The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1865-03-25
SherMan's Campaign.

voluminous records of General Sherman s
great campaign from Savannah, Georgia, as
far Richmond ward as Fayetteville, North
Carolina. Since the latter part of January
We have been without any positive intorma-
ton respecting his movements. save uncer
tain and scant reports which inadvertently
appeared in the Richmond papers. For
over forty days he has, to us, been emphati
cally in the wilderness. Now he has emery
of those apprehensions which many Of our
people experienced respecting his ability to
succeed in the extraordinary campaign upon
which he set out on the 18th of January.
In this campaign General Sherman has
been equally successful with the celebrated
march which he made from Atlanta to Sa
vannah. He has had greater obstacles to
overcome in the almost impossible swamps
which he encountered, and the stronger
forces which the enemy threw upon his front;
but all these have proved insufficient to check
his irresistible advance. By his strategy he
compelled the Rebels to keep their army
| divided, so that at no one time and no one
| point were they able to make any serious re-
sistance. The heavy rains which swelled
the rivers and creeks, and overlooked the
morasses of South Carolina did more to i'm
pede the progress of our army than all the
efforts made by the enemy. More than one
hundred miles were corduroyed for the pas
sage of the troops, and a large number of
bridges destroyed either by the foods or by
the Rebels had to be rebuilt.
By reason of Sherman's movements,
Charleston was evacuated and the city, to-
gether with all the cannon mounted on the
batteries commanding the harbor fell into
our hands. Columbia, the Capital of South
Carolina, with its stores, forty. three csanon,
ten tons of powder, two hundred thousand
cartridges, ten thousand muskets and an
enormous amount of Rebel property came
next into our possession. Scores of miles
of cotton burned was immense. Twenty
five pieces of artillery were captured at Che
raw, and much valuable property, consisting
of provisions, ammunition, ETC., were rem
dered worthless to the "Confederacy."
| Arriving at Fay etteville, seventeen di-
tional cannon were captured, and large
quantities of supplies, stores, &c. &C., came
into possession of the victorious Army of
Tennessee. In all, say the correspondents,
General Sherman has taken eighty five pieces
of artillery, with their caissons, carriages
and fixed ammunition; horses, mules and
cattle, to the number Of twenty five thous-
and, were gathered up on the march, and
fifteen thousand slaves fell into line and fol.
lowed the triumphal columns which were
making so broad path for freedom through
the aristocratc and insoient State of South
Carolina. During the 'forty days in the
Wilderness" Sherman marched his men
distance Of quite four hundred and fifty
miles in '!swath" being from thirty to forty
miles in breadth, and all this time the army
was supported principally by foraging on the
country. Lee drew great portion of his
supplies from the region thus traversed by
onr troops, and their loss will be to him in
caculable. Sherman left nothing behind
him but desoation, save where here and
there Union families were found, who hoist.
ed the long.hidden Stars and Stripes, and
babe his conquering legions welcome.
AS in his march from Atlanta, Sherman S
| losses in this campaign have been slight
One thousand men. it is said, will cover the
casualties of the skirmishes and accidents,
while those of the enemy are estimated at
over three thousand in killed, wounded and
prisoners.
| Thus have we set at rest the reports and
representations of reverse and retreat for
the army under General Sherman Instead
| OF either he has met with no check in his
advance, excepting those of the elements
and the natural distractions of the country
through which he has passed. Patience, in
dustry, courage and an unbending will have
| surmOunted all.
| TIE army, an army which has never been
defe tied, and one which always goes into
battle or sets out upon march with a de-
termination to win, reached Fayetteville in
the most exuberant spirits, and with the
most unbounded confidence in its chieftain.
1t has not qualed before the fires of battle,
or grown respondent amid the trials of
march scarcely paralleled in history. Its
face is toward Richmond, and thither it is
anxious to go, there to unite with our own
glorious army of the Potomac in ending the
Rebellion Before this Goldsboro is doubt
less in possession of the combined forces
under Sherman and Schofeld. This June.
ton made, the Rebels have no force South
of Richmond which can successfully resist
the onward progress of Sherman.
PHILADELPHIA Inquirer.