The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-01-04
Terrible Blow 10 the sOuih i'm the Loss
of Savannah.

BALTIMORE, Dec. ~.
If il be true, that the darkest hour Is
inst before the dawn, then the hour when
the confederate independence will dawn,
must hc close at hand, for the present
moment is certainly the darkest, in a mil
itary point of view that the South has
ever experienced have some news from
the South this morning which Is of a
gloomier nature than | have ever re-
ceived The fall of Savannah IS really a
great blow to the South, and so 1t IS fct
at Richmond. 1t is not the loss of the
city itself that is felt That Is mere
bagatelle. 1t is the consequences that
must result from that capture which
give the Southern leaders such great
concern. In this view, the confederate
leaders are forced to admit that General
Sherman has doue well in abandoning
Atlanta for Savannah, because Savannah
to the North, is worth dozen Atlantas.
Grent Loss Of Cotton TO the south.
In the first place, it gives us, If the OPP
erations to secure it are conducted with
ordinary prudence, about l2O,OOO or loO-
900 bales of cotton, which are stored at
various points in Georgia and South Car
olina. Of these, 81, 900 bales only are at
Savannah, 25,0 900 bales are at Augusta,
II. 900 bales are at Macon, 10000 bales
are in half dozen towns near the coast
south of Savannah, and were supposed
to be protected by that city, and 25,0U0
bales are at certain convenient points III
South Carolina, near the east bank OF
the Savannah river This stock of cot
ton forms part of that immense store mp
on which the South has been drawing
sparingly during the last two years, and
which has been their most potent ally III
England aud Fran ,e, atforLing them the
means of negotiating their cotton loans,
of keeping up the confederate credit IN
Europe and Of purchasing their muskets
and cannon.
virtual, Couguesi Of the Whole of Geor-
gIa.
Now that there is no use in denying it
any longer, the Confederate military
leaders admit the wisdom of General
Sherman's course in not stopping Oh his
way to lay siege to Macon and ugusta.
Those places and all the other towns In
Georgia south Of them, are ours, wben-
ever General Sherman chooses TO advance
against them at the head Of a respecta-
ble ioroc The railroads, also, from Au-
gnsta nearly Ia Atlanta, from Savannah
to Macon. aud from Macon to Opehka,
from Macon to AmeTicus, and from Sa-
vaunah Ia Thomdsville, are at our abso-
lutte disposal. either TO run them or To de-
str0y them. In a word, two-thirds of the
, State OF Georgia is a. absolutely con-
ouered as Louisiana Thewhole of the
State. except that part North of Atlanta,
Is entirely at General Sherman disposal.
| The troops recently at Macon or Augusta
! either have been, or will he, Withdrawn,
| and will Join General Hardee Ut Charles
ton 90 - o
Danger Of the Fall Of Charlessea, =
The Confederate leaders, therefore, in
! view ot these facts. look upon Georgia as
lost To them Ion the present. Nor Is that
all They ar we'll aware that, either
from savannah or Augusta: General
Sheuuan c4u transport his wholearTnyby
railroad to Charlt Fop;i and what they
dread now, above all things. is that he
will do >o. and that that city will now be
attacked from the land side by sherman S
victorious and invincihle army This is
, the danger which they are now employ
ins thehr-. lvesi 4 guarding against with
all then might For the reasons men
toned in my last letter, they cannot af-
ford tolnse either Wilmington OF Charles
ton, nor do they intend or expert To lose
either one Still, if General Sherman
shohld lead his srmyto Charleston, and
sit down in earnest before that place.
strongly fortified as it is, the chances IRE
that il would fall This is the cOnYic-
tion that how@fills the public mind al the
South, and the minds OF the rebel leaders
also, and that makes the present hour, 81
| SAID above. che darkest in tbsss-l.s-
tory.
Effective Condition Of the southern
Armies. 80
Do not infer frcm what hate SAID
that there is anything like despsndeney
adver.itT tpT I defssts @ @ and tosses OILY ssrve
IN insnira them with renewed determine