New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-02-28
TWO MONLsas OF WAR.

Triumphant possession of South Western Mis-
souri,, having bis headquarters at Springfield
its most important city, while his guerrilla
bands roamed and ravaged throughout the
Southern, Western and Central portions OF The
state, capturing Government trains on the
Usage, threatening the border settlements o
Kansas, and burning bridges on the North Nils
souri, Railroad. Now, he is a fugitive in West
ern Arkansas, with his army greatly reduced
by capture and desertcn, and Missouri Is viz
tualy cleared of armed Rebels.
On the 1st of January, the Burnside Expe-
dition sill fingered in the harbors OF this city
and Annapolis, and seemed unable ever to SCI
away. The delays which had impeded its sail.
ing had given the Rebels full time to ascertain
its destination and prepare for giving it q
warm reception, so that there was every prob
ability that it would prove 4 failure. How
gOriously it has disappointed all gloomy auticl-
pations. let Roanoke Island aud lis conse-
qnences bear witness.
On the lst Of January, some Three Thousand
Union Soldiers--mainly lost at Bull Fun and
Balls Bluf-languished in Rebel prisors, where
soma of them Lad spent Fix weary months.
Several of them, after seeing their comrades
shot dead un.arncd for merely looking out
Of the window Of their prison, lad been them
selves under sentence of execution, and con.
fined in lonesome dungeons to await their
doom. Their friends were holding meeting
and raising contributions designed to mitigate
their suiierngs. To-day, most Of them have
been restored TO their country aud friepds and
the residue viii be within 4 week. And after
giving full measure in exchange for the very LAST
Of them, we shall have not .ess than Fifteen
Thousand Rebel prisouers, including Generals,
Colonels, and any number of minor officers.
Two months ago, the Rebels held large
portion of Kentucky, aud were confidently ex.
pecting soon to take the residue. Humphrey
Marshall had not eaten bis Christmas dinner II
Louisville rs be had promised, but the Re5e
forces confronted ours on line drawn through
the heart Of the State, from Columbus on the
West through Bowling Green to the Virginia
line. Crttendtns aud Zolicoder's army
strongly posted, barred the way to the Cum
berand Gap and East Tennessee. Sidney
Johnston aud Buckner at Bowling Green Gov
cred Nashville AID meDaced Louisville. Bishop
Polk at Coumbus-the strongest aud most i'm
portaDt position in the Great Valley -ObseryeG
St. Louis and Cairo and barred the way down
the Mississippi. Since then, the rout Of Crit
tenden and Zollicoiier at Mil Spring, with the
lOss of nearly all their material, and the CON-
plete decentralization Of their followers; the
quiet evacuation Of Bowling Green ard Rus
sellyllle without firing a shot, have clenrc1 The
State Of Rebels save in and just about Coum
bus; and this "Western Manassas," if not
already evacuated, soon must be.
Two months ago, no Union flag coated in
Tennessee, and that State was regarded a. the
one which Of all others had contributed most
fighting strength to the rebellion. The LOYAL
mountaineers of the East had been crushed out
with bloody sternIess; the thousands of un.
changed Unionists IN the West and Center
dared not lisp their devotion to the flag Of the
Free; king Harris" ruled with q roo o.
iron, and no man dared dispute his fiat
Nashville had been once resolved on as the
Rebel capital and Beauregard had been dis
patched from the army of the Potomac to
render the triumph of treason in the State OF
jackson secure and perpetual. Floyd, with Il
division from Western Virginia, and regiment
after regiment from every Cotton State, had
been called to this frontier with evident pre-.
monitor that here the decisive struggle was 20
be made.
AT length, the hour, long awaited, had struck.
A land force, under Gen. Grant, and few
gunboats, under Com. Foote entered the Ten.
nessee River. The Rebels had for months
devoted their best engineering talent to barring
the ascent Of this river. Fort Henry was sup-
posed to command it efectually: it stopped the
Union feet just an hour and quarter, not
long enough to let our land force come to their
aid. Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland, was
next attacked; it was defended by over Twenty
Thousand Rebels, under Floyd, Pillow, Bucknei
and other Rebel chiefs; it wos invested by
about Thirty Thousand. Col. Mulligan, with
Three thousand, held Lexington for I've days,
against eight or u.ue times hie number. Font