The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-05-18
War In the SOuth..Efects of Railroads
and Steam.

"
One of the deusions OF the Southern mind
is that war can be protracted and a brave and
independent people defend themselves against
superior forces. In the present state Of civili
Zation and of the science of war, this is
great delasion War is not conducted now as
il was in any other country or any other period
of the world. Steam and railroads have changed
everything. The game of Switzerland, or
Greece, or Spain, or Ta,tary, or of our own
country in the Revolution, cannot be played
over again. Guerrilla warfare is no longer of
any use except as mere annoyOnce. This
country has no great mountain chains 10 hide
Schamyl, nor any vast plains to roam over. 1t
is a commercial country, accessible in every part
and in which possession of the commercial cities
and the main lines of transportation is the ac-
tual possession Of the country
Roaming parties Of troops in the hills and
villages are of no effective service against
body holding a city, with all the steam lines
leading into it. The possession of Baltimore,
FOR example, is the actual possession of Mary
land. The possession of Richmond, Norfolk,
and Lynchburg, is the actual possession of East
ern Virginia. Lynchburg is the center of all
James River navigation and the great Valley
Railroad through Virginia and Tennessee. The
seizure Of these points wonld paralyze the entire
central South, aud cut off all Southern commu-
nication from tie Chesapeake to Nashville. In
the same manner, Wilmington, and one interior
point, are all that is necessary to hold from
Richmond to Charleston and Augusta. The
great railroad centers in the South are Rich
mond, Lynchburg, Wilmington, Charleston, Sa-
vannab, and Montgomery. These lie in such a
direction, and with such facilities OF commune
cation, as renders their capture easy when su-
perior force is brought to bear upon them; and
moderate garrisons with movable army in the
field. are sufficient to hold them. 1t may be
supposed that the railroad lines may be destroy
ed, as We hear of the tracks torn up on the Bal
timore road. This is only true, while they re-
main in possession OF the companies; but when
| the military power takes possession, they are
very easily guarded. Less than a thousand men
will hold the railroad from Acquia Greek to Pc.
tersburg, Richmond being garrisoned. BY ta-
king possession of the commercial points, and
the erailroads-guerrilla war is useless, and the
boosted independence Of the people worth no.
thing "Dyay III tie last ditch" is a famous
phrase; but there are very few people in the
world to do 1t, when they have anything else to
do. The habits which Slavery has engendered,
| and the enervation Of climate and the gross ig.
| norance which pervades large part of the
Southern people, have not taken away their spr
| it or bravery. We give them full credit for
both But these influences deprive them of the
endurance necessary for disciplined warfare, and
the resources necessary to continue it on an ex-
tensive SCALE To imagine that spirit and brave.
| ry are all that is necessary to carry on a war
| against overwhelming forces, with all the arts
which the science OF war creates, is great mis-.
take-one of many mistakes from which the
South is fast awakening.
We are now on the verge Of testing the sci
ence of war, carried into the cities of the South
1t is still possible to avoid it, by the rebels re
turning to their allegiance and country. viii
| they commit another blunder greater than that
of firing ON Fort Sumter? On the 4th OF March
the President of the United States declared il
was his duty and purpose to retake tie forts ana
property of the Government. 1t was as well
known then as to-day. notwithstanding this
the rebels deliberately fired on tie flag Of III
country. without provocation, and courted tht
destruction which, if they do ,.ot return to thei
allegiance, must be their late. Will they choose
to fall on the edge of the sword, by resisting tht
Government in its lawful undertaking to posses.
its own property and it's own iortresses? If the!
do, the choice, like that at Fort sumter, IS N.ei
o,ra. They will have chosen Their fate, and tn,
world will have no sympathies for them.
| Cincinnati Gazette.