The New York Herald Newspaper, December 27, 1864, Page 8

8 NEW YORK HERALD, TUEZQAY, DEUBRMBER 27, 1864. ——— eee, = rnd > ee Letter from Genera! Kilpatrichs. fe letter has jest been ressived by Mre. 5 , &t West Point, 5. Y., mother-in law of General Kiligatricn. Sbe also received the battle fag of qavalry,ande sili rebel pocket handkerebief eap Qt Ube pack og of Atlanta. The trophies can be seen Qhe Window of Tiffany & Co — ‘Bxavquanrags, Cavatay Commann, Two amp 4 Hatt Mums vaom arvana | “ °F Dec 10, 1064. be Peet Pe Rave bad Lge 4 bard battles, but rong lar nertog nd ser te ray aa Kilpatridk’s cavalry, sherman’ ‘Willie is well, Geodby, dear mother. “+ BILL” REBEL ACCOUNTS. ER RUMORED EVACUATION OF SAVANNAH. {From the Richmosa Dispatch, Dec 24.) ‘1B wee reported on yenterday that Savannah bad been ‘@veeusted, and that Sherman hed taken possession, We ‘eeuld obtain no confirmation of this report at the war theo. THB REYABAT ALL FOR THE BEST OF COURSE, [From the Richmond Sentinel, Dec. 24.) NS was reported last evening that Savannah bed Deen evacuated; the report, however, was mot coo- ‘Qrmed. We dave great confidence im our generals, and @ ney believe it will be more advantageous lo the cause to Macuate Savannah, and concenirale our forces af some @iher point, we must submit to their better judgment. RFORTS OF HIS ADVANOB, HIS OBJROT, AXD THE @REAT CHANCES OP HIS DEFEAT. #New York (Nov. 22) correspondence of London Post, ‘The most absorbing topic bas beep, and still is, the jn. festions and whereabouts of Geveral Sherman. He has Passed out of the region of telegraph and railroad com- ‘Munication with the North, and the only information we feceive from him comes through Southern sources. ‘There seems to exiet no longer any doubt that be has torn ‘up the Atianta and Chattampoga Railroad, boldly cut bim- self off from all connection with his base, and plunged Beadiong into the heart of Georgia, depending entirely upom tbe force he has with him and tho weak- of the country through which he designs to ie aim is, beyond all question, to secure a pesition upon the seaboard, where be may receive roinforcements and wepplies at leisure, and, having there established bis — —— further operations next spriog or dur- winter. 4 is Bot known for what point his course is directed— ‘whetber he bas selected Savannah or Charleston as bis dase, or whether be aims first at Selma, Alabama, and afterwards at Mobile. It is perhaps more reasonable t& Guppore that he will prefer the latter, being induced there te, no doubt, by the refusal of the Alabama Legislature, ‘wren summoued by Governor Watts, to make any pro- ‘vision for the public defence—a refusal which the North on have not been slow to interpret as @ desire on fhe part of that State to return to the Union. It may be, Dowever, that be thinks it will redound more to hie ad- vantage to seize Augusta, the importauce of which bas Been grossly over estimated, and thence march against Gearleston, which; with the advantage of a water base ‘would allow free communication with all the ‘United States. From Charleston he can and to Grant—who, he hopes, will by that sion of Richnopd—in eperations against Wilming the rgeult of which, he supposes, will entirely shut Gat the Céatederates irom the sea. ‘The federa! papers, several weeks go, announced the mina\ioo te iransfer the winter campaign to the cotton a would seem, is the prelimi- mary mowment Whichever of the two move- mente Sherman bas ip view, it is evident that he enlculates largely wpon the wealmess of the country h which be designa to march, or sts the In both calculations J am induced, with et reason, to believe that be will be greatly mistaken will be the fault of the people inbabiting those coun M hie army be wot utterly destroyed long before it Bball bave reached either Mobile, Savannah or Chariestov. The marches Sherman will be compelled to make in “erder to reach the several stages of bis journey are Ee ‘must carry the larger portion bis supplies with him. From Atlanta to Macon, the capital of Georgie—the ret stago—it ie more than oue hundred miles, and here ‘Were ie understood te be & strong garrison defending powerful works, From Macon to Augusta, one hundred and seventy malles further, there is a Yee Bin ooo of whieh ‘Batil the portion brokeo down can be From Augusta to Savannah the distance is about ove andrea and thirty.two miles; and at Savaneab, what ever calculations y Bow make, he wili be pretty @orta‘n to meet wilt subborn resistance. Here, thea, over four huodred miles, through x with jazines, oF "these 09 ‘oiten fan te’ be at to bave them close is his “A ae , a bave once Savannah, Bubdn ‘rigon, a laken possession, may (ben Shink of Charleston. one hundred males furiher worgh. If BRerman cin do all this with the force he Bas at com- £4 mee, thea be is @ much greater com- than be bas Beretofore sbown bimseif to be, and Georgians area much tamer people than they have qredit for being. Another very popular opinion is that Shermap’s object f to reach Yeimsa, Alabama, aud possess bimself of Hood's or Beauregard s commusications, in the hope of cutting @f and capturing the quarter part ef the Confederate army. This is vory improbable, Selma is on Alabama river, about fifty miles west of igomery, the capital of the State. Before werching the former be must first pass through Mont y, and if be moans to operate from Selma be must don Georgia altogether. To subsist bis army ai Belms, or between that piace and Montgomery most commut ications with Mobile, and draw supplies that place by way of the Alabama river. That ‘would be bardly practicable, since river communication @annot be relied on ip that region. The Confederates can elose the Alabama river as readily as they did the Ten. Besece, and refore Sherman's safety will depend ebiefly on his ability to take possession of the Mobile and ‘Ohio Railroad, and draw supplies from the seaboard by bat route, To do this must march into Mis Wiesippi and octupy Meridian, acd as that point ts fBome eighty miles west of Selma, and two hun ‘ired Bad thirty miles southwest of Atianta, the possibility of @dtaiving avy supplies from the formergplace wiil at once de perce'ved. To present the matter briefly, it is suticient fo Bry tbat, if Sberman is aiming at Seluma, be must con Soue bis march to Meridian, Mississipp), or go south to Mobile. He ecavnet subsist his army either at Selina or Moatgomery. Viewing any of these movements—whether ‘Charleston, or Mobile or Seima—bowe ver succecsful y may be im point of conquest, one cannot see how the contemplated campaign is to advance the design of subju- gation. it may serve as an additional al Rrovle but it must be as destitute of rea destitute of power to wound the air th sen. It leaves absolutely open the entire country io rear, from Chattanooga to the Gulf, wherever the federal army is not for the time encamped. SHERMAN THY NAPOLEON OP THE DAY—THS LOXDOR TixSs? ARGUMENTS FOR 18 DEFRAT. i the London Times, Dec. 7) * © © The movement seems, so (ar as we ean judge from very imperfect iformation, to resemble the cele: Brated march of Napoleon in 1814 to St. Licier, by which Be threw himself upon the comnunica'ons @rmées, then s@vancing upon laris, and wonld, @xcopt for ihe intervention of , ®ompelied their retreat at the very moment when the Object Of al! their labors seemed Lo be within their grasp Jp ihe same way Shorman, instead of secing in . Bion of Hood a necessity to fall back upon bi Dare of operations, bes read it as an invitation to a Rew ono, and, instead of falling back on Tennessee and Kentucky io the northwest, be has turned bis face towards the Atiantic, and ts marching in a southeasterly @irection. There i¢® remarkable consent of opinion, probably esting on eure though uoavowed information, that the Object of the General 1s principally, perhaps, to destroy Which connect the Eastern with the Western of the federation, and then, dividing bis army fato two parts, to attack’ with one the town of Augusta, Situated ov the savannab river, and the seat of the prin. | powder manufactory of the Sopth, and with the rt advance to the mouth of the river and capture city of Savennab itsol!, which, although it was takeo By the Eoglied ia the former revolutionary war, bas as defied ail the efforts of the North to take it by sea, If this enterprise be brought to a successful termina- eet ehe Sherman will widoubledly be emiviied to the of having added a freth chapter to the theory and ice of modern warfare. Ins\a0ces, no doubt, have curred where @ bold gen ome insuperable difficulty or the seduction « Bistibie temptation, haw a @perations, and undertaken a long and toilsome march io ‘Bearch of another base. it history al records very imstanoes tudecd where opera of this kind we been crowned with success. attempt has geversiiy been made in the hope of raising » y disatiected to ite existing government, and With the pros,ect of almost eutite security if the imt Bought for can once be reached. General beither of these cunditions in bis favor; the country io which be phunges is entirely bostile to him; he can @eunt on no