Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-05

! Under the head of " "Another Grea
Battle" the New York Neacs, Ben Wood
peace organ, thus discourses of th,
victory Of. Chattanooga ,
Another battle has been fought, anC
fortune perches en- the Fe6er,l standard
| The modest dispatch of Gen. Grant II
the Department at Washington may b,
accepted as the truth Its very modestl
gives assurance of truth. He has gain
ed a triumph for the Federal arms, anC
about finished General Braxton Bragg
personally. The results not unexpect
ed. The Federals have two great geuer
| ais in that battle-Gen. Grant and Gen
Bragg. If the first skillfullya turned tc
advantage the mistakes of his adversary,
the latter invited defeat by those mis-.
/ takes. Fhe country then may congratu.
late itself not less that the Federal army
has Grant, than that the Confederate
boast Of a Bragg. For, undoubtedly il
| the skill of the one had but partially
compassed success, the incompetency OF
the other was certain to make that sue
cess complete. Now, since the doughty
| Bragg has so nearly ruined the cause of
his people, probably Mr.. jefferson Davis
will ralieva b;rs .fL:---x----------l--
star has long been paling, and at last has
gone down in disaster and gloom. He
will be heard of no more during the war !;
.heis finished, and Grant was his fin
isher.
The battle was somewhat of an impro-
yisation, and q very good performance it
has been. The Federal commander did
not design an attack at so early date,
for his army was not in very good eondi-
ton. But Bragg's fatal error in detach-
ing Longstreet's corps promised great
advantages, if not a great victory. Grant
improved the chance and achieved both
He has driven the enemy from Lookout
Mountain, which allows uninterrupted
railroad communication with Chattanoo-
ga; he has forced the enemy's retreat,
with the ever attendant decentralization,
if not Reorganization. Longstreet is
menaced, and Burnside probably reliev-
ed; and finally, to these may be added
the capture of great number of prison
ers, artillery, and munitions of war.
Could Gen. Grant follow up this blow, it
would shake the C6hfederacy to its CEN
ter. But as there are limits of endu-
rance in suffering, so there are limits to
the capacity of Gen. Grant to improve
his victory He is deficient in cavalry,
fcod and transportation, without which
he cannot pursue his retreating foe for
any distance. Soldiers must eat as we'll
as fight; and the commissariat depart
ment of the army of the Cumberland is
not yet in the condition to furnish the
necessary food.
The victory is important. The report,
however, that Bragg's army has been
routed, must be taken cum grano sails.
A well disciplined army is rarely routed.
1t may be beaten, its colums broken, but
it soon finds rallying point Rose
Grams centre was broken at tChicamauga;
his army was beaten, but it wes not rout-
ed. We also doubt that Longstreet's
corps is in any danger. Bragg has pro-
baby retreated toward Dalton, his right
wing covering Cleveland, Tennessee, be-
tween which points there is railroad COM
munication. The same road extends to-
ward Lopdon. which is LonnStrsat,s base
of operations. He can, no doubt, effect
a junction with the main army if his
own danger of Braggs necessity shall
demand it; and with that accession to
his force, Bragg, or more likely new
commander, will prepare for another
conflict If, however, flank movement
of Sherman shall have severed Long
streets from Bragg's army, he will raise
the siege of Knoxville, and retreat
through East Tennessee to Virginia.
We repeat, his commands in.no danger.
How this defeat may effect the Con-
federacy is determined by the past.
1t is but another battle fought and lost,
to be followed by others to be lost or
won. 1t is many thousands of brave
men slaughtered; and thousands of wo-
men and children will mourn the loss of
those they loved. 1t is another red spot
on the map to mark where battle was
fought; is another red stain on the page
of our history which nothing can ever
wash out 1t may be step nearer sub
jugation-it is step further from re-
union.