The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-08-29
GaerrIllas.

HHftfStft+oe
Il lsss been the continued boast OF the
rebels that hey caa never be conquered
or sufsaza.ed You may break our
armies IN pieces, say they, " By over
wheisaing Numbers; you may capture
and hold our principal cities; you may
DESTROY our homes and property; you
NAY liserate all our slaves, bat still NE
win carry on the war We viii organize
ourselves into guerrilla parties, retire to
war BHtIfDsr aDtrsses arg sseesesrssi.sagea
and secured = This all reads well, aud
sounds vailieat, bat, when the difference
between rebel profession and perform
ance ia taken into consideration. must be
received with many grains Of allowance
They have promised 70 doa great many
things, whieb. szAeu put 70 the lest, they
failed 70 perform. They have had a
great many @iast bitches, ~hieh they
have not defended with that reckless IN
differences Of life we have been led to OK
peet from their poghseioas newspapers.
Colambus, Island No. 10. Fort Pillow
Aempais. yieksbsrg, Port Hadson--all
were % be handed down By history a.
american Thermopyies, defended By
more than Spartan courage bat, alas
when assaulted, these strongbo!ds we're
gjyen np--wiih. the exception Of t~o Of
them-with less Of . straggie aud almost
a. little bloodshed as sometimes IL spilled
By school boys 10 maintaing the dignity
of snow fort Gideon Pillow and Com
modore BrowG-the heroic defenders OF
Yazoo City-l,ow they have ragged, aud
how they have runi wH0H fHu
The Importance 10 be attached 10 the
rebel threats 81 guerrilla warfare may be
estimated by the manner in which other
threats lave been executed.
But really. If undertaken, viii a gter-
rilIa warfare pay those Who engage 10 10
II Il won't, the rebels will not indulge IN
il to any considerable extent Has il
paid thus far, while the grent bulk Of our
armies have been employed in besieging
foruesses. or have been concentrated 70
defeat the greatTebel armies in the 6eld2
rha -ansrrilles s.i,.s-= ..,ssi rllasfarf 4,.rav-
tuniiies for damage now--and have en-
joyed IN the psst--tiran they win here
after and what have they accomplished
What has been the fate Of those leaders
who gained the greatest lrepntaiion as
sHaJy aovre sioissragt4nyq5e ssBRase4l Ia
few Ofshsm are left to the rebels 10 tell
the story. one-by one they have been
killed or captured and their bands reut-
ed and dispersed Their beau IDEAL OF a
guerrilla. is lsadiag ae6eslort06s life in
State Penitentiary. Wheeler was
drowned in desperate attempt to escape
irom oar charging and victorious sol-
diers. Van Dorm was shot by an out
ragged husband McCann has been cap
tared 10 share the fate of Morgan; aud
last, the notorious jeff Thompson has
been overtaken in his evil doiags and is
now held - our prisoner Indeed Qaan.
trel aad Forrest appear to be the only.
leaders lea upon which the rebels can
hang ashope, and We predict ior the ior.
mer "ioK chase that will result in his
capture aad death. His raid upon Law
renee will prove one OF the most unior
tunais circumstances Cor the rebels that
has occurred during the war
A nation never has nor never wiIl
achieve independence by guerrilla fight.
ing. That species of warfare may be a
valuable adjunct ia connection. with en-
beavers ofgreater magnitude, but to rely
upon it alone is to lean upon broken
reed that viii pierce the hand. No bet
ter proof Of the utter hopelessness Of the
rebel cause can be adduced than the fact
that ihey depend as last resort upon
guerrilla 6ghtng which. in e5n6eesioa i
with the Copperhead demonstrations in
the free States, they seem 10 think viii
secure their Independence sa