The New York herald., 1865-03-29
The Importance Of Richmond.
SHERMAN CHECKED, GRANTS COMBINATIONS SPOILED
AND RICHMOND SAFE.

From the Richmond Whig March 25
The check adm nisered by Johnston TO Sherman at
Benonsvle intereres essentially with the campaign Of
that ,ockawhoop leader and the coTnbna ~ Grant
The part assigned TO sherman was the destruction Of the
railroad communications through Central North Carol ma
the crowdng back towards Richmond of our forces In
that State and the narrowing by this means Of the
of supply 30 General Lee TO such degree that the with
drawa Of his forces from tis city would be inevitable
II is time the attempt to take this CITY by
direct assault has been abandoned and the grand scheme
undertaken Of bringing 10 bear upon II force from tie
South strong enough to overcome all opposition, cut oil
all communication, and by gradual construction
compress II into surrender The march OF Sher
man into Georgia into South Carolina and into
North Carolina not for the purpose with
the expectation OF conquering those States else he
would not have gone straight through he has done
with the two former and ~ attempting with the latter
but would have spread occupied subfued and held
them For all that be bas done towards the conquest
those States nc might rs well, ~ better have
tered them True, he has blackened his way with nro
and rapne and carried desoation to thousands OF happy
honechOds but he has made nc converts 10 Un,onism,
and has left the people implacaby hostile aud
inncxiby resoute than he found them Georgia aud
South Carolina frcer from Yankc than they have
been for two years and are conquered aud more un
conquerable than they have been since that date. The
would have been the condition Of North Carolina if
Sherman had found 10 practicable to pass through her
borders with little opposition he red from
Atlanta to Savannah But at last he has found "ion
his path that he must dislodgc, and all ho
has done Is labor lost When he moved from Dalton last
May II not for the purpose Of capturing Atlanta and
savapnah, and Charleston, and Wilmington All these
to be but Incidents The great object, TO which
everything else merely subsidiary was 10 blockade
Leo from the South ct between him and bis sources
% rpp 70 'e%r 'nc calaSn *. o. omn, % SI%y ny S, %
capital. He has only OF late approached point
where, 10 foil cHectuslly the object of all his move
mcnts and the consummation OF tho plan II was
necessary that he should be arrested II now Cen,
raj Johnston rout him, can drive him OF his
course or can hold him checked and unable TO
advance, he Is defeated, and the huge combinations
OF Grant, Of which Yankee newspapers have been dis
courslng grandoquently are nulled and destroyed
The importanc O. therefore, OF the late battle at Bentons
vile VIII be apprecs,ed The blow struck there was as
much blow f0r the sAfey Of this city that delivered
At Coal Harbor last year General Johnston, and
General Ice, under whom he acts, be In
no uncertainty to the vital necessity OF
continuing TO oppose an mmovable front to shcr-
mans advance If he cannot be destroyed, ms we
devoutly trust hc may be, he mu,, AT any cat Js kp
ffoyr coming forDdyd-not that Richmond AS Richmond
Of much value but that for which need not
be explained ns nfrrendv 10 NE errray Is hng MT 10
b, hoggh OF Uhis Us defnce IL poniJle. Ia this view
We cannot award too much credit or render too much
gratitude, to the gallant leader and devoted who
have said TO Sherman, 'ihus far, and no farther"