Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-01-12
Prospee.s % ,he rL,.l,.ippi.

Prom the St. Louis Republican,
/ Two important items cf intelligence come upon uE
aaost Hranltsneousy y-the arrival Of General BsHks'
expedition at New Orleans and the departure OF Gen
Sherman and Admiral Porier from Helena with feet
of Ruhoozts and transports for the South Tfken -
gether, they convincing Indications mat the s9n1i
Etraten ia g length gosng vigorously to work 70 opsp
up our grand eqnatie highway the Mississippi river to
the commercial relations which formerly subsisted
Wesn lAe people Of the gulf Stses and the people Of
the great Northwest but whch have been suspended for
vel nigh two yesra In his late message 20 Congress
me President stated thai o this end the vhoe powers
q uls government would be devoted; and from this
time onward We may reasopaby xpect to see the s
psy OF unusual energy both military and naval IN the
H'I 70 clear cut the obstruct0ns which have !oEE
iupeded navigation along the backs Of the father u
waters"
The BsIi arrival ffoTa Nsw Orleans viii be awaited
with seme snEisty. fma1adistely upon Gen Banks
assumption Of the command Of the Department of the
Gulf, he have thrown forward all the tra0us
which had then reached ths readeEFaus-hve thousand
~ nualoer-to Baton K uge and thcas doubtless viii
have been followed by still others apon the 4Andinr Of
ths vessels OF the expedition II is probable that .his
tree Of Gen Bsnks' Wza originally Intended for hoSi
as the fret point Of opsrsOas but the ssgacity q me
enemy Ia guessing the destination OF the feet and mss
sing f1res under Buckner 81 the city referred
has rendered necessary change Of programme The
appearances now are that Gen Banks viii bead his en-
erges a. once toward the opening Of he Eoutsern See
ton u the river, 70 the descending army which lsf
1eenA more man tea days ago. Tie principal point
claiming his attention viii be Port Hudson tyysHtydve
miles above Baton Rouge where ths rebels hEve erected
e1LensiFe and iormidabie fortihcati2ns. We gave
some weeks ago, . description Of the strategic
advantages % the enemy in this locslftv TO which
description we may now add few f;er1s we bsv.
sinced learned. The onsmy's works have for some
time past been daily increasing Ia size and importance
ore hundred heavy guns ssid in position
i Is fsrther Tsted that the different roads leading from
me country 70 the rear Of these fortfcaons lined
with defsnses for miles From ths pecuiarity Of the
his Al Port Hudson-being series Of spurs mounds
coming eP close 70 tb9 nTe-there il succession Of in
dependent forts rising above another and whole
commanded BY the main works the crest Of The hi
Is thought the military forces which formerly oce1.
ORD ~rH rafa-
EonVlLe, now in and around Port Hudson which
there people call their Ssbssopol" protesting to be-
hsye IT impregnable. is apparent that Gen Banks
and Admiral Fsrragut have no ebld'H play befcrs (
them but that they will do their duty thoroughly and
well, Ne cannot doubt
With regard 70 the descending naval force Of Admiral
Porter and the land accom- pannens OF Generals Sher
man and Steele there seems to have been 20 other cal
eulaon Ia the miad Of the public than that the mmsd
ate Destination it Vicksburg We cannot ascertain 4
whsther or not aiss garrison has bssnIeft Helena
II the statements u regard the srnaguituds OF the
movement from the latter place e)rrect may be
tet fosSl ana possibly Little Rock, viii be
captured before The expedition passes ths ArSSnsss
river as 1t rnsy not be consdersd entirely safe to leave
areoel force IN the resr. Bat the other hand Penn
berton and Holmes may concentrate at Vicksburg - 4
soon es they perceive he Federal authorities are not 10
be driven from their plans by sach raids and deaopstr
tons as have recently been made in Western Tennessee
in which event the gsrrisons left at Helena snd Mem
lhis may Be considered adequate guard agsast sny
taoked.
These ndicstious Of vigor with the view Of opening
the Mississippi river, carnot bat De gratifying to the
thousands Of loyal men in the West who have waited
80 long and with such noble forbesrsnee 10 rave the
Oh Iaces OF trade and commerce revived and resumed
The sdnn.stration, in ebsyiHg The suggzstiops and
sPptais which haYs been made il from the West Is
simply eenfOrmng Itself what are manfestIy its own
interests, IN the military point Of observation Il has
always been opinion that the Mississippi river should
have bsen the principal objective point ia al Federal
plans OF campaign. While others nveighne agsnst
- Authorities for the delay in front Of Manassas
tok 'se ground thet tda advance in tnat quarter was
sSe Zoo -sa and should have been ependent upon the
progress in the "ss n co.ag ns gea. me oi rebel
,ssd5s 81 Tho nrssa5, and future, and see II tie ar
oboo q expsriees has Sht the powers that be the
gssons Of wisdom and profit W. ch even minds Of mean
capacity must learn at length