The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-03-15

THE CHANGING OF THE COURSE OF TIE
u MISSISSIPPI.
Wars often cause great changes in the
face OF the countries in which they take
place; but so great q change as the pros
pectlve one about TO occur in the Missis-
slppi valley has never yet been accom-
plished in the history of the world
Streams and even rivers have been turned
by investing armies, and victories won
by such course of strategy; but never
before has such an immense and power
full body Of water been changed out of
lis course as is now contemplated in this
region. Napoleon in his maxims recon-
mends the using of streams as a means
of either offence or defence, but there is
no record of his turning a river for hun
dreds of miles from its natural bed, or
of his opening an entirely new route of
navigation by the same means
CYRUS TURNED THE EUPHRATEs AND CON-
oUERED BABYLON.
In ancient history we find that Cyrus,
while commander Of the army of the
Msdes and Persians, conquered Babylon
by turning the course of the Euphrates,
after having laid seige TO the city for. over
two years. Taking advantageof great an
nual Babylonish festival, when the whole
city was engaged in reveling, he ordered
the artificial bank of the Euphrates to be
cut away, by which action the river
passed off into another direction. This
river, when flowing along its regular
course, passed under the walls Of the
fortified city, and being drained, left an
unguarded entrance into Babylon along
its bed. Two columns of troops then
entered the place by this channel aud
without opposition, and thus Babylon
fell.
HOW THE DUTCH DEFEATED THE sPANIARDs.
The Dutch on one occasion defeated an
invading army by changing the course of
their streams. During the Spanish in
vasion of Holland in the sixteenth CEN
fury, the natives, TO drive out the enemy,
cut a number Of thesdykes, with which
the country abounds, and let the waters
overflow the lands to such an extent that
the march of the invaders was prevented.
OUR PREVIOUS EFFORTS IN LIKE STRATEGY.
During the present war our armies and
navy have made one or two attempts of
a similar nature. The stone fleet at
tempted to block up and change the chan
mel of the harbor of Charleston; but the
measure was comparatively failure, as
il only helped deepen instead Of destroy
ing the main channel. At New Madrid,
Mo-, canal was cut whereby the bayous
above aud below that place were con-
h..
made practicable from the Mississippi
above Island No. 10, to the same river
few miles below that point. This canal,
however, did not change the course OF the
main river, u merely opened new route
of travel. Il, however, helped mainly in
the reduction of the fortified Island and
like positions on the Kentucky shore,
which had previously bloekaded the Mis-
sissippi river. Military canals, and ca
nails constructed under the authority Of
military engineers, have been cut in times
Of peace, TO open up countries, or to avoid
rapids in rivers; but these did not directly
change the course Of the waters. They
merely made new routes.
THE PRESENT SCHEME,
But the present scheme which is occu-
pying the attention OF our armies and
fleets in the Southwest is Of far more
gigantic character. The mighty Father
Of waters is 10 DO partially turned out Of
its course, and closed up routes of navi-
cation are TO be again opened. Three
distinct plans of operation are now in
progress, each important " itself, but all
tending TO the same object, namely; the
reduction of Vicksburg.
LAKE PROVIDENCE CANAL ROUTE.
The principe. OF these movements, if
We take the extent OF country involved,
is the Great Union river 10 be formed by
the opening Of the Mississippi into Lake
Providence. By referring 10 our map it
will be seen that the lake 10 a few miles
south Of the COMMUNICATIONS line.
II is situated Ia Carroll parish, Louisiana,
aud lies about one mile west OF the Mis-.
sissippi river, which, without doubt
once flowed through the bed Of che lake
Ii is about six miles in length, aud from
Il leads tpo, a. the present time, not un-
important streams, viz; the Tensas river
and tho Bayou Macon. AZ the lower oK-