Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-01-13
Tnc yIcKsBURG CAMPAIGN.

rnc yICksBURG CAMPAIGN.
The army sent down to take V'cks-
burg numbered about $4,000 strong,
and was backed BY = feet Of newly
constructed iron. clsds that were deemed
mos, effective. With oil this force il
was calculated with great degree OF
certainly, that Vicksburg would fall
The result is precisely opposite from
that counted upon.
A. far a. We have been able to learn,
the entire expedition has been a miser-
able failarc. The military force Wa
foolishly inadequate. For months the
rebel. had been engaged in great fore.
in terrifying. Their entertainments IN
the rear Of the city were OF the strong
e., kind. In order 10 overcome them
il would require at least ten FsdcraIs to
one rebel. Aside from all this NC have
vet TO learn that cur gunboats, which
were constructed for the bombardment
and demolition OF The rebel Notifications,
took any Elective part IN the assault
Whatever. The only good that the,
have done, that we know of, Is that oil
.belling the rebels when they were
crowdng our troops too near the va
ter. Any wooden eratt mounted with
cannon. could have done ss much q, one
,hous andlh part OF the expense. Tn.
experiment has Teen costly one. We
sppfehend that the for,ihcstions there
are OF too high an elevation TO be reach
ed by the guns shoai q these boats, and
that before the irou-clads be Of any real
service there, they will have TO lie re
modelled considerably.
The campaign against Vicksbure
forces US to this conclusion That wher
that point is captured it will have to b,
done principally by infantry, aud at Al
immense loss OF life. Our loss already
amounts TO some three or four thousan,
men, to say nothing OF the millions
dollars spent in organizing the capedl
ton. This III de OF conducting assaults
upon rebel suongholds is altogether toe
much like child's play.
"Argus," in Washington letter pub.
lished in Saturdays Chicago journal,
writes as follows
at 10 not officially known as TO the
result OF the operations At Nlck-butg.-
lis capture, however, is only regarded
rs question OF time. 1t is mistake
10 beiieve that the surrender OF Weeks
burg gives Us the undispuled possession
and use Of The Mississippi. Port Had
son, wh'ch is situsted about TWENTY-FIVE
niles above Baton Rouge, on bluff
some four hundred feet high, is by lar
the strongest point On the rlver. The
rebels supposed Island No. 10 ths most
deiensi6le point on The river, but after
they were driven of Of that Glbfalt-r.
they searched the whole length OF tn
river 10 lind place OF such natural al
yaptsges that il could be made mpreg-
nabie as well 10 an attack by water a-
bv land. The river front Of Port Ilud
soa is strong fortified, and as the riyer
makes bead At this point, the batteries
extend over three mies, and tie guns,
which are OF the largest csl,sre, COM
mand the river for much greater Dis
lance. The Notifications are construct
ed on the Great OF ridge, which slopes
towards the RIVER, and llkews. inland.
III the gnn-boats open upon the iortt-
cations NJ long range, 50 that they car
use smell, the chances are that the shell
viii roll over the top, doing little dam.
age. IT, on tho contrary, the boats sp.
proach near enoagi 10 euab,e them to
use Canister and Crap, the guns canno,
he elevated sufficiently to reach the for
tlhcsiions. lmmiateiy behind the bat
terles, on the top OF the ridge,,here is a
series OF small "bIscult hills" on which
"fed2ns" have been built. These doa-
ble-faeed esrthwoiks are v,ry s,ronu.
ani can ony be taken by storm. A mile
or more Inland there is swamp,
through which batteries cannot IL
moved, an. which nus; be crossed. ii
somc way or other, before an attack can
be made on the Qualifications OF Por,
Hudson. La view OF the hlly chatac.
ter VI the couutry near Por, Hudson,
tae nature OF the earthworks, and the
calibre o: the guns there, venture the
preicton tina, II that place is carried
BY storm, the loss OF life will be great.
er IN prop ,r,ion to the number of troops
that can b4 advantageously used, than
IN any battle o. the war
Ink PAssAIo DIsABLED. The I'm.
welcome intelligence OF the damages
sustained 10y the Passaic, will be 10 uud
IN another column. 1t is fast bslno