The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1862-06-07

lHE VI tliNN y Ahi4llllutNl ny
shor, but repeated dispatches TO the War aud
Navy Departments, and at last account, the
Upper Mississippi fleet hal passed Fort Ran
Jolph, fully en- fOa, for Mcmpli-. Tie National
feet has remained ~ long before Fort Pillow,
and been apparently so inactive, that public in
tcfcst has he n diverted 20 other quarters. and
the supposition has arisen thai the value Of its
capture was not equal 10 its probable e.s: AMI
Importance.
Ibis is a mistake. lI.d the poin; boon de-
tirel at all hazards. It cou,l have been taken.
Had our fleet desired to- pass it, for an alta =.
upon Memphis, tic preparations FIR doing 80
had been completed for weeks. R.n- NcI' lr,-
pared to surround tic guhboiis, AMI i's'',W IL
jury from the attempts Of the mon clad rt'd
rams to run them down. and temporary hul-
watks Of hay were ready To be- rru'il'l 10 l"' cn
Tie effect Of the enemy, ire. Had the word
been given, Fort PILLOW would have bccn taken
OF passed Ion. time a,.n.
But the command was Withhold. II was de-
sir.ble to retain tn, rchd forces at tho for,
rather than ALLOW il,ir cone utr.uiou, i t"rhtl,
AMI they have lon; been hclt buy by Sigh.
demonstrations Of attack. s.mpi, it'udyd iol
rcbe. defeat at Coriu,h must have secured II M
phis and Fort Pillow, AMI Therefore every effort
has wi, y tented to cn urs ai,,ot ID, tc.alt at
Corinth, following which come. thc cn,npaft-
lively pcaceahlc acquisition Of Memphis ai.d the
Mississippi river.
In thi, our readers will observe tie develop
mcnt Of policy which the SIS hi- lou; ,''ri-
buicd to McCLEiIAS, the lrs.icn', ati others
of lis bost Generals, and The wisdom Of which
1, made appat ut a: o,ors stop If dc w'r. u
/, that OF a,pr,1,l hing tn fee in iuil force, all
rompcllin: hi- surrender by rc.r movement,
Gather than 10 give him Hattie in fortified posi-
tion.. As We have b' fore 90 cry :, t,." 'rcnir-t
laurel, Of modern e,ncrl-iip arc a"p'rr at
h the number OF live Lost, hut in r. CRYING
non ami mean, while We capture ,hp.c oi Tie
enemy.
Thus viewed. the surrcn or &c orihih, quietly
anil peacefully Effected, has been mot glorious
victory than the capture Of Font Dnrri-"n nnl
,hc sub. olucnt pearoablc surrcnlrrs If 'olunhu-,
Bowlin., Green Nashville and Yorktown, have
been ica,s Of our proves quite NJ much to he
commented as the capture of Port Royal, New
bern AMI New Orleans.
III. last surrender comes to u, quietly, almost
expected, without fuss or detail, AMI Will
create perhaps less sensation than any other
event Of the war. Yet its Importance cannot
be over rated, removing AS II does, the Last Re
bel obstruction e the great Mississippi, and
completing the armed Gordon which now en-
,irelcs the southern Republic. The great snake
has got its last fold around the people Of Dixie,
and to crush out their remaining resources is
but a question Of timc-not of ability.
1t will he rccollectci that Fort Pillow occu-
pics position on tho second Chicknsaw blur
about thirty five miles above Memphis Below
II are Randolph and ohcr forts, but from these
tho guns and forces had previously been removed
TO strengthen Fort Pillow, AMI their resistance,
II any is made, will not probably he prolonged
or desperate. The capture Of Memphis
appears fixed fact. The city il
.ituated on an elevated bluff on the Mississippi
at the head of ship navigation, and at the west,
.fn termination Of the Memphis and Charleston
Railroad. 1t has, or had, population of abou'
10000. II has twenty churches, several steam
Touring mills, a number Of extensive cotton fac
tories, several daily and weekly newspapers, and
spacious Navy Yard. 1t is likewise tho great
shipping point for cotton AMI other produce Of
Western Tennessee.