ulers, the
genius of the commanders, the stoicism of the soldiers, and above all,
the justness of our cause and the helping hand of the Omnipotent, that
influenced the women of the South to bear and endure the insults of
the Federal soldiers, and view with unconcern the ruin of their homes
and the desecration of their country. From the standpoint of the
present, this would have been the only possible plan whereby any hopes
of ultimate success were possible. But to the people of this day and
time, the accomplishment of such an undertaking with the forces and
obstacles to be overcome looks rather far-fetched, especially when we
reflect that Johnston, with fifty or sixty thousand of the best troops
in the service, had failed to check Sherman among the mountain passes
of North Georgia, or even to prevent his successful advance to the
very walls of Atlanta. That General Beauregard, with his handful of
regular troops and a contingent of boys and old men, could accomplish
what General Johnston, with a well equipped army of veterans, failed
in, was simply a blind faith in the occult influence of Providence.

But it seems as if the department at Richmond had lost its head, and
had no settled policy. Telegrams were being continually sent to the
Generals in the field to "Crush the enemy," "You must fight a great
battle," "Either destroy him or so cripple his efforts to reach Grant,
that reinforcements would be taken from Lee's front," "Why don't you
fight?" etc. These were the encouraging messages Generals Beauregard
and Hardee were receiving, but where were the troops to accomplish
such work? Generals from every direction were calling for aid--to be
reinforced, or that the enemy was making advances, without means to
stop him. The answer to all these calls were the same, in substance
at least, as that given by Napoleon to the request of Ney of Waterloo,
when that marshal called upon the Emperor for reinforcements, "Where
does he expect me to get them? Make them?" It seems that the people,
with the exception of the privates in the field and the women and
children at home, had become panic stricken.

On the 3rd of February General Sherman began crossing the
Saltkahatchie at places between Broxton's and Rivers' Bridges (and
above the latter), and was moving by easy stages in the direction
of Branchville. It was not conclusively known whether Sherman, on
reaching that place, would turn towards Augusta or in the direction of
Charlest