The occupation of the Montgomery and West Point railroad by the Yankees is no doubt felt as a serious inconvenience by General Hood. Yet we are disposed to think the importance of the blow greatly over-estimated both by our own people and the Yankees themselves. So far from starving Hood out, and leading to the capture of Atlanta, it will not even interrupt his communication with Montgomery, if the railroad presidents in that country be as active and energetic as they have proved themselves to be in this.
From East Point — about three miles beyond which the Yankees now are — to West Point is eighty-one miles. From West Point to Opelika, where the Muskogee railroad strikes the Montgomery and West Point railroad--the latter being continuous with the Atlanta and West Point railroad--the distance, we should judge, is about fifteen miles. At any rate, it is hard upon one hundred miles from the junction of the Muskogee to Fairburn or East Point. Sherman's army must be very long indeed if they can reach thus far, and unless they can, he cannot prevent the trains which have hitherto run from Montgomery to Atlanta from communicating through the Muskogee railroad with the Macon railroad, and thus with Atlanta. The way is round- about, but it is perfectly practicable. Even if the Macon railroad be taken, fortified and held by the Yankees, there is still communication through the Muskogee, Southwestern, Central Georgia, Savannah and Augusta, and the Great Georgia and South Carolina railroad, which ends at Charleston, with Montgomery and all the country with which Montgomery is in any way connected. General Hood, in a word, is still in communication with all the country he was in communication with before this last movement of Sherman; and if it was intended to cut him off from his supplies, it is a failure. We rather think, however, it was designed to shut him up in Atlanta, or to open communication with Mobile. He has completely exposed his flank to Hood by this movement, and thereby, we suspect, rendered his own position a very dangerous one. Hood, we feel satisfied, will not allow him to retain it many days undisturbed.
