Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-03-23

q -F Very truly ydt
has soal . .l.soa. JEFEs DAVIS: A4vi1S5:
The Brinianey OF sheE1a . Move
ments.
From the London Daily ESl sreS 4
Gen. Sherman is once moFs iazssing hi
countrymen with the bEillianey ofshis suc
cess. For time, after it was known tha
bis army had broken mp from Savannah t
was inexplicably delayed. The Rfchmonc
journalists said, that Sherman Rould ,finG
campaigning in South Carol lima 81 aifferent
Thing from promenading through Georeia
and they were'right, The left OF btl
army, which as we nov know u S 55 ~ f5fStt
through the middle district of the State
and take its capital, had a task Of no com.
mon difficulty before it. In its advance
from Savannah to Sisters Ferry, and
thence along the Savannah river and
through the districts of Beaufort, Oolleton
and Barnwell, it was engaged in a perpet.
ual struggle with nature. The soldiers
had to build corduroy roads and trestle
bridges for miles through the swamps,
working by sunlight and torchIight, up to
their hips, and sometimesup to their shoul-
ders, in water. Such were the exertions
by which the veterans of the West strove
to get an opportunity of meeting the enemy.
Once across the Edisto, however, the left
wing was on high ground, and in rich,
fertile couatry, aboundfug with supplies
aud provided with good roads, ard the ce.
lerity and vigor of Sherman became as
conspicuous as his former tenactty and pa
tience. It was on the 4th Of January that
that officer crossed the Salkehatchie river,
outfanking the Confederstes opposed to
him, and compelling them to fall back on
Branchville, On the 9Th he struck the
South Carolina Railroad at Grahamsville,
eighteen miles west of Braucbville. aud on
the 18th he crossed the South Edisto, flank
ing that important town. It was now that
according to the Richmond papers, the
struggle for South, Carolina was to com.
mence- Sherman was to find Beauregsrd
''lion in his path" SHERMAN" said
the Richmond Examiner, "is only now be-
ginning to enter upon the difficult part of
his enterprise, aud his, inFincible army is
about to be tested. We know it can march
incredible distances and steal much, but
now it will have to fight a little" Gene
raj Beauregard, however, who has not
the military faults of General Hood,
did not judge that the time for
Fighting had come; while Sherman's move.
ments were marked by great rapidity and
decision. On the 18th Sherman took
OraDgeburg, seventeen miles from Branch.
vile, the Coufederates falling back without
fighting. 1t was then said they were going
to defend the line of the Santee. That line,
however, was passed by Sherman without
difficulty, Besuregard having fallen back
upon Columbia, on the Cougsree. Sher
man appeared before the place on the 18th,
and threw some shells into it. In the night
he moved his troops up the west bank of
the river, and crossed over, and again
Beauregard fell back, yielding possession of
the State Capital of South Caroliua without
striking blow. Thus in Eve days Sher.
man had advanced from BranchVille to Co.
lumbia, q distance of sixty eight miles, with
Beauregard continually in his front. This
time there was nothing published at Rich
mond about the mastery policy of "drsw-
ing Sherman away from his base" The
Csrolinas are too near Virginia for trif1ing
even on. paper. r- -...'..
In the conduct of Sherman's army-that
army of ndiscipline aud action" as a Car
olina journal has styled it-nothing is more
striking than the admirable co-ordinaIioD
of the movements of its several parts
When the left wing was taking Columbia
the right was near Charleston, separated
| from it. by q distance of l2s miles, the
swampy nature of the intervening country
making direct INSTRUMENTATION utterly
impossible Nevertheless, allu it's opera
| tions were so conducted as to take advan,
1 tage of the Opportunities created, by the
successes gained in the m ddle districts oil
the State. Early in January transports
had asceuded the North Edisto river, and
the troops, crossing to the msiuland, secu-
red position on the railroad, from which
they could move upon the flank Of the
city, still maintaining their Communication
With the sea. On the 18th of January, a
further force was. thrown. upon James
Island, and Admiral DahIgren received
au accession to his feet. The Confederate
commander, however, did not wait to be
attacked. !, 1t was evident that if Beaure.
gard could not prevent Sherman's north.
. ward advance, Charleston must be eVacur
ated while there was still way Of escape
! for its garrison, The Confederate force!
left the town the day after the retreat trou
4 Columbia aud all the Qualifications abC
4 defeuces in the front and rear of the city
4 including the famous Fort Sumter, passed
into the possession Of the National army
The southern. troops before leaving the oitJ
set it on FIRE, and very large portion il
destroyed. They also caused an explosion
in one of their depots, by which severa
hundreds of the citizens had been killed.
Thus augrily departed the cruel spirit o
secession from the city where, four year
ago, it's advent Was celebrated by hnzsai
and ringing Of BELLS ..i 4, l-
1t will be very Interesting tolearn1 wher
the details of Sherman's march arrive
what effect the presence of his army has
had in State where slsveEyahas STAINED
8 growth uuequalled in any part of thu
Union. When the official census was t&-
ken in 1860 there were more slaves thai
freemen in South Carolina, the numbe
, being respectively 4O7, 1875 and 3Os, 1876
The liberation Of the slaves will take thI
welt out of the existing fabric Of society
and preparefor its reoonstruction with Ell
, ements wholly sound aud free, AT thi
serious moment, when Mr.. Benjamin ant
, Gen. Lee declare that the Contsderscy cal
only be saved by the aid of the long de
, spised negro, thet Charleston Mercury de
nounces the fresiug Of slaves, and has tn
: Ak,k n.