The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-02-25


Prospect 81 The War.
Louisville Is again excited with rumors Of
another rebel invasion of Kentucky. From the
various reports upon the subject We infer that
the central portions of the State are menaced by
several advancing gangs Of hungry rebel que
riilas from East Tennessee; but the report of
the approach of Longstreet towards the Ken
lucky "Blue Grass district" and the city of Lex
ington, with an army Of ten thousand men,
would necessarily imply that these advancing
rebel battalions are Of that amphibious, shalt
horse, half alligator breed of men peculiar to
the swamps of Louisiana. We presume that
the rough roads of Southern Kentucky are not
now in a condition for the transportation of
rebel artillery and that when they will be we
shall have some authentic news of active opera
tons on the part of General Rosecrans in Ten
nessse That mysterious and ubiquitous rebel
chieftain General Longstreet is PROFESSIONALLY
an enterprising officer; but, whether really in
Kentucky or Virginia just now, even he would
find it extremely difficult to move an army
where 'the Yankees" would stick fast in the
mud. Besides, our latest reports proclaim the
whole story untrue.
The news, on the other hand, received by
way Of Richmond, Of the capture by the rebels
in the Red river of the ram Queen Of the West,
may be true. Like the gunboat Isaac p Smith,
lately captured in Stone Inlet, near Charleston,
the Queen Of the West. may have poked her
nose into q trap from which there was no
escape. But still, as there are among the rebels
numerous disciples Of the Baron Munchausen,
this report may have originated with one of
them.
Of the actual progress Of the war, East and
West, we have had no information for several
days, excepting that the bombardment of the
rebel delences at Vicksburg had commenced.
The amount Of digging required to render the
"cut-off" available as a steamboat channel
has probably exhausted the patience of
General Grant. In any event the news is
gratifying that he has commenc ed active opera
tons. 1t breaks the monotony of this long de-
lay in the commencement of the warlike work
of the great campaign upon which the hopes of
the country depend and which, we are con-
fdent, will be crowned with decisive victories
We have full faith that the forces and the re-
sources of General Grant and Admiral Porter
will be found equal to the task assigned them
and we believe that in regular and continuous
bombardmert they can reduce Vicksburg sooner
than by tedious strategical experiments. The
flooded condition of the Mississippi, while it
offers unusual advantages for gunboat opera
tons, involves a condition of the sacred soil y
along its shores decidedly unfavorable to ope-
rations by land. Admiral Porter must, there
fore, clear away some of the rebel bat
teries in 'front.' to give q foothold to
the soldiers of General Grant, or the
after will probably have to fall back upon the
iificult enterprise of an inland movement from
lbove to gain the rear Of Vicksburg. Hence
W. are gratified to learn that the mortar feet
has been brought into play to open a passage
nto the town from the front; for we believe
hat Porter has the men and the metal compe-
ent to do the work.
We have no very late advices from the forces
If the Banks expedition, the rendezvous of
which at our last accounts was Baton Rouge.
We do not imagine, however, that they are idle,
,ut that they are preparing to try the strength
# the rebel defences at Port Hudson. These
may involve vast amount of
abor, including, perhaps, another 'cut-of'' or
wo, whereby the Banks expedition may pass
Up to the support of Grant and Porter or bring
hem down to a combined attack upon Port
Hudson.
There has been for some days an ominous
ilence prevailing in regard to Charleston and
Savannah. We may, however, at any moment
'eceive the tidings that active operations have
,een commenced against the one or other Of those
titles. The time has arrived when every days
lelay is day lost to us, and day gained by
he enemy, in that quarter, in view Of the APP
preaching sckly season; and, as under the
most favorable circumstances the capture of
or Savannah must be to some ex-
tent the work of a siege, the work must very
soon be commenced, or, unfinished, we may be
to haul off to repair damages and
wait for the first frost"
The Army of the Potomac and the Army of
the Cumberland meantime are, from sheer ne
cessity awaiting the drying of the land and the
hardening of the roads which lead them
into "Dixie." With the assurances. how
ever, that the troops Of General Hooker
and those of General Rosccrans are now
in the best possible condition in every
respect for active campaigning, we, too, may
await in patience the northwest winds which are
to put them in motion. With these three great
land and naval expeditions, and those two great
armies commanded by and composed of tried
and experienced soldiers and sailors, now in
front of the enemy in Virginia, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, we with
hold all spsculations and conjectures Of the fu-
ture except the anticipation Of the most glorious
results.
Granted that we have an incompetent set of
officials in the War Office at Washington, and
that they have committed whole budget of
blunders in their plans aud combinations for