Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-03-23
where are the Armiesi Z
IFrom The Cincinnati Gazette. ]

February, was near tno- Noftn CaIohna
line; aud il he thought Unnecessary to make
base on the coast, he might reach Laurel,
the terminus of o new railroad leading from
Wilmington 10 the interior, and which
road might be used for bis supply. Sucn
was his course. Leaving Columbia about i
the Goth of February, he proceeded 10
Cheraw, and probably by way OF Csmden'
concentrating somewhere eastsof Cheraw'
and thence to Laurel Fayetteville, on
Cane Fear river, lies nearly East of Laurel,
about forty miles distant. As water com
/ munications are the easiest, and the supply
transports are at Wilmington, sherman has
no doubt gone on to Fayetteville. tie has
not wanted for supplies at all; but it will be
nee necessary s to refresh the men, and renew
! all the material which is necessary to his
final march into Virginia, and that will
! take, probably, tive or three weeks. II is
not probably that he will 60 East Of Fay
| etteville, for it is not necessary to the oh
iects Pin view To take such places as
Goldsboro and Raleigh, may be left to Gen.
Scho6eld. The final objective point of
Sherman, after leaving Wilmington, is Dan
vile, or some other point on the Roanoke,
or, in other words, to cross the Roanoke
and complete the ,cork Of cutting of Lee and
Richmond from, any possible support. AN
the operations Of the campaign have tend
ed to that great end. That is what Sher'
man has been doing ever since he left AT.
lants. His march through Georgia cut off
all the rebel territory, West Of Savannah,
from sny support of the rebel forces and
government at Richmond. His march tbro
: South Carolina has cut off that State, and
r his march on the Roanoke will cut OH all
!. North Carolina. Any one who examines
/ map will see that if Sherman marches on
q Roanoke, Bragg will evacuate Goldsboro
81 and Raleigh at once; for, if not, he will be
placed directly between Sherman and Scho-
10 tield, without any power to escape. Bragg
le will concentrate every soldier in North Car
v. olina on the Roanoke, and if there is to be
( any battle of importance (which many per
sons imagine, it must be on or near that line;
for Sherman once crossed into Virginia,
os and completing the work which Sheridan
p. has begun, Lees army. Richmond and the
OF OF rebel government fall together, unless
OF miracle is performed in their favor. fany
o. OF place in North Carolina is defended it should
IL be Greensborough, forty miles South o
Danville. But it is impossible to preven
er any of these places from being fanked, anC
ON the march of Sherman from Dalton to AT
x lanta is q type of what will take place II
ms North Carolina if Lees whole army was II
70, front of him. 1t is not easy to see how th
or rebels can fight q great battle anywhere
of They need double as many men as the
ne have got, and where are they to be got?-
The white men are unwilling to hight an
longer and the negro arming act cemes TO
Wy late. If the thing was practicable at all
Y is of no use now. No negroes are to be ha
lrr South of Virginia, and it is safe to say
OF they have already used all OF those they ca
IN get. To have made negro soldiers avail
III Bic in the Confederate army they shoul
wv, have been called out two years ago. 1t
ING now useless Sherman's army is en- roui
ihd for Virginia, where it will be in atthe deaf
IN IN Of the Confederacy. -,
wa Sheridan! No sne can think of him will
ne out surprise and exutation. Since II
tea days of Murat no such dashing, brillian
successful cavalry, officer has appeared
low His last ride has done the rebels more daI
nal age than the loss of a great battle. +
months Lee has drawn his main suppl
from the interior of Virginia, where the
were many counties entirely untouched
hat the war, rich and prosperous. These sn
an- plies were obtained by the james Riv
nsi- Canal-a great work-draining the who
James River Valley, and coming with
reach Of the best counties of the North Cs
olna, and also, by the Central Railroa
running to Charlottesville and Stauntc
connecting with Lynchburg. Sheridan
lck, work has been to destroy these eommu
the cations, and he has done it most effectual
his These works have been put beyond the poo
srry er of aiforling Lee any aid during the chi
tied he is passing through. Before they can
cor repaired his fate wllbe determined. No
fort the rem, lining work is to destroy all railro
my, communications in North Carolina, whi
,erc is tho work of Sherman and Schofeld.
hey But it may be asked what are our fore
5th pressing on from Newbern to Kingston a
n Godsboro for? We can very easily s
nts' what it might be for and what proba bly,
nts the intention. The troops operating the
ness are not for any immediate connection wi
de Sherman. lie don't need them. VIII
er's Sherman reaches Goldsboro, and moves
lem to Virginia, ho must be supplied from 0
ugh other line than that Of Fayetteville.
half Our troops are re-constructing the Nor
With Carolina Railroad, from Nswbern, throu
ign, Raleigh to GroenborOugh, and as Bra
hey evacuates, (which he will do they CO
ing, plete the road and supply Sherman. as
IS OF advances up to the gates OF Richmond, frt
in. Newbern. Sherman, as he advances
in. Richmond, will not join Grant. who co
OF mands only tho South side OF the Apl
hich mattox; bat he will move on the line of t
up Danvile road, and complete the invO
nby, ment. Such is the campaign, as VIC 81
ent- pose, competent General-in- Chief, fan
each lar with the face aud resources of this co,
W lTy WOulu HlukO ~ 10 MAUI
gh easy by the fact that Lee has lost his opp
" 70 tunaies. He has lostthe bsst opportunity
ould a brilliant military fame which any one n
ccess evor had. unless he should do someth
6cu- very extraordinary hereaftsr-he will p
amSs into history as q man Of no great resour
time or comprehension Of mind. Bot for
news present we only say-nous verrOns
In looking over the military situation
attentive observer will see that from the
nan of last September to the present time,
have had uninterrupted, success. In that ii
;cav. the rebels have had scarcely anything to
ttsck courage lDm, and some of their grea
No. disasters have grown out oftheir own pls
N s;. such as the march Of Early down the '
from ley, aud Of Hood upon Nashville. In
eve. early part Of the war they were success
w IN such enterprises andcan scarcely COM
,neral hend now why they should not be.
ws. great changes have come over the r,
al 10 mind, and a still greater one over their
0sI sources. The delusions which prevaile
nnm. the beginning Of the war have ceased.
,btsa intelligent rebel now believes in foreign
addi. reference, or Northern insurrection, or
When tional bankruptcy, or peace parties, or
" ~" other oftheir early delusions As 90