Indiana State sentinel., 1862-11-03
Admiral Porter's Mississippi River
FIotilIa and It's Objects.

GACeptlIS the unsllenceu feoel IOFtlHcatlOnS
and batteries at Vicksburg. the Mississippi river,
since May last, has been reopened to our com
merce from the mouth OF the Ohio to the Gulf of
Mexico. Vicksburg, however, has continued and
remains barrier which only vessels of war
have been able to pass; and the running the
gauntlet of these enflading rebel batteries for
mile or two is dangerous adventure, even for
vessel of war unprovided with heavy coat
Of iron mail.
In addition to these rebel works at Vicks-
burg, the banks Of the river, above and below,
are infested with guerrillas, lying in wait for un-
armed commercial steamers. The consequences
are that while between Cairo and New Orleans
there is no tade whatever, all the intermediate
communications, from point to point along the
river, are seriously interrupted.
General Butler, at New Orleans with a consid.
erable army and thousands OF African contra
bands, and perhaps full one third of the white
population Of New Orleans 20 feed. is necessarily
subjected to many annoying extortions, nconve-
nlences and embarrassments. He sees, for in
stance, that.while, even under a military order,
he can not reduce the price Of -four in New Or
leans below ten dollars the barrel, il is selling i'm
st. Louis for less than five. and with An unob-
structed river, could be delivered TO him at six
dollars. And so with beef, pork aud all the
other articles of subsistence He is paying twice
or thrice the prices at which he could purchase
them with an open river way 10 Cairo. Nor is
tins all. While the rebels blockade the river at
Vicksburg they are enabled at that point to bring
from Texas large amounts of supplies for the
rebel armies in Mississippi and Alabama.
The Government fully apprised of all these
disadvantages to us and the advantages to the
enemy from this state of things, has resolved to
put end 10 it. Accordingly Admiral David
d. Porter has been appointed to the supreme
command OF our iron-cad gunboats, rams, tIsos-
ports, &c. of the Mississippi and with hotilla
OF some sixty vessels OF M descriptions will soon
move down the river 10 cenr away all rebel OBJ
structons, including guerrilas, movable batter
les and the formidable works on the bluffs of
Vicksburg Those works will be the Onl, i'm.
DedimCnls sufficient to delay the progress OF more
than one vessel; but they may battle the whole
squadron unless supported by cooperating land
force. Doubtless. however, when the attack is
made on Vicksburg, such force will be employ
ed. and probably il will he drawn from our armv
of Cornth the splendid fighting soldiers of which
seem to he as indifferent 10 the hottest fire as
salamanders.
The expedition of Admiral Porter, at all
events. like that of the indomitable Farragut 70
New Orleans, is organized and equipped for sue
cess. Its commander belongs 70 salt water
family whose achievements of distinction extend
through half century With the arrival of the
hotilla at New Orleans the river will be com.
pletely reopened TO trade; for Admiral Porter
will have gunboats enough to enable one or more
TO pass every point along the stream from Vicks.
burg TO Cairo once or twice day. Thus the
superabundant provisions OF the Great West will
find hungry market at New Orleans for millions
OF supplies, and thus the mutitudes Of soldiers,
sailors, poor white inhabitants aud contrabands
dependent upon Gen. Butler will be abundantly
supplied TO the saving of millions OF dollars TO
the public treasury.
Equally important. in a military view, will be
the complete separation thus effected between
Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas on the
west from our rehellious States the eastern
side of the Mississippi. The former will thus be
cut off from the chances of being reinforced from
the rebel armies on the eastern side of the river
while the latter will be cut off from their Texas
supplies of -four, corn and cattle.
Finally, with this great enterprise OF Admiral
Porter accomplished. our naval forces. from
Washington down 10 the sea, and thence along
the coast 20 the Balize. and thence up the Missis
sippi and the Ohio TO Parkersburg. in Virgna
will almost completely encirce the rebellion.
The break in the circle between the Ohio and
the Potomac is now disputed by the great army
Of the rebel General Lee We hope, however,
before the expiration OF October. to be able to
report the forcble removal of that army, routed
end broken, hundred miles or two southward.
Anticipating. too, the speedy expulsion OF the re-
bells from Kentucky, we expect, with the re
turn Of the high waters of winter in our cotton
States that our light draught gunboats will be
able to she'll their way into the interior Of every
one of said States. from the Southern seaboard
TO conjunction with our armies from the
North. With the prospects OF this double inva
sion before them. we adhere to the idea that
another Union victory OF two in the field. with
the victorious movement Of Admiral Porters
fleet down the Mississippi, will bring our rebel.
ous cotton States TO the saving alternative of
President Lincolns emancipation proclamation
submission 70 the Union.---N Y. Herald.