Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-10-23

In lhe lrsl cast ouA ouJeCuNt points must
be-frst, Louisville, and then Cincinnati How
best TO reach Chattanooga, with Buell. at
Huntsville, and Stevenson is the question. II
is evident he has the advantage of two bases
of operations, the Cumberland and Tennessee
rivers, and that if we advance towards our
objective points, without getting rid Of him,
we would expose our lines Of communication
with Chattanooga. We must then give hIm
battle first, or compel him TO retire before us.
Should he retire on Nashville (as the newsps
pers say he is now doing) We will be advanc-
inc towards Louisville, but should he venture
on Florence or Savannah TO mite his forces
with ROseCrans or Grant, we will have 10 con-
centrate enough of our forces from Middle and
East Tennessee TO follow him rapidly and de-
feat him in a great battle-when We would be
able TO resume our march as before indicated.
We must, however, as soon as practicable, con-
struct strong works TO command the Tennes-
see and Cumberland rivers, for otherwise our
communications would be cut off by the enc
my, as soon as these two rivers shall have ris
en- sufficiently TO admit the entrance of their
gunboats and transports. The best position
for said works is about forty miles below Fort
DOnelson and Henry, not far from Eddysville,
where those two rivers come within one and
half miles of each other | am informed there
is at that point a commanding elevation, where
| a strong field work could be constructed for
| garrison of about twenty-five hundred or three
| thousand men, who could hold out with am
| pie provisions and ammunition) against large
army Under the guns of this work and
| along the bank of each river, series of bat
| teries, armed with the heaviest guns (eight,
| nine. ten-nch and rifed guns) could be con-
structed, bearing directly on obstructions plac-
| ed in each Of SAID rivers.
| WhenI louisville shall have fallen into our pos
session. would construct work there for the
command of the Ohio and the canal, and
| would destroy the latter as soon as possible, so
| completely that future travellers would hardly
know where it was. This | would do as a re-
| turn for the Yankee vandalism in attempting
to obstruct forever the harbhrs Of Charleston
| and Savannah A detachment of our army
could, | think take Louisville, whilst the main
body would be marching toCincinnatl out if
| we could get boats enough, it would be shorter
TO go up the Ohio in them. Tokeep the com
mand of Cincinnati ! would construct strong
work, heavily armed, at Coylngton.
Now for the operation in Western Tennes-
see. The object there would be TO drive the
enemy from there and resume the command OF
the Mississippi river for these purposes. |
would concentrate rapidly at Grand junction
Prices army, and all that could be spared
from Vlcksburgh OF Van Dorn's. From there
| | would make forced march to Fort Pillow,
which | would take with probably only a
very small loss 1t is evident the forces al
Memphis and Yazoo river wonld have their
| limo nf nv tba Piyp yl-Ith
North cut off, and they would have either to
surrender or cross without resources into Ar
kansas, where General Holmes would take
good care of them. From Fort Pillow |
would compel the forces at Corinth and Jack
son, Tennessee to fall back precipltately to
Humboldt and Columbus, or their lines oflcon1-
munication would be also cut off We would
then pursue them vigorously beyond the Mis-
sissippi at Columbus, or the Ohio at Paducah.
We would thus compel the enemy to evacuate
the state of Mississipiand Western Tennessee,
with probably the loss on our part of few
hundred men. Gen. Price could then be de-
tached into Missouri to support his friends
where his presence alone would be worth al
army to the confederacy. The armament and
ammunition of the works referred to to be col
lected as soon as possible at Meridian and Chat
tanooga. Such are the operations which
would carry into effect, with such notifications
as circumstances might require, if the president
had Judged proper to order me back to the
! command of that army which | had witt
Bragg's assistance collected together and or
ganized, and which had only left to recover
my shattered health whilst my presence eoulc
be spared from it, and until he informed m,
that it was ready to take the offensive. Hopins
for his entire success, J remain, very respect
fully, your obedient servant,
G. T. BEAuREGARD, General G.. s. A.