Natchitoches union. [volume] ([Natchitoches, La.]) 1859-1864, 1862-10-23
TO THE PLANTERS ON RED
AND OUACHITA RIVERS.


your brethren on the Mississippi taught
You nothing, or arc you determined
to be lnlled by the Siren song Of fan
cied security, until your houses are in
flames, your property destroyed and
your wives and children driven to the
swamps as q refuge from the mcrci-
less ioe who are even now cxulting in
the prospective destruction of every
tillng yon hold most dear2 Awake from
your delusion! Don't imagine for op
moment, that Red River will fare any
better than the Mississippi, for just
as sure as the time is fast approaching
when the water will pcranit the ad
vent Of gnnboats, 50 sure is it that they
will make their appe arance and enact
over again the traesic scenes which al
ready have dts.jlatcd the Mississippi
and turned a, fruitful land into howl.
ing wildep@ess Can the Notifications
OF VckstDurg, backed by the heroic
bravery Of their undauntud defenders.
prevent the passage Of the iron clad
boats which our enemy cxultinglv tells
us are being fitted out expressly for
the invasion of Red River and other
southern streams Il. The experience of
the past annihiatcs all such hopes.
What does i signify whether trans
ports can pass on not? What defence
have we against iron clad gunboats,
which can each carry men enough to
pcrpetrato their hellish designs and
whe can and will draw their subsist
cnce from the River planters, as they
are now doing from the plantations on
tile Mississippi n ".
But is it at all certain that trans
ports cannot pass Vicksburg7 Where
is the canal cut by the yankees across
the bendy Have any efforts been made
to fill it up? Is it not understood
that unless timely measures are taken
to prevent it. the current Of the river
will make its way through this channel
as soon as the water is high enough,
and that the lcftncbs Of Vicksburg
will be thus turned anil rendered use
less? Isl4
But VIC laTa Poft ITadson, and that
point, at least, is said to be imprcg-
nabc--so was Fort jackson. It' is.
sckcning to reflect a. the disasters
which such false security have, in the
course Of few short months, cntailed
on large and wealthy portion Of the
State. But admitting that Port Hud-
son is able to effect every thing which
our military commanders expect from
1t, yet, how is that to prevent the inva-
sion of Red, 0uachita and Black Rivers?
Inc danger is not from below, but
from above. 1t is in the western rivers
that the gunboats arc being built and |
are even now ready for the invasion of
cur country. So far as Red River is |
concerned, the cannon Of Port Hudson
might as well be on the top of the,
Rocky Mountains. Doubtless, they are
calculated to do good service III stop
ping the yankees from ascending the
Mississippi, but utterly ascIess against
a descending fleet, destined for Red
River and its tributaries. Again, on
the supposition that Vicksburg cannot
be passed, cannot boats from New Or
leans penetrate through the Ttche and
Atchafalaya What measures have
been taken to prevent this? I
1t will be. said that this is a gloomy pic
tnrc. 1t is SO, but it is a true one
and this is Just the time when we
ought to know the whole truth and
rouse UP every latent energy to the
defence OF our homes. The time for
talking has long since passed. Three
mnonths,have been passed in doubts and
surmises, it is almost too late to act,
but late as it j., let us do some
thing He have a general whom Lcui.
slana ought to be proud of-let us Law
before him feasible plan to raft the |