New-York daily tribune., 1863-09-14

General Sherman now deslStcd from the purSnll
of Johnston and returned TO Wick sburg, where n
portion OF the army is enjoying repose, not more
Necessary than well earned, while Others are engaged
in expclling from the vicinity of the Mississippi
rowing bands of the insurgents who incst ITS bankS
and fire from thence upon passing steamers IL u
reported that Johnston, with the troops at his COM
mand. now said to be twenty-five thousand, ha.
fallen bach TO Meridian, on the eastern border oi
Mississippi, a hundred ard twenty miles east of
Nicksburg 20 that the State, whose misguided pco-
pie we're among the earliest and most intcmpcrate
abottors of the nsurcciion, is virtually abandoned
by its military agents
In Louisiana General Banks succeeded General
Butler. After spending some months in organizing
the Department, and disciplining the new ieries
which constituted its force, General Banks
made a rapid and successful series of marches
and contests in which he drove the insnr-
gent troops out of the Attakapas and Teche req ns
well known as the richest portions of that very pro-
duotiye State captured Alexandria and Donaldson
Vile, the seats Of its fugitive seditious executive
and legislative authorities crossed the Mississippi at
Bayou Sara and there receiving an additional
column which was ascending from Baton Rouge,
invested Port Hudson which excluding Vicksburg,
was the only remaining stronghold of the insurec-
tion on the great river.
II will be remembered that on the 22d day Of
September 1862, the President issued proclama-
tion requiring the insurgents TO lay down their arr
and return TO their allegiance under the penalty
that in all the districts where the insuucction
should be still maintained with the support OF the
~
proclaim military measure, the freedom Of the
slaves The warning was generally rejected and
dehed, but the Proclamation which II heralded was
duly issued. As the national armies advanced into
the insurrecionsry territories slaves in consider
able numbers accepted their freedom and came
under the protection Of the national fag. Amds;
the great prejudice and many embarrassmcnts
which attended measure so new and ~
divergent from the political habits Of the
country, freedmen with commendabc alacrity en-
listed in the Federal army. There was in sornc
quarters painful inquiry about their moral capad-
" for service. Tha, uncertainty was brought 20 a
sudden end Ia the siege Of Port Hudson. Tho new
Is raised negro regiments exhibited all necessary
yalor and devotion IN the military assaults which
were made with desperate courage, and not with
fearful loss by General Banks. This proirac'ci
operation engaged nearly all Of General Bankss
available forces. While Il was going on insurgoni
troops which called up from Texas rcoccuped
much .of tho southwestern portion Of IsouifiAns
which ho had before reclaimed. Tho suHcadaf -
Port Hudson. however sci his srrny a, liberty, aHi
be has already made considerable progrcss in
restoring tie national authority thus temporarily
displaced.
The complete occupation Il the Misisappi
by the national forces Las oHcciually divided
the insurreciionary region into two parts, and
among the important features Of this division,
one which il Of the hiehest practical significance
is, that the field Of military operations Of the
insuuection is chiefly on the eastern eide Of the
riycr, while its supplies have been mainly drawn
from the prarics Of Arkansas ard Texas, which
stretch away from tho western shore These prai-
no longer supply the insurgents with cattle
for sustenance and use In the field, and, on the
other hand. arms ordnance and ammunition can M
longer be sent from the eastern manufactures and
deposits 10 forces employed or In garrison In the
west. The value Of the acquisition Of the Misss-
sipp In this rcspcc, illustrated only few days
since in the capture by Gen. Grant, near Na,chez,
Of 3, 600 becycs and 200 mules which had crossed
% the eastern bank, and at the same time many
hundred thousands OF cartridges and other stores
which had jus, been landed a, the western end Of
the same ferry.
vigorous blockade bias been maintained at
Charleston, and although fast steamers, Of light
draught and painted with obscure colors occasion.
ally succeed IN slipping through the blockading
squadron in the morning and evening Twilight,
many are destroyed and more are captured. An AZ
tack by the feet, made on the 9TH day of April last,
upon the forts and batteries which de-
fend the harbor, failed because the rope
Instructions In the channel fouled the screws
Of the iron-clads and compelled them TO retire after
passing through the fire of tho batteries. Those
vessels bore the fire Of the forts, although 90
fects of construction revealed by the injuries
they received. The crews passed through I'LL IN
eranplcd cannonade with singular impunity. Not
one life was lost on board Of monitor. Tho de-
fects disclosed have been remedied, and al attack
is in progress, with good prospect OF ultimate
Success having for its object tho reduction of the
forts in the harbor by combined sea and land forces.
We occupy more than half Of Morris Island with
land forces, which, aided by batteries afoat and
batteries ashore, pushing siege works up TO Fort
Wagner, strong eartbwork which has been twice
assaulted with great gallantry but without success
On the 18th Of june the Atlanta, which was re-
garded by the insurgents as their most formidable
ironclad vessel, left Savannah and came down the
Wilmington river. The national iron-clads Wee
hawken, Captain John Rogers, and Nahant, COM
inander John Downs were in readiness TO meet her.
At O'Clock 81 minutes the Atlanta fired riilcshot
across the stern Of the Wcchawkcn, which struck