Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-02-27
MR.. DAYFON,s notion OF THE
SOUTH.
IAhIsl November 10, I5bl

PARIS, November TO- 1862
MR.. DAYTON TO NJ DRoUYN DE LHUYs
MONSIEUR LIE MINIsTRE A little
more than year ago the whole of the slave
States south Of the Potomac, and almost to the
Mississippi thirteen in all, were in possession
of the insurgents, except only snail locality in
Virginia opposite Washington, tract of coun-
try in the same State to the west Of the ALE
ghsny mountains in which there was moral
the northern parts of Kentucky, and
perhaps half of Missouri. With these excep-
tions they held undisputed sway of the entire
country Of the South They possessed at the
same time the military arsenal at Harper's Ferry
and the vast naval arsenal and dock yards at
Norfolk and Pensacola. They had likewise
possession of the eastern shore OF the Chesapeake
BAY, which. in connection wiIu tile command of
the Potomac, gave them control over the access
by water to Washington, the capital of the ma
ton They have lost, during the year, the cas-
tern shore of the Chesapeake and the command
of the Potomac, she city of Norfolk, with its ar
sensis and dockyards, aud the neighboring
country and the dockyards at Pensacola. They
have lost all Virginia west of the Alleghanies
Kentucky and Missouri, and part of Tennessee,
comprising, among other points, Nashville, the
capital, and Memphis, its commercial port on
the Mississippi. They have lost every port
harbor snd forti6estion on the Atlantic coast of
aflN Values LlOob AZ OuALtbohNh 6lUub cAG6pbtus
from tins mouth of the Chesapeake to the south
ern point of Florida, and thence around the
gulf coast TO Pensacola. But, more important
even than this, they have within the year lost
New Orleans, the great Commercial metropolis
of the South, with the numerous fortifca-
tions established for its defense They have
likewise lost the Mississippi, with every island
and river fortihcstion, save that at Vicksburg,
by which is wss defended. This river, which
drains the entire valley Of the West, and cuts in
two the slevs States from Cairo to the gulf and
on which could float the navies Of the world,
which can neither be forded nor bridged, must
forever separate the four slave States and their
contiguous territories on its west side from those
on the east. The loss Of this river was more in
furious to the cause of the insurrectionists than
/ the loss Of many battles. Conscious that this
! would be 80, it was fortified, your excellency
will remember, not only at its mouth and below,
| and at New Orleans, but at every available
/ point upward yet, with its many fortifcations
/ Vicksburg alone excepted it has within the year
| been lost to the South The Tennessee anC
Cum5srand great interiot rivers Of the West
with their iefenses and Notifications, have like
wise been taken, after a hard struggles by thl
armies Of the Uaion. In a word, the insuT
gents do not now hold foot Of ground which
they did not bold early IN the war, while tse fial
of the Union has been constantly advancing
and Il floats somewhere on the soil or over th
Qualifications Of every slave State save one
Their armies have, in the meantime, been driver
from an area of country embracing in the sggre
gate not less than 100 900 square miles, and oc
cupied by population ranging from 10000
to 2, 600 300 Of people
Batin war equality in strength consists no
IN these things. Permit mo, therefore, TO remin
your excelleney that, while sll the incipieu
efforts on the part Of tho South TO create a nav
have been defeated. and her vessels destEoye,
the navy Of the United States has, within ii
year, grown from very small to very grei