Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-02-10
THE FEDgaAL ARME-THRIR


FHR FEDERAL ARWTEs-PHEER
STRENGTH.
For the purpose Of cheering up the drooping
spirits Of The d-sspondent Eorihernsrs, the Gin
cinnae Cemmsrcial, Of ihe S5th, has = boastfa
aTdcle, which probably gives some facts that W.
of the South may IS vel heed. Its glorifea
lions, or congratulations to its followers, ar'
not Of tho deeds Of the past; the triumphs are
prospecive-they have yet 70 be achieved-but
according to that journal, they are certain Of az
sompliskmsat We may regard the statement:
as to the means to be used to accomplish the
Pnpdiotsd results As somewhat truthful, and pre-
pare accordingly; as to The nlfllment Of the
prophecies, We may well question if We are pre-
pared for the emergency.
As the Commsreial views the situation, there
sre three grand divisions Of the Federal army.
There are in the East, comprised in the army
of the Potomac and that Of North Carolina,
more than two hundred and fifty thousand fight
ing men % they "~outnpmbsr he rebels two to
one, and are their superiors in everything ex-
cept Ia The advantages that belong to those who
act on the defensive This much is claimed
fcy TIE Eastern division, aud Il is asserted that
"witb something Ike military management, a
decent degree Of generalship, and weather in
which the roads ars not absolutely impossible,
Richmond and Raleigh can be gobbled up sPaed-
lily and with ease. In the center, RosECRAEz'
department, Ii is stated there are one hundred
thousand fighting men, and with these, and 3
years supplies at Nashville, iti thought Gen.
Brace should not only find his present position
untsBsble, bat sretreat across the Tennessee q
task Of The greatest diheulty."
On the Western line, i vi may believe the
Commercials estimates, the preparations are
equally Formidable. We do not know, % says
that journal, tbst we co1ld reasonably ask
additional strength on The Mississippi river
Ttst strength Is stated to be zone hundred
Thousand Of the best fighting men inthe world,
supported by sn immense feet Of gunbOats'
This army is 8 formidable one, and large ex-
peotstons sre entertained, for It is added: IF
General Grant fails to conquer Vieksbug, It
must be through sheer mismanagement He
has q gigantic srmsda, and an army ont num-
bsTing that Of Napoleon 81 AUsierlitz, or Vel
Hngton at Waterloo. The fs1 Of vieksburg viii
cut of the trans-Mississippi rebel States from
those of the East, and Grant can march tium-
Phanily to the capital Of Mississippi. Tho enc
my may be expected to make 8 desperate stTug
gle before reliuquishing their hold upon the
Mississippi river, bus the resources which We
hsve s7silabls at the point Ct contset are so
much superior TO theirs, that its questioning the
.soldisrly qualities Of our men . doubt our ulti-
mate and complete victory
The statements Of the Conmsrciag as 10 the
extent Of the preparations that have been made
to fulfil is prophecies, probably approzimats the
real figures, and these we Should not disregard
We may place ourselves in position to leagh at
these predictions Of success, but We believe We
shall only Be justified in doing SO wien We mske
every possible ezertion 10 Iepel the mighty host
50 confidently preeipi.aaed upon Us. Whether
orr government apprecistes the strength Of the
foe that is noss attempting cur su~6}agaton, and
is preparing accordingly, OF Hhsther cur waist
ing forces have been reinforced to the utmost
possible extent with the means now c~ontTola-
bla, we do not know. We do know, however,
what we have 70 resist We know, too, that We
have undsrraled tie enemy before, and over ss-
fimated ourselves, with The most fatal results.
Let lot these lessons be forgotten. We have
soldiers enough a! commsnd If We use them
So ws are told, st least By our officials. We
oanHoi Be driven from Y~ieksbuTg," is the sssu-
rance given to the pu5dc. This may not be-
inseed, We Do not believe is-boasing but We
would make Ii csrtain-we would provide against
every contingency likely to produce such e re-
We are forewsrnsd-ws need not be de-
as 70 The magnitude Of the work before
a. Let Us employ every moment Of time in
completing our preparations, and by the time
our enemy makes the changes in his plans be-
Wicksburg, thst The high waters have IN
dOObteily made necessary, we can 60 situate
o~urselyes as to be entirely eOnfdeRt- Until we
do 80 we cannot afford to boast Of the future.