The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-05-23
Tho Rebel Aba ndonment Of Fort PilioW-
The War ON the Mississippi.

The Rebe, Abandonment OF Fort Pillow
The War ON the Mississippi.
The abandonment by the rebels OF Fort Pill
low, or Fort Wright, on the Mississippi river,
marks another important step in the liberation
of that commercial highway of our Western
States from the distractions of this Southern
rebellion. Thus the gunboat squadron OF Com
modore Davis is still vending its way down.
ward, while some of the vessels of Commodore
Farraguts feet, from New Orleans, have
assembled the stream without resistance to
point some distance above Vicksburg.
At this rate the gap, in the centre Of which
stands the city Of Memphis, will very soon be
closed up, and the river and its banks, from its
sources to its outlets in the Gulf of Mexico'
will be forever relieved of the "rebel rag" by
the old fag' of the United States To the
people of our loyal States west of the Allegha-
ny mountains the Mississippi river is justly re-
garded as the indissoluble bond Of the Union.
The citizen Of Illinois. for example, regards his
RIGHT of way down the Father of Waters" to
the sea as clear as his right to occupy the farm
on which he lives, and for which his grandfather
paid the government, and against which no
contesting claims can be produced. Thus to
all our brave and loyal people of the Great
West the Mississippi river is the visible, SUBJ
stantial, natural, inalienable, indispensable and
everlasting embodiment Of the Union. That
great and inseparable river. has accordingly been
and is in this war, and will be in the future the
strong right arm of the Union in the West, and
would in that quarter be all powerful against
twice or thrice the forces Of this rebellion. Vain
is the attempt to stop this commercial highway
of the West as would be the insane experiment
to roll back the resistless volume of the mighty
stream.
As the rebels evacuated their stro:g natural
position, with its costly and elaborate defensive
works, at Columbus, for fear Of being surround
ed and starved into q surrender, so they have
evacuated Fort Pillow. They had, after leav-
ing Columbus, tried the virtue of "dying in
the last ditch" at Island No. 10, and the result
was the capture, by Gen. Pope and Com. Foote'
of their works, their army, artillery, small
arms, ammunition, steamboats,, tents, wagons
horses, provisions, everything, to the value Of
Several millions of dollars Apprehensive, no
doubt, that the same obstinacy of resistance at
Fort Pillow would end in the same way, the
rebel leaders concerned have fallen back upon
their Columbus expedient, of moving their
traps little farther down stream and little
nearer their main army.
Thus, it appears, the garrison guns and mu-
nitions of war from Fort Pillow have been
added to the defensive resources at Fort Ran
dolph, on the second Chickasaw Bluffs. II
pushed too hard at this point, the rebels
will doubtless steal off again to the third
Chickasaw Bluffs; but that If followed
up too rapidly they will make desperate
and bloody defence for the protection Of
Memphis, we think is very certain. We think
30 because Memphis has now become the only
really available point for the escape Of the
rebel President, Cabinet and Congress, &C.. in
the event of the defeat and dispersion of their
two great armies-that Of Corinth and that of
Richmond-for, with the. loss Of these, Davis and
his fellows can raise no more. Memphis, in
| a word, is the back door which, If for no other
purpose, will be stoutly defended to secure
the escape thereby Of Davis and his leading con-
federates, via Arkansas and Texas, into Mexico.
But should General Halleck put to rout the
rebel army Of Corinth In advance of the entree
| OF General Mcclellan into Richmond, then the
escape of Davis & Co., even by way Of Mem
phis, will be cut off; and it is only the event
| which can determine whether the Valley Of the
Mississippi or the Atlantic coast section is first
to be cleared of itsrebsl army.
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