New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-04-10

Great as 10 the public sense Of relief on
learning that the expected collision on the
Tennessee has taken place and that the Ma
,ional arms are victorious, we are hardly less
glad to learn officially, on the excellent au-
ihority Of Secretary Stanton, that oil the
Military operations in the Department OF the
Mississippi have been conducted with signal
" ability" OF course, the Secretary has
much fuller acquaintance with tho material
facts than we have, and his judgment cannot
be otherwise than correct. We shall await
with interest the development OF the yet latent
truths that justify the secretays commenda-
ton.
1t il now more than seven weeks since the
fall Of Fort Donelson compelled Sydney John.
ston, at the head Of the only considerable
Rebel force in front of Gen. Buell., TO retreat
precipitatey across the Cumberland aud Ten
nesses TO the line Of the Memphis and Charles
ton Railroad-eyery point north Of that having
been rendered untenable by Buckner's sur
render and by the complete command of the
Cumberland and Tennessee rivers acquired for
the Federal gunboats. Millions worth of Con-
Tolerate provisions and stores were still in
Nashville which Com. Foofe could have taken
in twenty-four hours without the lo,s Of man
or the firing OF gun. IL IL reported that
Com. J.. telegraphed to Gen. TIalleck for per-
mission to run or send up TO Nashville, but was
refused. We DO not assert this, for We have no
knowledge on the subject; but the Secretary
doubtless knows the facts as they are. What
we all know is, that Gen. Buell-whosc ad-
vance barely reached Bowling Green in ses'os
10 see the Rebel rearguard move of with their
last serviceable gun-did not reach Nashville
TIL the Rebel army had been gone iull week
until the last OF their enormous supply OF pro.
visions aud stores had been carried of or
spirited away. II is usual for good COM
mander 70 keep close on the heels of foe
decidedly inferior in numbers and demorazed
in spirit; but our Generals would seem to have
made improvements in TINS department OF
tactics The Rebel chiefs retreat when they
zee tit, after defeat or when apprebensye OF
an attack in overwhelming force, and are per-
mittcd to carry of their guns and baggage as
clean as If parading and drilling in mimic
War.
Sydney Johnston rotreated acrcss the Ten
nesses into Mississippi; Gen. Grant moved
ny tho Tennessee ON steamboats, and landed
in front of the Rebel main body. Gen. Buell.
lay quietly at Nashville for weeks, ne, even
protecting bis own lines of communication, but
allowing squads Of his men and the trains in
bis rear to be captured by insignificant parties
Of guerillas At length, he marched southwark
to join or support Gen. Grant.
Weeks ago--as our columns will bear witness
il was notorious that Beauregard Was gathering
up men and munitions from every quarter for a
dash at our lines. II it had been written in
letters Of fire on tho sky that be meant to
smash Grants little army before Buell. or Hal
leck could adequately reinforce him, the truth
could not have been more manifest. If our
Generals did not know this from other sources,
they might have learned il from the New.York
journals. There was no apparent necessity for
exposing Grants thirty or forty thousand men
with deep river IN their rear to the desperate