Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-28
DAILY LEADER
WEOEFsDAY, DECEMBER 2s.
Ebermnn's Christmas GIGt 10 Ebs Ma
ton.

ShernHn's Christmas GIFT TO The Ma
tiOns
Savannah is oursl Sherman offers it as
his Christmas gift to the President and the
nstion-and more glorious gift it would
he hard to select. Throughout the whole
country one thrill of exultsnt Joy pervaded
every loyal heart, and there was no one
but felt his merry Christmas" thrice and
ten times merrier for the news. This re-
splendent result is the ct and logical round
ingof of Shermsn's triumphant campaign.
It solves the grand military mystery Of
that unique movement-it caps the glory
Of that glorious campaign which began in
May last from Chattanooga.
To move unopposed from Tennessee
through the very centre Of the rebellion
to its opposite side-to march "lrom Allan
Is 10 the,Atlantic7 SheIman's grand
idea, so splendily executed. It has at once
demonstrated the weakness of the rebell-
ion and greatly increased thst weakness
Thevery fact that a Union army can march
unopposed from one end Of the Confederacy
to the other, and come out stronger than it
went in, is q most significant suggestion Of
the weakness Of the rebellion. But this
forty-days march, eliminating in the cap
ture Of Savannah, means far moro than
this. It means the capture of Augusta
and Charleston, which are naw rnnra Sher-
mans than jeff DaAis. It means tho pos
session and control of the most vital artery
of inter-communication between the State
Of the Confederacy. Is means the posses
sion OF = base for action against the hot
bed of treason and secession, South Carroll
na. It means the capture of Whining
ton by land, if Porter doesn't take it by
sea. It means the union Of Sherman with
Grant and the death Of the Confederacy,
Taken in connection with the grand cam
psign which it eliminates, it is the most
significant conquest Of the war.
But the mere present results Of the vic
tory are very valuable. They include one
hundred and Jifty cannon, thirteen l0oomO
tires, one hundred as-i ninety cars, thre'
steamers, Uast quantity Of ammunition
and rebel stores, and thirty thousand 6ale'
of cotton, s7ortH SIG, ,OOO 900. Twenty thous.
and people are fonnd in the city all "quiet
and well disposed" The number of Pris
oners captured was uncomfortable, anc
the escape Of Hardee was the thorn in The
rose to many loyal heart. There wss 6
break. however, in the line of Shermani
investment Of the city. The break wsI
on the eastern side of the place, and con-
sisted in the space from the mouth Of th'
Savannah River to q short distance abovt
the city-a space of about seven miles
Had Dahlgren's iron-clsds been able 90 ru1
up and cover this short line, Hsrdee woulC
have had no possible route Of escape. W
do not doubt that Fsrragut, with woodel
vessels, would have accomplished thi
work. 1t was by this route that the yalor
Gus rebel sneaked off on the night Of h
10th, after sending a missive to Sherman
full of bravado and bluster, in which h
declared his intention to hold the city t
thalsst. his retreat was wise, for, thougl
and weeks, he would ultimately have bee
forced to succumb, and in that event hi
troops would have been captured with th
city. BE hes probably gone to Whining
ton, and viii find no great difficulty i
getting there. But, though he hss e
capped for the present, his time, and that {
all traitors, is very short.