The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-03-08
THE SITUATION.

Confirmation previous reports that General Sherman
has reached Cape Fear river In North Carolina 10 oon
tanned in our Wilmington correspondence. II Is
said that he had struck that sFeam, sixty
miles above Wilmington, previous TO The 1ss
instant, thus completely spelling the rebd plans
Tor enectng CONSERVATION against him, and sOrcsng
him 70 give bss IN ths viciny d 0oadsborO Al wacA
point they expected 70 . combination Of advantages
In their favor which would insure his defeat Ths
Wilmington Journal IN ns hsue bust previous
20 the occupation Of the town By ne ma
Honal forccs admitted that Shermans movements " he
was not checked, mighi hare tho OBJECT Of COM
polling Lee to abandon Richmond and Petersburg Our
City Point dispatches state that u Il positively
known that on tho oath ult. General Sherman
was al Camden, 8 O., the wa.eree river,
little hundred mikes southwest or Fayetteville
N O.. on Cape Fear river, which town 1t Is believed he
has before now reached In Sundays HERALD pub
shed despatch staiingi thai information s arrival
q. the latter place had reached Washington There
were rumors in the Army Of the Potomac on Sunday
last that Sherman had defeated Johnston In heavy
battle and captured from him fifteen thousand prsonWs
The Augusta lGa) c. naihstionalix of February 81
gives account Of the great fire in Columbia, s. G.,
after It's occupation by General SLe~man's army.
II says that the nro accidentally communi-
Gated 10 private houses while the troops
engaged in destroying the pablo buildings and
and a half In one direction, laying the whole bust
ness portion Of the In ruins All the railroads
and bridges around Columbia said to be destroyed
Tho wrtor estimates sherman's force at Columbia a.
seventy thousand men, not including any cavalry and
says his troops were well clothed the finest oond
tion and looked IL they had just started on
expedition instead Of having been out for woeks They
described having been under she srictes, dsci
pne while in shs place, and said no. to have been
guilty Of any outrages
From the national armies before Richmond we have
reports that General Lee has for somo time pas, had
large numbers Of negroes employed In throwing up do
fensie works the line Of the Roanoke river to which
1t Is surmscd no digns falling back from his present
position Many bic siege guns have already been sent
on in that dresssl, and numerous circumstances ind.
cato that such . movement Is contemplated b. him.
Rebel dessrtsrs ard re- ees coming into the national
lines before Richmond coan thu reports already pub.
General Early and nearly his tatirc army Thursday
Friday last In tho Shenandoah valley, between Char
iotcsville and Stanton II l. believed that. General
Sheridan Ia well advanced on his way 10 Lynch.
burv mr. ri hmoud In which evcr av hc NAV dcsiyn 10
demonstrate.
Or dispatches from Wilmington n c., are 10 tho
LIST inst which time Affairs in THAI vicinity remained
quiet No new military movements arc mentioned and
no suson IL made 10 the reported Junction Of sher.
mans and schoneds forces but General schoaeld far
from idle He busIly engaged In pushing his PLAN for
the continuation of the campaign In North Carolina
The exchange OF prisoners with the rebels Cape Fear
river had commenced and number Of released Union
soldiers had already arrived Wilmington volcnie n
for the colorcd regiments being rapidly recruited
In tho town and tho surrounding scunry. Aamira
Porter LEI, wilmington on the 1st inst, arrived a
yorre~ Monroe on As, Friday, and Immediately af,el
lsft for Washington
The steamships Kensngon and Savannah, from Hiltor
Head g. c. the ID md An inst arrived here ycstcr
DAY. They brought Or particular interest A
bearer Of important dispatches from General Gillmors
20 shs government North board the Savannah.
Admiral DAIgren's ohncal report q the capture o,
yors white and Georgetown O. has been received BY
sAs NAVY Department. Ths principal Particular hog