information or assistance Of any kind, but look, on the other band, for every opposition that @B0 powsidiy be of ered to his advance 8 people whose misience 18 Vaked on te alterwative of his furlure OF at @crem. The country through which be ie te penetrate ie Sot filed with inrge towns er populous villages; it Ie, ao- @ording to Englis! inhavited, and ‘Were is no reason to Buppore toni it: ‘@ny of the CHRISTMAS GIFT. | The Oapture of Savannah~--Soene of Sherman’s Present Operationz«--The Route of Hlardee’s Retreat. ~ SHERMAN’ mLADEONS TOWN EOENZZER Rn ae PRINGFIELD y= a, < Hi F ti tit i i a Flt ‘ > it ie pokey wh 0 wasted town ia fret, and am enemy round in his rear, We do not say that ea of when we hpre erp aa SAID IN oes ‘From the Liverpoo! Cour! .] Tho Sealers landers’ bee apparently aealiaa the it of Sherman's before took and they are the boldest imaginable. Capturi be was to move eastward to Milledgeville, there, giving ® brief rest to bis army, be would divide it, send one division to attack. Savannah at the mouth of Fiver, and the other to attempt the tm: a ef Auguste, ‘ibe port of Savanpan bas for jeral gun! The lose of Au, usta would be cuen more serious than the Knowing how great a prise Ai ould be to the enemy, the Confederates have ney oe i Stak iret They Paar they » ili use inst ox! 7. , and wkee there was no thought of war, vp massive embankmeut above the city te collest the wa ee oie E adh yyy pe adore aud by its power the a! Augaste are wor! tm this emb«<sEment would cover the district round the city with a rushing flood of surging water, This is ihq@ last defenve. But even if Augusta should fall, the Southerners de nog despair. Already they point out thet nearly ainety yearm ago the British captured the place, and held the whole of Georgia. but only fora time. The British, after a succes> sion Of comquests, were forced at last to retire, Georgia recovered her independence within a year. Bu® the success of Sherman’s plans, or their disastrous failut @e.ends upoa events which cannot be foreseen. , militia of Georgia numbers seventy-five thousand men, and if the people are as reslute now as they bat hitherto showed themselves to be, Sherman will be op- jog by at lest one hundred and fifty thousand men.’ breaking of the railway viaa: the destruction of a H ppese army of Gity thuusaod men to march through their couns try, and seize their most important (ortresa, without adey quate preparations to oppose them. AS We S«id some time since, the positions of the North erp apd seuthern armics «re reversed, the first southward, the otber northward. Keatuoky and len- Bessee are invaded by two Confederate armies, whtie- her, and this Dew assault is only designed to preveat feom sending auxiliaries: Georgia. On the fate or { tame of Shermun depend issue of = cam: SHERIDAN. |The Reported Capture of Gor4- REBEL ACCOUNTS. The Cavairy Adva: ia Virginia. @UR CAVALRY FORCES AT MADISON COURT HOUSE O8 THs 21st. (From the Richmond Dispatch, Dec. 23.] ' ‘The Yankee columa, which we stated yesterday ag - moving against Gordonsville, bas made but listic Prog,- grees, The advanced guard, as‘it was supposed to be, @onsisting of a thousand or fifteen hundred cavalry, Aj reached Madi on Ooirt House, fifteen miles from Gory donsviile, on Wedmesday. The main body, tm(uatry and cavalry, were reported to be coming During yesterday the cavalry advanced three or fous mailes ja the direction of Gordonsville, and at lass secoanta » @ar troops were skirmishing with them. It was reported@, at Gordoasville that the enemy’s objective poimt was not Gordonsville, but Charlottesvil:e. The enemy has already made two unsuccessful at., tempts on Charlottesville, and this is destined to add to the number of their failures. The Central trains are run Blog on their usual time, It is reported that Rosser basi. drives the enem- (ack d wn tne valley. ‘There was no news from the ¥ ukee raiders jo Souths ‘westero Virginia yesterday. The storm of Wedo must increase ¢.¢ Mouities in the way of the escape the enemy. . THB UNION FORCES NEAR GORDONSVILLE. {trom the Richmond Whig, Dec. 23.) 