The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-18

army from NOrinih. 1 am inclined 60
think il is all that is left Of the rebel
army Of the Western Department after
sending portion of il 10 Richmond, and
placing garrisons at diferent railroad
points and towns in portions Of the coun-
try not yet visited by the Federal army.
The siege Of Vicksburg then Is the result
Of the peaceful evacuation Of Corinth
1t is not a little 20 be wondered at how
ever, that after all the secession Boosting
OF the certain success of the Confederate
arms in all battles to be fought " in the
interior" away from the rivers and the
gunboat influence heretofore brought 10
bear upon them, they should Of choice
rally at such point as this.
II seems to be . pretty well determined
fact that tho naval force now assembled
here cannot eliectually defeat the rebel
army under Gen, Van Dorm. The mortar
fleet can destroy the city, and the gun
boats can silence the batteries erected in
front of and above and below il, but after
all this has been accomplished we have
10000 infantry, artillery and cavalry TO
combat, which in their present cncamp-
ment cannot be reached from the river.
They are safely slowed behind the
high hill upon which Vicksburg is built,
and though our shells may be made TO
drop into their midst, as they are now
located, a change of camp that can be
effected in one day will remove beyond
our range altogether, while they can still
be said to hold Vicksburg.
Our gunboats can raise the blockade at
this point by silencing therebel batteries,
and stationing a few vessels opposite the
city to repel any assaults from infantry
or artillery, hut they cannot make Van
Dnrn's army evacuate or surrender. We
can land QUE infantry force in the town
after destroying it, but unless il is sufli-
cient TO give battle TO the rebels IL can go
no further than the river bank, and can
stay there only under cover of the guns
of the feet.
These circumstances combine TO rem
der it probable that the siege will be a
protracted one. Il will last until large
force from Gen. Halleck's army can be
concentrated here-a force sufficient, il is
hoped, not only to defeat but TO capture
the conscript rebels of whose determine
alton to fight TO the last ditch we. have
| heard so much and seen so little. We
have little to gain from the domoraliza-
ton of such an army as that now hold
ing US al bay. IL defeats, conscriptions
and excavations can demoralize men, the
CUnfederates are already, and have been
for months, in the last stage of disafIec-
ton. Federal victories must be achiev-
ed by killing or capturing our enemies.
THE REBEL FIRE.
The fire Of the rebels thus far, has
been principally directed to porter's
feet, below the city. They have the
range Of his vessels and frequently make
very close shots, but they have not yet
done any material injury, except what
they accomplished during the engage
ment on last Sunday. They have a num-
Der of eight-inch guns, from which they
throw shells that seldom explode. They
fire a good many long, conical shells
from rifled guns of large calibre, and but
little round solid shot of any size.
They find themselves very much per-
| picked TO ascertain the whereabouts Of
Commodore Davis mortars. Nestled
away under cover of several clumps of
trees, in good range Of the town, the Fed
eral apothecary shops compound their
prescriptions, and administer their doses
at leisure, strengthened by the assurance
that they are out of harms way, and
cannot be seriously moslested in the T.
labor of love.
The rebels made several efforts to reach
the Western mortars yesterday. Taking
the huge volume of smoke that rises
above trees at every discharge, for their
mark, they turned three or four heavy
guns upon them, but with no other effect
than to pillow upa few rods of sand or cut
off few branches of cottonwood. Even
if they had the exact range, they would
be unable to tell how nearly the hit their
mark each time--a circumstance that rem
ders artillery practice very unsatisiac-
tory.