Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-09-18

iehture VI inc mlntary topography Of the banks
oil the Mississippi. All these attempts having
failed from physical obsticles found to he insur-
mouniable General Grant and Admiral Porter at
last put ationt almed steamers and steam-tra
ports, which ran through the fires of the Ing
ne of the shore batteries which the insurgents
had erected at Vcksburg, aud its chief supports
Worrenton and Gulf At the same time the land
forces moved down the right bank of the river to
a point below Grand Gulf where they crossed ia
the steamers which had effected so dangerous "A
passage Tie batteries of Grand Gull for several
horrs rcsisteda bombardmeut by the guntWats ut
short range, but they fell into the hands OF the
Admiral as soon ~ General Grants forces mp.
peared behind them. Gen. Grant through u
series Of brilliant manuuvors- with marches
interrupted hy desperate battles day by day,
succeeded in dividing and separating the insur-
gent iOrces. lie then attacked the chief auxiliary
column under Johnston, and drove it out OF
Jackson, the unpitt of Mississippi Having
destroyed the railroad bridges aud military stores
there, General Grant turned at once 10 the west
Numerous combais ensuod, in all of which tue
loyal arms were successful Loring with n con-
siderable insurgent force, was driven Of toward
the south east, while Pemberton, after loss 0i
sixty pieces Of artillery aud many prisoners, re.
gained his shelter within the fortified lines Vi
| Nlcksburg, with an army now reduced to be.
tween thirty thousand and forty thousand men.
/ butiuR AuNhc hnuNclneuis Tue uNuNy nntitilNA Ol
the Insurgents which were established near the
mouth Of theYazoo river, aud which constituted nh
important pnrt Of tue defensigc system of Vicks.
burg, were taken nnd razed by Repr Admiral
Porter, who thereupOn sent "A detachment of his
fleet up that important tributary OF the AliFsis.
sippi, and ciIectualy destroyed the numerous
vessels and stores which were found within
aud upon its banks. Genoral Grant, during
these brilliant operations, had necessarily
j IN nj hH
re established his communications with tho
river fleets above as well as below Vicksburg,
invested the town, aud, ignorant OF the numbc,
inclosed within Its dciences, attempted M assault
Though bravey and vigorously made, it was
nevertheless unsuccessful. lie thereupon sat
down before the Notifications, to reduce lhcm by
the less bloody, but sure methods oi scige,
Pemberton made gallant defense, hoping Tor
relief from Johnston Strenuous efforts were
made by tue chiefs at Richmond to enable Ohm
slon to render that assistance. They detached
and sent him troops from Brngg's army on the
frontier of Alabama, aud from BeaurcgarIs
command in South Carolina, aud u doing this
they endangered both those armies. All the
capable free men Of Mississippi were called to
the rescue of the capital Of their State, and to
save the stronghold Of the reasonable Confede
racy which was besieged within their limits
Moreover, the besieged post was in the very
racy, and the Presidents proclamation of free
dom would be sounded in their hearing if the
stronghold should fall. But the effort required
was too gteat for the demoraliZed nnl exhausted
condition of the insurgents. Johnston did not
arrive to raise the seige, nor did success attend
any Of the attempts from within to break the
skillfully drawn lines of General Grant. On the
fourth Of July General PembertOn laid down his
arms and surrendered the post, with thirty thou
man tuo huu1rpd tinnpu artfllnru anvputt
thousand small arms, aud ammunition sufficient
for six years defense. This capture was rs
remarkable as the famous ono made by Napoleon
at Um.
On the same day an insurgent attack upon
General Prentiss, at Helena, situated on the
west bank of the Mississippi, in the State Of
Arkansas, was repulsed with the loss Of many
prisoners on the part of the assailants As if
the anniversary 30 identified with the nations
hopes was appointed TO be peculiarly eventual
Lee, who had again entered Maryland, aud pass
ing through that State had approached the Sus-
quehannn, threatening Harrisburg, Pilt-hurg,
Philadelphia, and Baltimore, fell back. after
pitched battles continued for three days at Get
tysburg, aud resumed his retreat, with an army
even worse shattered than before, to his accus-
toned position on the RappahannOck.
On the Sth Of July the insurgent garrison at
Port Hudson, 5000 strong, after enduring a
long siege with the utmost courage, surrendered
uncOnditOnally 10 Gen. Banks and thus the
United States recovered from the insurgents the
last Of the numerous posts by which for more
than two years they Ind cIectunlly .!galroyud
the navigation Of the Mississippi. This great
river which in time of paoce contributes reln-
lively as much toward supply Of the Increased
wants Of mankind ns the Nile did to those wants
in the time of the Roman Empire, is now again
opened 10 the inland commerce Of the country.
Steamers descend the river aud its tributaries
from the navigable floods to the Gulf OF Mexico
1t is not to he doubted that the insurgent losses
IN these operations upon the Mississippi amount
10 90, 900 meu mud 300 pieces Of artillery, large
portion of which were Of heavy caibef. john
stous army, which, ut the time of the surren-
der, was advancing to threaten the besiegera
Mt once fell back to jackson, and it was again
driven from that capital by detachment which
Gen Grant had committed In the command Of
Gen. sherman In retiiiug, johnston fired
many buildings filled with munitions Of war,
and abandoned large quantity Of railroad loco
motives aud cars which hnd been detained Mt
that place by reason of the railroads north, SOUTH
east aud wast Of jackson having been previous
ly cut by the Government forces.
General Sherman now desisted from the pur
suit of Johnston and returned to Ncksbnrg
where portion of the army is enjoying repOsc
not more necessary than well earned, while
others are engaged in expelliHg from tue vicinity
of the Mississippi rowing bands of the insurgents
who infest its banks and fire from thence upon
passing steamers. II is reported that Johnston,
with the troops at his command, now sad to bn
twenty-five thousand, has fallen back to Nleri-
dian, on the eastern border Of Mississippi, u hun
dred aud twenty miles east OF Vicksburg, 50
that the State whose misguided people were
among the earliest and most Incorporate nbct-
tors Of the insurreotiOn, is virtually abandoned
by its military agents.
In Louisiana, General Banks succeeded Gene
raj Butler After spending some months in or
| ganZing the Department, and discipning the
new levies which constituted 1t lurcc, General
Banks made a rapid and successful series of
marches and contests, in which he drove the i'll
surgent troops out of tho Attakapas and Techc
regions well known the richest portions Of
that very productive State, captured Alexandria
and Donaldsvile, the seats of its fugitive Sc A.
tious executive aud legislative authorities,
crossed the Mississippi at Bayou Sara, and there
receiving mn additional column which was ns-
cendiug from Baton Rouge, invested Port llul
son, which, excluding Vicksburg, was the only
remaining stronghold of the insurrection On tue
great river
1t will be remembered that on the I'D day of
September, 1862, the President issued proGla-
nation requiring the insurgents to lly down
their arms and return to their allegiance, under
the penalty that in all tho districts where the
nsuIrectiOn should be still maintained with the
support Of the people, he would on the first oi
january then next proclaim as military
measure, the freedom of the slaves. The warn.
ing was generally rejected and delcd, but the
proclamation which it heralded was duly issued
As the national armies advanced into the insur-
rectionary territories, slaves in considerable