1 Official information was received last night that fights img was io progress at Jack’s Shop, above Gordonsville, yeaterday afternoon, At last accounts the rakiers bad. Deen successfully resisted. We learn that Generals Tor< Dert and Powell are in command of the Yankees. Their force 1 estimated at six thousand. . LOMAX’S CAVALRY DRIVEN BACK ON GORDONSVILLE, [From the Richmond Examinor, Dec. 24.) By the arrival from Staunton yesterday of a gentle- man, gent of the city, engaged in purchasing suppiles, we are furnished with an joteliigent statement of recent.. affairs in that quarter, ; On Wednesday the enemy’s force advanced up the valley as far as Sparta, and were met at a point between Sparta and Harrisonburg by General Rosaer’s cavairy. Toe enemy, after a sharp contest, fell back, leaving some prisoners in Rosser’s hands andjtheif dead and wounded epon the field, Their force, cavalry and artillery, was @otimated at between fifteca hundred and two thousand mo On Thursday another colama appeared st Jack's Shop, «ven and a half miles from Gordonsville, where they were attacked by General Lomax with Dis cavalry, When the train left for Richmond (at one o'clock in the afternoon) he was hold- fog them ig chook and failing slowly back on Gerdonsvilles, ‘The scene of the fightin; was ata point cast of Gordons- ville, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, There wap a rumor that the enemy’s f divided at Jack’s Shop, @ body going off in the direction of Charlotesville. If Gordonsville was not menaced until yesterdey morn~ rely safe by the disposition roment storew + Gordonsville, and the utmost iy the event of reaching the place, would be to burn the go daildings, perbaps break the track and switches, and gallop offout of danger, Keports of the capture of were rife yesterday; bub they were idle myths. @O"DONSVILLE PROBABLY OCCUPIED. {From the Richmond Whig, Dec. 24.) ‘The telegraph operator at Gordonsville reported thie. morning that ke was about to withdraw from that place, as our forces bad (alien back aud the Yankees were ad- vanol The probabilities are that Gordonsville has beers the enemy, but we have the satisfaction of know t before they are many hours older they wilh: ‘wish they had remained at home, G@bNERAL LER’S REPORT ON THR SUBIROT. Haavquarrans, Amy None 23, 1060” f A. BEDpon: Hon, J. A. —— General reported one division of the» eure ore wale deasreh Custer, coming up the: valley, an ivisions, under General torbert, ‘movin, through Chester Gap, with four pieces of artillery ine ihe'a2d Rosser attacked Custer’s division, nine. miles from Harrisonburg, and drove it back, capturing: prisoners. a morning Torbert attacked Lomax near Gordonsville, . repulsed end severely punished. He fe retiring, +] tomas propariog wo a, ‘RB. EB. LEB. —_—_—_—_—_—————— = MESCELLANEOUS. GOsT PRICE FOR THIATY DAYS ONLY—FIRGP Aa coc ase ee fa Ba. et frost cles suitable f Heli te Poker ty lie 10 roads which he comes to destroy bave rendered almost i oecorsary other lines ot communication r or crt ; 5 form the least iden of | attacked, with the single exception of New Orleans, the | few delay before Macon of Auguste, or before any Bn 1ULLes Bisiony Simbered and intersected witt 4 to the iohabitants of Georgia, that they wit tb on foe erspint mot reatelason, ether trom reguiar troops: or | conoderacy has been proved to bave an exceedingly bard or the dasural obstacles which mast be encountered in @ rg toornn eriTUTs, THIS EVERING, fag = Be pe to anticipate bim. There are no roads | hastily levied militia, which be Bas to expect. We can more resembling ibe armor of « tortoise | marob through « wild and treckless country of between ne Tcorton. a Ry aod bis reliance fer Caoility of | only rensen frome parallel cases. The assumption of the im Covering of aneve. Butihis proot of one- | three and four bandred miles, would sui rr) ‘RUCTI Fy ° Ws said to be On the sandy nature of the soil, | Nortd seems to be=to ase their own simile—that the Mirection of a ving! 'y speedily, and will not, | 80 to permanentiy affected by wh or driving away everrtbing that might ate | the aay expect at this advanced bit Subsisionce, Els Orders are to devartate and lay period of the year, We are 00+ informed . And 1s i rensdnsbie to ayppore, Without ayiribur peiher General vb: oane ood, possensed of much better information, up wit! phor ean DY no meane be taken 40 @¥iAviieh | Bhorman onder circurmetances which munt almovt neces: said that in his invasion of Georgia General | sarily place the Inter betwoon two fires. The woret of an left ren bim in the corthweat General re ete ot yoo Serereal ay Cony Hood, who, it is Datural to suppose, will not be siow to | for the ohaptor y poten! min the footateps of bie retreating Aniaconia A} mar and ‘hap the slightest aug mosh uaiaer sees pene Experience has givea us more proof of the truth of it than of the second of these assumptions. Sharman wakeo with im bis heavy | Thare je Bo doubt that op whatever side it hes been | follow in a z bj i 2 & A «