The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1865-01-12

marCHeO eWHlIy anu nO'eciVSSiy ~ Wy
rear Of Gen. Sherman's position, strik-
ing his line Of railroad half way TO
Chattanooga, capturing one or two in
significant posts, and only failing at the
more important one Of Al'atoona
through the sigral courage and reso'u.
ton OF ito commander. Gen. Sherman
holding fast to Atlanta, rapidly 'e,raced
his steps with most Of his army. and
chased Hood (whosc stomach for fight
ing seems to have ere this been c'oyed)
westward into Northern Alabama, here
leaving him in furried expectation Of
further and energetic pursuit. But
Sherman, leaving Gen. Thomas with .
competent force TO confront Hood 10
Tennessee, had already quietly counter:
marched. and was again in Atlanta,
preparing to resume HE advance
through Central Georgia to the sea.
board, cleaving the confederacy .
second time, and liberating Cifpossible)
our famished, tortured, dying prisoners,
as we'll as thousands Of able-bodied, ef
fectiye slaves Before Hood had di.
vined his purpose, he was already go
far on his way as 10 defy any effort Of
his la,e Antagonist to bar his progress.
Meantime, Gen. Sheridan, command
ing the Union force in the valley Of the
Shenandoah, had, on the f9th Of Sep
teml er, :, ntc3 his antagonist, Early, in
a pitched battle, swiftly followed by
another, ana on the 10th Of October,
by q third, with uniform results. The
loss 70 the Rebels in these three con.
.iicts must have exceeded ours by not
less than ten thousand men, with at
least City cannon and immense quaint
ties # small a,sns and every material
Of var. And the campaign in that
vale" appears to have virtually closed
with fhe prestige Of uniform success
gliding our arms.
G.n. Candy, who succeeds Gen.
Banks IN the command Of that Depart
ment, has b. capacity and good con
duct, retrieved our prestige in that
quarter, and has inflicted several
damaging blows on the Rebels. The
achievements Of Farragut in Mobile
Bav. Of Gillem in East Tennessee, and
the celer;;y wherewi,h Price was
pushed su' Of Missouri, when he shonid
have been Intercepted and captured or
cvu>he' there. all combine te attest
the decided superiority Of force on our
side and the IL ability ot' the Rebels 10
w;ths,a and il. Miss an,i was never be
fore 81 heartily Union AZ he now is,
and he lust ves,ige ef slavery is about
to be hunted from her soil by All over
whelming majority. AMI this with the
kindred renovation already accomplish
Ell in Maryland, are among the sub.
s,an,ial trophies of our victories in
1864, giving assurance that their effects
will endure.
The successful completion OF Sher
mans march through Georgia and the
bri!l,an, victories Of Scho6eld at Frank
lin and Of Thomas in front of Nasch
vile are too recent 10 be more than
glanced at here; but they add i'm.
mensely 10 the proofs already accumn.
lated that the Rebellion Is in the last
stages Of decARe when II can no longer
prateni to enfornt the Union armies in
tho field, but must cling to its fortresscs
and lines Of detenccs, whence il waite
to be driven ont or tlanked out. but no
longer ventures TO advance and chal.
lengc to equal combat Not once this
year have the Free States been invaded
or seriously threatened for tho raid
that laid Chambcrsburs in ashes had
not even the eemblance cf substantial
demonsts alton. The Rebellion through
this year has struggled barely 70 hold
on, and has aignally failed even in this
Nav we not nationally conclude that its
last sands are running out-thas few
more blcws, we'll planted, will end its
career, and eecute 70 our whole country
the blessings Of Freedom, Union, and
Peace?