New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-11-26
GEN. SHERMAN.

from Rebel sources we collect ciear Scieiai
notion of the movements Of Sherman's army
since il left Atlanta. II has traversed and
completely swept the territory lying between
the Georgia and the Central RailrOads, and
mo7ing in separate columns, with cavalry
making wide detours on IFS Aanks, and reaching
| fax in advance Of the infantry, has seemed to
move, equally toward Augusta and toward
Macon. and has even created doubt
whether a third distinct column be not
moving upon Mledgeville by a
road lying midway between the other two
From such news as is furnished by tho
Georgia papers, the previous statement Of the
/ Richmond press, that sherman, on tho 18th,
was within eighteen miles Of Macon, is infer
entiallv confirmed. 1t is now more clrcum-
stantially reported that on Wednesday. the
10Th, the Rebel Gen. Wheeler met the advance
of Gen. Sherman ten miles north Of Griffin, and
fought the enemy" until late in the evening.
, Gen. Wheeler commands al IRE gular force oi
cavalry, and all the fighting be could have done
was 10 skirmsh, and fal back "a the heads OF
Shcrmars columns showed themselves on the
two roads-the McDonOugh and Jonosboro'
road,-by which they were pressing forward.
At that same date, the Rebel "iulantry forces
which means Howell Cobb's Georgia raga-
mufiins-were rctreating upon GAINESVILLE, hi-
teen miles beyond Griffin; and there VAS, OF
course, no thought Of resisting, OF even Of de-
LAYING, Gen. Sherman 5 march.
/ 1t is further stated that on the 18th, at ID
o'clock, the yankee cavalry" were only
eight miles north OF Forsyth, which is itself but
/ twenty-five miles northwest Of Macon. At
| that place they would cut of Cobb from Ma
con unless lac had made remarkably good time
] from Bonneville, and whether they did or not,
| they were SO well on their way toward Macon
that i is not only probable but next to certain
they would be within eighteen miles, az before
reported, on the following day. We speak OF
cavalry only, but The Richmond papers have
previously given rs to understand that
Macon was thus approached by an in'
fantry force. Ii Tins later and more
detailed story is true, it may be doubted
whether any portion Of Sherman's infantry was
at that date quite so near the city. Yet We do
not suppose Sherman is sending his cavalry on
mere raids in advance Of rs supporting infantry
columns, and there had been time enough for
/ infantry to get within one days march ar near
to Macon as the cavalry is known TO have been.
Therefore, following the movements Of the
right wing Of this grand expedition, we mas
fairly infer that the accounts received VIA Sa-
vannah of the capture and burning OF Macon are
probable. That news is two days later than
the lates. received BY way Of Richmond, and
reports thGt Milledseyille had shared the fate of
Macon. We express no positive opinion as to
either town, but We consider the statement en-
titled to consideration. Beside the column
which We have traced from the 18th TO the 10Th,
/ following the line Of the Macon and Western
Railroad, which is tho road from Atlanta, a
, second and central column is heard of at Me-
! Donough, OF Indian Springs, at Monticello and
at HiiIsboro; and though these places are
not all on the direct road 10 Milledgeville, they
are so near to it that expeditions Of cavalry may
easily have radiated TO either point ds'ae RON
the direct line of march Atall events if troops
Of ours have been at Monticello, which is half
way between the two railroads, and more than
half way from Atlanta 70 Mlledgeyille, it is GER
tain that there was q distinct column moving by
that road TO Mledgeville, at which place it
it was doubtless to be joined by toe troops
which formed the right wing Of the cooperating
armies
The extreme loft Of Gen. sherman has moved
meanwhile nearly due east along the Georgia
Railroad, and up the roads which lac parallel to
it. Infantry was at Sheffield on the 10th, which
is thirty miles east Of Atlanta and eight north
of the railroad. This column, therefore, if it
left Atlanta, rs reported, on the lath had made
its prescribed fifteen miles day. Cavalry was
at Social Circle, q railway station eleven miles
southeast Of Sheffield on the following day
and here as in the case Of the cen.
ter and left, the cavalry is apparently but
the due advance guard Of the main infantry
force, and not an independent command bent
upon raids. We learn further that on the fol-
lowing day, the 18th, Rebel trains on the Geor
gia Road ran no farther west than Union Point,
which is forty miles east Of Social Circle. The
inference Is compulsory that the railroad be.
tween those stations was abandoned without
the slightest effort at defense; and that in fact
there were no means Of defense. Union Point
Is about due north from Milledgeyille,
but could not probably be reached quito SO
soon as the latter place. And it seems
10 be the Rebel opinion that the