Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1862-03-14
THE SITUATION

THE SITUATION.
Since the opening of the new year each sue
ceeding week has added new victories to the
Union forces. and with the single exception
Of the naval engagement on Saturday at For
tress Monroe, has been barren Of victories to
the rebels. And this last was lost to them
by the timely arrival Of the iron-clad gunboat
Monitor which drove back the rebel vessels
in to the harbor at Norfolk The capture Of
Fort Donelson. and the advance Of the Union
troops on Nashville broke the line Of rebel
defenses on the North, compelling the evacu-
alton of Bowling Green. leaving Kentucky
with but single point--Columbus- in the oc-
cupancy Of the rebel. But this stronghold,
fortified with so much cost Of time and money
has become Of no account, and is also aban-
doned and the accumulated stores either de-
stroyed or removed to some more tenable
place further South--where is yet unknown
to the Union army, and we doubt if it be de-
cided upon by the rebels. The advance Of
Com. Foote's fleet down the Mississippi river
is thereby no longer obstructed and We shall
probably soon hear Of the thunder of his guns
on the city Of Memphis. There can be but
little, if indeed there is any, opposition to his
passage down the Mississippi river to New
Orleans, and Of the speedy opening of the
navigation of that river.
In the extreme West the work goes brave
ly on. The rebels are able to make no sue
cessful stand against the onward march of
Gen. Curtis into Arkansas. However large
their numbers or however desperately they
fight, the result is the same. Hoping to
make successful resistanne. and turn him
back into Missouri, the combined forces Of
Generals Van Dorm, McCuiloch, Price and
Mcintosh met him in Western Arkansas,
and, after three days of hard fighting. were
defeated and dispersed, if not completely an
initiated as an army. The rebel army in
Missouri and Arkansas are now as good as
wiped out. It can never again rally to make
head against the Union forces, but will either
dispense to their homes, or in struggling part
les find their way to the remnants of the
rebel army along the Mississippi river. either
at Memphis or at some other point where
they may be driven by the advancing Union
armies. The campaign in the West may then
be considered as virtually closed, the clean
ing out of the few rebel squads that remain
scattered through Missouri and Arkansas be-
ing but tritiing work in mparison to what
has already been accomplished.
The continued retreat of the rebels before
the advance of Gen. Buell. from Nashville and
the panic that has everywhere seized both
their armies and the people, is indicative of
the weakness of their cause in Tennessee.
Gov. Harris is unable to collect his rebel leg
islature at Memphis, whittier he fed on the
the approach Of Gen. Buell., and everything
promises speedy return of the State to the
Union.
Gen. Banks, on the Upper Potomac is
pushing forward from Harper's Ferry, and is
occupying positions recently held by the reb-
els, they, in every case, making precipitate
retreats
Gen. Mcclellan has at last broke the long
inactivity of the army on the Potomac, and
to-day our advance is in possession of Man
assas with the lines extending beyond Man
assas Junction. The rebels abandoned their
stronghold, and have made precipitate re-
treat towards Richmond Whether they
will attempt to make stand before reaching
that place we of course cannot say, but once
forced from their entertainments, there is no
chance for successful resistance until they
can again succeed in hiding behind other forth
fcations. The fact Of their being obliged to
abandon their much Wanted stronghold at
Manassas, will Of itself dishearten and dis
courage the hitherto Responding hopes Of the
rebel army, and we doubt il they again at
tempt to make a stand until they shall have
retreated within the limits of the seven orig
inal seceeding States. Richmond is the only
place where a successful attempt to make a
stand could be made, and even here they are
exposed to an attack in the front by Gen, Nc
Clelan, and on either side and in the rear by
Gen. Banks, Gen. Wool from Fortress Mon
roe, and Gen. Burnside from North Carolina.
The seat of the rebel government is fast be-
coming too hot TO be tenabe. Unless speedi-
ly abandoned, it will be surrounded by the
Union armies on all sides and the ringleaders
fall into our hands. JEFF. Davis is undoubt-
eddy fully aware of the danger in which he is
placed, as was plainly indicated in his me,-
sage to the rebel Congress, and will at once
adopt the policy then foreshadowed of re-
treating to the cotton states, in the hope that
our armies will be unable to pursue his fight,
or if hey did that the heat Of summer would
prove disasterous to them, and they would
be obliged to abandon the seige. Before that
time shall come, however we hope to see the
rebellion completely crushed out.
The naval affair at Fortress Mouroe is now
said to be of no comparative significance, the
rebels having been driven back, and, accord
ing to the opinion of naval officers, came out
second best. 1t was more of defeat than a
success to them, it having been demonstrated |
that their iron-cad monster had met her
match in the Ericsson gunboat Monitor
With two or three more such boats as the |
Monitor, not only the rebel vessels at Nor |