The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-11-14
Ailhmono Dispatfb.


AtlnjNU w taPdu
TMuksbAY MORNING. ..Nov. ~ ,s'.
Tag fxvAssos rkoA EAsrARs Kksrrcki.s
Il has ben spparsn.. ior psny month";, and rs
ohvioss nsw, that tise enemy 10 making of-
mldsAle demonstration towards Eatt TNA'les.
sev lfum Eastern Kentucky, sOrcprespond.
euce from Ms4well county. III Southwestern
virgiaia, which we puhlisked yesterday, ss,s
down the column operating against Col VII
iisms It 10000 strong aud it was believed
thar the force before General Zollicosisr, from
which that General has been obligcdto retreat
npon Cumberland Gap. IL probably twice ne
large Al the sam. time that We hear Of there
,r~s, Of Colonel Williams upon Pound Gap.
We hear spprehensions expressed for the safe
~ of General Zoliiecfler, ut Cumberland Gap.
The object OF the enemy in pushing forward
,i,eSa columns il probably threshold. The chief
purpose. doubtless, is To bring into its own
population in East Tennessee, which have
been corrupsedhy the clamor of Andy johnson.
Maynard, Brownlow, and Trigg. The next oh.
Ject Of the enemy ia, probably. 10 get posses
sion Of the salt works in the Western corner
oil Smyth CO., where half million of bushels
Of sai. year arc now manufactured. And
lsst, hat not least, the enemy aims at the pos
session Of a portion OF the Virginia and Ten
nessee railroad, 20 az to cut our direct COM
munication, from the Seat Of Government,
with Nashville, Memphis, and our armies in
Western Kentucky. The clandes,ine burning
Of bridges. at concerted period, in Eastern
Tennessee; proves the eDemy's designs upou
this important highway Of transportation and
travel
Il is very plain that, however our own
Government may depreciate the importance
Of thess designs of the enemy, the enemy
himself is pushing them forward with his nc
customsd enterprise and perseverance. 1t
looks now as if the old tactics are to be re
peated We are to sit still until the country
iAoccupied unit! the enemy has entered taken
possession, and made himself at home; and
then we are to wake up to the fact that some
thing must be done In military tactics, no
less than in medical economy, does the maxim
worth pound of cure. 1t is not yet too late
10 bring this maxim into play. A few regi-
pents, and a moderate supply Of arms, sinmu-
milton, and artillery properly bat Immediately
distributed at commanding points in South
western Virginia, Eastern Tennessee, and
along The chief approaches from Kentucky,
will do more now than great army could Ell
fect il once the enemy gets into that region OF
country.
Southwestern Virginia IS intrinsically very
important to the Southern cause. She has
sent very large quota Of Der young men into
the Confederate Army. Her Population are
true; and wa have an earnest of what it is
disposed to do IN the announcement from
Tazew ell. which We published yesterday, that
General Bowen, of that county, was bring
ting his Brigade of Militia into the field ~ meet
the enemy in the passes OF the Cumberland
Mountain That is The temper OF the people
in all the counties Of that region, nmytn,
Wythe, Washington, Russell, Lee, Scott, " Use,
Buchanan, and Tazeweu. They lack arms
and ammunition, but they do not hack the dis
position to fight the enemies of Virginia, or TO
NEE, and drive back the minions OF Lincoln
They may iack skill with artillery, bat they
are masters of the rifle, and know how to
make that instrument speak n language before
which the stoutest invader must recoil. No
Government can afford 20 let such population
AS this be oyerrun, or 10 lose a district from
which 30 many Of its best soldiers are supplied.
IntrinsicalIy important AS Southwestern Vir-
ginia is to the Government, from the qualities
of its people, 1t il even more impo rtant from
lite geographical position. If that country be
given up. and East Tennessee be in eonse-
quence lost, the Empire OF the South lie cut in
twain. and we become a fragmentary organi-
xa.ion, fighting in scattered and segregated To-
calties for q cause which can no longer boast
the important attribute of geographical unity.
We are glad 10 believe that the Governments
is fully impressed with these views, and that
orders have already been issued to meet the
emergency OF the case. A strong demonstra-
ton in the threatened quarter would overawe
the enemy, and keep him at bay behind
tho rocky rampant of the Cumberland
ridge of the Alleghanies. II lie knows
that the whole Secession population of the
counties Of Southwestern Virginia are armed.
provided with ammunition and artillery, await.
Ing bis approach and that several Confederate
regiments are guarding the passes of the
mountains and the line Of the railroad, he will
not dare TO show his face on the Eastern slope
of tho Cumberland barrier. even if he
should have the temerity to attempt to force
the passes.