The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-04-26
War News Of the Week.

VI "A w n, ILL.,, AX NIL %oS Aoo>'
War News Of the Week.
Our time has been SO largely occupied
with other matters of q pressing character
this week, that We have been able to be-
stow but little attention upon our paper.
We have in consequence, not found time
- prepare our usual editorial resume of
Shs war news of the week. task usually
requiring considerable time and care
We can say, generally, however, that the
army Of Mcclellan, before Yorktown, is
about in statu quo. Of course, . great deal
Of work has been done during the week
there have been some heavy skirmishes-
and the progress has been such that
Mcclellan il said to be more confident
chan ever of ultimate success in taking
yorktown ond then finishing the grand
secession army.
Mcdowell has advanced on the Kappa
ha.nack as far as Peterborough, hav-
ing takea that city, driving out seces-
sio. army Of 5000.
Banks has about cleaned the Valley OF
Shenandoah of secessionists, jackson hav-
ing fallen back towards Richmond and
will probably next turn up at Yorktown.
In the West, of course, all eyes are upon
Halleck, near Coriuth, upon whose move
ments everything else depends. The Ia
test advices from there are given else
where, and show that q great battle is
only delayed by heavy rains. To enable
the reader to grasp the plans of Halleck,
and the consequences that must attend
his success at Corinth, We copy the
following from the ST. Louis Republican, Of
Thursday:
We do not look for the reduction Of the
rebel Notifications along the Mississippi
river above Memphis, until after some
decisive conflict between HaAeck's and
Beauregard's armies in the vicinity OF Co
rinth. The rebels hold possession of the
Memphis and Ohio Railroad as far up as
Humboldt, 81 miles To the east OF, and
nearly opposite Fort Pillow, where Com
uodre Foote's fotilla is now stationed, Is
the town Of brownsville, where the enemy
.. present have a large force. From this
point acrozs to the river, is an easy days
march, and as the enemy has good facili-
ties for concentration, he could throw q
heavy column upon any army wh.e h
would undertake to carry Fort Pillow by
an attack in rear, provided in all cases,
the rebel troops were not required at the
time for the defence of Corinth. This
will explain why Gen Pope, in reaching
the neighborhood of Fort Pillow, landed
his forces on the Arkansas side; for had
he debarked on the Tennessee shore and
marched behind the Fort, he would have
been in danger of being crushed between
two columns of the Oonfederates, and
Beauregsrd another chance to pursue, by
rapid movements, his favorite Oapoleonic
idea Of attacking detached bodies of the
Federals in detail. This, to be sure, would
have been venturesome enterprise in the
face of the danger of an attack by Halleck
on Corinth, but after the Pittsburg battle
such danger was materially reduced by
the inability of Halleck's army to move
on account of the condition of the roads
and the necessity of reorganization.
There is another difference between
Fort Pillow and Island No. TO- wife refer
ence to the facilities for its reduction
There would have been no difficulty in
Gen. Pope's taking a position below the
rebel1works, at at Mo. 10, but how to get
upon the other side would be a question
OF some moment since 10 canal could have
been cut thraugh the country there to OBJ
tain transports. Therefore, without sperk-
ing of Gen. Pope's movements, we may say
that from the noture of the circumstances
- they stand, the capture of Fort Pillow
must depend upon the gun aud mortar
boats, if the rebels determine to contese
the point of the river. If, consequently,
we do not very soon here of a victory bat
Fort Pillow, none need feel surprised.
The possession of Memphis. which is
the goal now in the mind of Gen. Hal
lack, will carry with it the capture of all
the rebel works above that city. We
shall probably have an advance upon Cor
inth just SO soon as the roads are in con-
dition to enable the ordinance and neces-
eary transportation to move If that
stronghold falls by decisive triumph OF
our army, which We do not doubt, the
route will be cleared to Memphis, aud
the Mississippi will be opened to that city
1t is to Corinth, then We must look for
the next great conflict. Perhaps Beaure
gard, seeing the preparations that are
making to surround and defeat him, may
again undertake the defensive offensive
but in that case he will not fihd our troops
ignorant of his coming, and surprised in
their camps as they were on the 9th in
slant, but will on the contrary encounter
An army ready to receive him. Great
events are certainly nigh which must ex
ert vast influence upon the duration ofthe
war