Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-03-08
,cu.WEDNEsDAY, MAR. 8, 1865.
The Situation.

The Situation.
81 H., time of writing this we have no further
W. intelligence from Gen. Sherman. Rumors
.,,arous as they always are at such a time
n =. Init we will not trouble our readers with
We stated in Or last that Sherman was no
III =. II that time at Cheraw, and it seems now
Fl Known that on Thursday last he was four
from that place on his way towards Fayette-
H. It is stated that part of his army crossed
psdee at Cheraw, and part lower down.
,so surmised that he had turned to the right
cherav and was passing through Robson
,,,v to Ezabethtown, Baden, where he ex-
.sd 10 form junction with schofeld from Will
,,,rOn Elizabethtown is some thirty live miles
!. sw Fayetteville
Tho Richmond Dispatch of the LIST says:
I'VE are still without official intelligence of
-smeuts now taking place in the Garolihas, and,
rsasons hitherto stated do not care to repeat all
Il renorts that reach US. We heard yesterday.
L, Sherman was stuck in the mud in one of the
t",hern States If it has rained half as much
70 as in this vicinity, there can be no doubt of
/, ruth OF the statement. There have been many
t,sv different estimates Of the strength Of Sher-
LIZ army. By some, his forces have been esti-
/ ned as high as sixty thousand.
/ Ne learned on yesterday, through trustworthy
,,,e that General Hampton reported his force to
Inst of four corps Of infantry, Of seven thousand
In ano body of cavalry of from four to five
fmsand men. His artillery will, perhaps, swell
/. number of his main column u thirty.fve thou
had five give Gilmore, at Charleston, ten thou
Ind men, and Schofeld, at Wilmington, fifteen
Emsapd, we shall estimate the whole Yankee force
[,T operatng in the Carolinas at sixty. thousand
[sn This, we think, is not far from the mark
rbe Yankee papers make the figures much larger,
and give Sherman an immense cavalry force"
We think it hardly probable that Sherman would
s,,e attempted so long and important march
With no more than thirty five thousand men. i His
srce is probably near sixty thousand; and if be
should succeed in forming junction with Scho-
Geld, he will probably be at the head of eighty
thousand men, The point at which he is aiming
the o5jsctiue point as it is caled-s no doubt the
Piedmont Road To reach that he will attempt to
make his way through Cumberland, Harnett, Chat.
ham, Alamance, and Guilford and if he should
sweep over as wide belt Of territory as be did in
bis progress through Georgia, his right wing would
touch Fayetteville and Raleigh, and his left wing
he western line of Arson and. Randolph. The in
Scations are that he will be met long before he
s,p reach the North Carolina Railroad A general
battle will most probably be fought in Cumber
and or Harnett, or Wake, or Chatham but the
decisive battle for the possession of the Piedmont
Road NAV take place near the Company Shops, ii
Aansnce. 1t would not be proper for US to STATE
what we know or what we have heard as to thu
number or disposition of our troops, but we fee
sure that the "clans are gathering and that
powerful blow will be dealt to the enemy at SOM
point in this State. fen. Sherman's force be nj
larger than it is said to Be by the Dispatch h
will, in all probability, encounter defeat and disas
ter in North. Carolina. Our people are awaiting
the result with intense interest
We have heard report for several. days that
ormidabls force of the enemy was marching o.
Epston on both sides of the Neuse, from Newberr
At the time of writing this we hear no confirmation
Of this report. The federas are said to be repair
ng the Railroad from Core Greek towards Kinstor
md it may be that they have sent out regimen
Or two to Core Greek preparatory to an advanc
owards Goldsborough. The impression seems t
,e that Gen. Foster will advance soon, in consider
Ible force, from Newbe-n, with the view of co opt
atlng with Sherman. 1t is stated that the fedora
ire displaying thirty flags and some sixteen piece
If artillery at Core Greek. The latter point
ome fifteen miles below Kinston.
Everything was quiet at the latest dates at P
ersburg and Richmond, owing to the bad weathe
t is expected, however, that important movement
yill take place in that quarter soon.
The federal papers seem to be Of the opinion tbs
, heavy concentration of troops will be Effected a
some point in North Carolina by the Confederate:
We have report that the evacuation of Petersbur
is going on, but, nothing is certainly known as
this by outsiders.
1t seems that Staunton, Va, is threatened b
federal cavalry. We hear nothing more of the ri
mored advance of Stoneman and Averill from Ea:
Tennessee, with cavalry. But every thing seen
to point as above stated to great battle in the
terror of this State for the possession of the Piee
mont Road.
We learn from the Richmond Dispatch that tn
House of Delegates ofVirginia, few days sine!
passed resolution to submit to the people OF tn;
State, at the general election on the fourth Thur
day of this month, whethsr1p or not a Convention
The State shall be called Owing to certain :" mi