Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1865-01-05
A GIGANTIC CAMPAIGN.
The Next Movement for Major Gen.
Sherman. 4
BEgIsING THE sEHPENT's HEAD
Grand March Across the Oarolinas ID
Richmond, -
From Special Correspehdsns New York Times
~ WAsIiirsrda. Dec I8. 1864,

brilliant elimination Of one campaign. opens
another campaign, the majestic outlines Of
which must loom up on the mind Of any in.
telligcnt student Of the military map. The
march from Atlanta ~ .ke seabord--A inareh
MS long as that of Madison from the Niemen
to Moscov-ir impressive rather on account
Of the Wonderful Kill and success with which
an enterprise of enormous difficulty was
worked out, than FROM any positive material
results springing directly from it
Before SHERMAN could begin effective work.
il was necessary that i've should secure a base
and point dappui 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 uIterior operations, that
of the Savannah river is the very best. Empty
ing into The Atlantic, its headwat touch
the great central mountain ridge dividing the
EASTERN from tho western theatres Of war. A
glance at the map will show that the possess
ion of tbis river sewers every line Of railway
Communications between the Atlantic seaboard
States and those of The Gulf. Much has been
said about the dissection Of the Confcderacy
but until this line was held by Union force.
the sonth could hardly be said IT, be really
rent in twain.
Gen SHERMAN has planted himself on this
line, ond is extending his forces 10 " hold
occupy and possess" it. To effect this tcods
but the capture of Augusta. AVID it will. doubt
less, be found that this il his first objective.
The possession of Augusta will complete his
command Of the line of the Savahnah, because
Lilo, tt,. la NJ, tt..ul
vast material Importance rs the prime centre
for the manufacture of all munitions of war,
will make its LOGS all irrcmediablc blow To the
enemy.
Given the completion Of these prcliminaries.
it lies within the next ten days, and SHERMAN,
turning his face northward, has before him a
succession of conquests dazzling enough to Ere
the most ambition, maginalon, and which orc
destined t. annih!latc the armed force Of the
rebellion
SHERMAN. ultimate objective is nothing less
than Lgrs army. now held tight in Richmond
by GRANT. But between hin present position
and his ultimate destination lie the States o.
South and North Carolina. Now. Whatever
in these support. the rebellion whether Sea.
ports through which contrabahd u war finds
entry from abroad, or depots Of supplies for
feeding the rcb.l force in Nir.iu:s, or rail-
r7ads and rolling stock for The transportation
Of Mon and material, or capital t>w:ls whosc
e.. III ii. generalization and dis
may to the rcbcliious population. or negroes
which farm the working snaws of the rebel
lion--all lie a prey TO bis conquaring columns.
Frcm Augusta he can swing down on Charles
ton cutting every railroad on which it de-
ponds, and envcloping it as he has cnvcloped
Savannah. This of itself will be portcntous
blow at the rebellion. for it will bruise tho
had t. scr. mt pe .:cc ion in its hcc..
anu Matching place. But j, will not be all !;
he will have his heel On that naughty State,
and OIL the stiff ncrks Of !,s reheliuiis t',p,i!a.
ton, who will be humbled aud brought low.
If our prisoners are still allowed TO remain
within the confines Of this State. they will be
released if they are transferred further north,
the rebels. becoming unable to feed them. as
they are pres ed upon by SHERMAN's advance.
restricting the area from which they now draw
Subsistence, will have to let them GO. Nor
does North Cai ulina lie less open to our arms
Aud here VIC may confidently hope not merely
for military conqucs,s, but for moral triumphs.
If Porter AID BuTtsR do not mcan~l ,iIo take
Whining: on-if they are able to do nc more
than reduce the forts ut the entrance Of the
water hiuhway on which it stands. which vii!
Of itself be great gain in sealing it up for
blockade runncrs-SRxRNAS will certainly
give ii the coup de grace. But there is the
hest reason to believe chat with the capture of
North Carolna. Raleigh. which SnsnMAx will
take en- route. we shall witness powerful
spontaneous Union reaction and revival. moro
fatal to the Conitdcrucy than any feats of
arms, however brlll'Apt. Finally. from North
Car, lima SnBRMAS moves up Into Virginia,
where he joins GRANT in dealing the death
blow at the rebellion, the head and front Of
which Is LIES army at Richmond.
This programme may to some seem rather
a wild sally Of speculation than an outline Of
operation. actually TO be realized or even in
serious contemplation. And yet venture to
say it is neither more nor less than what will
be done this Winter-neither more nor less
than what VIII be an accomplished fact by the
opening of Spring. In Justification Of this
anticipation tho two following considerations
may be presented:
/. What adequate military force eau the
rebels oppose to che "a vahse of SHERMAN over
the lines indicated? Within stretch of sew
cral hundred miles there is absolutely no Or
gnnizcd military force that can offer even
show of opposition HxRpEE's fugitive force
numbers but fifteen thousand men, whereof
nine thousand are raw militia. With the force
added to the six thousand which BEAUREo ARD
has at Charleston, the aggregate will still be
too insignificant to do more than compel h
temporary halt before Charleston and perhaps
at Wilmington thence onward the route is
clear Behind him throughout the vast stretch
of the central military zone lying between the
Alleghanics and tho Mississippi, he leaves
nothing that can harm him. HooD's force.
thanks to tn, su,c ,ssion of telling blows ad-
ministescd by TuonAs, has ceased to be an
army. ceased to DO 6s for aggressive action.
Indeed, if any considerable remnant oft shall
escape the tcnseious and remorselcss clutch Of
TnoM.s. it will still be no more than the
rebels will need to cover points now menaced
by advancing columns in the Soash west, and
toward Mobile, &c. What remains. in addi-
ton to this enunurationi Nothing but the
army at Rxhmond. which the powerful force
of Lieut. General GRANT holds fast there.
It is clear, therefore. that SHERMAN, 90 far a.
military opposition is concerned. has oil tlse
world before hin where 10 choose" lfhe
has some work 70 do. it will be only Whist his