2OOt
troops ana there conld not have been less thar
10 900 militia from Georgia and South CarOlins
at Augusta At that time.
| SHERMAN CAN NEITHER APPROACH NOR LEAVE Az
GUsTA WITHOUT A BATTLE.
There were then 1t Augusta, by the time
General Sherman reached that place. AZ ,eO'
good troops, and ID 900 militia. II there should
prove to be only 80 900 troops aud 10000 mill
! tia, that will be sufficient TO disarrange all o.
General Sherman's plans. For he then mus
tight and il is e,iden, that he avoids and does
not seek battle He cannot take Augusta
without severe battle. And if he seeks TO avoi,
Augusta "a he avoided Macon, the confelerat,
forces will attack his TANKS and and compe
him to fight At ali events the confederate
military authorities are determined that he shall
rot reach the seashore with his army intact, o
even in NJ efficient condition. You may rel,
upon il. this il the rebel programme. and the
have ample means 80 carry il out.
RTBFL DEMONSTRATION on THE LINZ OF THE 20
TONAc.
The rebel forces in the Shenandoah Valley
under General Early. operating pretty ex
tensiyely just now on the line OF the Bsltimor
and Ohio Railroad. in Western Maryland, an
towards the bordsrs of Pennsylvania Their in
tenlions as yet. are undeveloped. but their &C
iual movements. go far. have been such as t
| give rise 10 grave apprehensions. The scene o
] their operations for day two past has been
short distance west of Cumberland. at Ne,
, Creek station: but other parties have sppeare
ON the line OF The railroad between Hancock an,
Cumberland. Probably 1900 cavalry soldier
have been engaged in these movements; no in
fantry have yet appeared anywhere on tn
line of the road. aud II is not known certanl
that any rebel Infantry have yet left the neigh
borhood of Woodstock or Mount Jackson.
CAPTURE OF INV CREEK WITHOUT RESISTANCE
The only damage that has yet been done va
: at New Creek on the 2cth inst In ne after
noon of that isy a force of two thousand rebe
cavalry, under General ROsSer, advanced TO Ne'
Creek on the Romney road and demanded th
surrender of the place. New Creek being a
important station OF the road, IL had been strong
" fortified. and if there had been suitable gar
risOn there, il would have been capable OF an OK
ssinate resistance. Very little attempt. how
ever. ii any, was made 10 defend the place. an
il soon fell into the hands of the enemy Re
s.stance indeed. under the circumstances, wOul
, have been useless, "a the enemy outnumbeIe
the federal forces more than five to one.
LxrENsIyE DESTRUCTION OF VALUABLE BALBOA
PROPERTY.
! The rebel soliiers we're then SET to work to d,
molIsh the fOrl6cations. store houses, msgs
zines. aud the workshops snd stationary ms
chiuery of the railroad company. and this wor
they performed most thoroughly. The forts, T,