The New York herald., 1862-01-21

! The First Battle OF Our Winter Cam
patgn-Defeat and Death OF ZollicofKer.
| We congratulate our readers on the glorious
news which we are enabled to lay before
them this morning of most significant vic
tory over the rebels in Kentucky. Not only
| have they been defeated in their attempted
attack upon the Union troops, but the Union
soldiers under General Thomas have followed
up that defeat in so complete q manner, that
the retreating rebels have been driven into and
through their own Notifications with great
slaughter, and the flag of the United States
now waves over what they deemed their
impregnable stronghold. This is victory
the value of which can hardly be exagge-
rated; for it comes directly within the line of
General McClellan's extensive combinations,
and will contribute not a little, West, East and
South, by land and water, to strengthen and
advance his whole chain of aggressive move
ments for crushing winter campaign.
| For the details received and the geographical
location of this battle, we refer the reader to
our news columns and our illustrative maps on
the first page of this paper We have no pre-
else information of the strength of the forces
engaged on each side; but it is probable
that Zollicoffers were not less than twelve
thousand men, and that the army of Gene
raj Thomas was thousand or two more.
1t appears that, in leaving his strongly
fortified position, some eight or ten miles below
Somerset, to attack the Union troops near that
village Zollicoffer was assured of victory from
the superiority of his forces, but that in season
for the fight General Thomas came up to the
relief of General Schoepff, and thus turned the
tide of victory the other way. 1t was des-
perate dash on the part of Zollicoffer to cut up
our opposing detachments in detail, and had he
succeeded he would have done very good
service to the rebel cause. He would have
prevented for some time the march of General
Thomas over into Eastern Tennessee, an enter
prise which now we may next expect to hear
has been carried out. Zollicoffer appears to
have fully realized the supreme Importance Of
preventing our occupation of East Tennessee
He knew that once in there the loyal Union
people of that section would enable even
small body of Union troops to hold all those
important railways whereby the rebel armies
of Virginia are fed and reinforced from the
Southwestern States.
That the incalculable advantages which will
be gained to our cause from this occupation Of
those rebel railway communications of East
Tennessee have been fully considered by Gene
raj Mcclellan, there can be no doubt; nor can
he entertain any misgivings of imprudent
delay in following up this late victory to the
great object in view. With strong Union
force posted on those Tennessee railways, and
with this force supported by the loyal Union
population of all that region, Jef Davis will be-
gin to comprehend the fact that his rebel 60
vernment at Richmond, his rebel Army of the
Potomac, and his Utopian Southern confede-
racy, are all melting away like castles in the
clouds.
The occupation, however, of this Union
stronghold of East Tennessee, and its great
arteries of communication with Virginia,
although leading object, is but part Of the
campaign against the rebels in the West. Gen.
Buell., with the main body of his army, va
riously estimated at from seventy-ive to over
hundred thousand, is steadily enciroling the
fortified rebel position of Bowling Green, while
another body of his troops, cooperating with
those of General Grant and General McCler
nand from Cairo, and Captain Porter's gun
boat fotilla from st. Louis, and General Hal
leck's column on the west side Of the Missis-
sippi, are rapidly concentrating their forces for
q combined assault upon the earthwOrks and
river defences of the rebel Bishop General Polk
at Columbus. From all accounts our forces
approaching Columbus and Bowling Green are
so strong in numbers and artillery that the
rebels from neither of these places can spare
any reinforcements for the other. They must
defend both, for with the loss of either the
other inevitably falls. 1t is believed, too, that
under the directions of General Mcclellan, so
powerful and well devised are the forces and
plans of Buell. and Halleck, that they cannot
possibly fail in routing the enemy from both Co
lumbus and Bowling Green, and so completely
as to open our way at once not only to Nash
vile and Memphis, but to Vcksburg and New
Orleans in conjunction with the ascending Mis-
sissippi expedition of General Butler.
Such is the comprehensive range of this late
victory near that insignificant village of Somer-
set, among the mountains of Southern Ken
Clellan's grand system of combinations for
crushing and decisive winter campaign, includ-
ing the movements of our Southern ssaboard
expeditions II is the first direct move
in this system of operations, which contemplates
the cutting of those great arteries in East Ten
nessee and in the seaboard section of North
Carolina, through which the rebel army and
government in Virginia are kept alive. Cut of
the railway communications between Beaure-
gard and the rebel States south and west of vir-
gina, and he will infallibly be smoked out of
his intrenchments, either to be dashed to
| pieces against the defences Of Washington or to
| be demoralized and broken up in retrograde
| movement.
| The ball Of General McClellan's winter cam