The Hillsborough recorder., 1863-01-14

months later !. would have been regarded
as an insignificant skirmish. II struck a
gloom TO every Southern heart which we
can now afford to smile at, and sent cor
Responding thrillof joy through the North.
The New York Herald. Of the day, CON-
men,ing upon The affair. expressed the
nplnlon that the rebels would in conse-
qurnce sue for peace by the lst Of the then
ensuing May! The depression occasionrd
by this mishap continued through the re-
mainier Of the month. though our arms had
met with some considerable successes on
The Florida Coast, and was only dispelled
BY. the intelligence Of Gen. Prices yicto-
rirs At Boonvillp, Missouri, on the Ist of
February. as
But February, which had dawned so
brightly, soon became overcast, and disas-
iers befel The Confederate arms fas, ami
heavy.
On the 9th Fort Henry, on the Cumber-
land river. was taken, and on the 9th
Burnside captured Roanoke Island, after 4
very irfiing Resistance BY the garrison, who
consisted of q pnrfion of the Wise Legion
and some Nor,h Carolina Troops. With
The fall Of Roanoke Island, The enemy Oh.
talned quiet possession Of all the neighbor-
ing coast Of N. c.
On The i4th of February, after two days
oi battle such as at that time had never been
equalled upon this continent. the enemy,
BY diat ef overwhelming numbers and The
material aid Of his gnnbuats, compelled the
surrender Of Fort Donelsun and the greater
par, Of il garrison. The desperate charac-
Ter of The battle which preceded surrender
Can be inferred from the acknowledged fact
that the enemy's loss exceeded the whole
number ot the Confederate forces al that
poinf
Though these terrible disasters filed the
naiinn with terror and alarm. there Is now
No d"ubt they we're blessings in disguise.
Our Government, had undertaken the i'm
possible task of defending cosst and from
tier thousands of miles in extent against
an enemy Of grestly superior numerical
strength and possessing all the advantages
Of powerful navy. II now. for the first
time, seemed 10 awaken 10 The dangers of
the attempt. Against such policy Of de-
fence the Yankee Anaconda must have been
successful. Ii became apparent that our
only hope OF safety consisted in contracting
our lines Of defence. consolidating our scat
tered iorces into twn or mnre great armies,
ard BY sudden and vigorous blows breaking
The long back of the reptile.
The resistance al Donelson was protrsci-
sd just long enough 10 permit the esacua.
tlon ni Bowling Green by Gen. Johnston.
which took place on The following day.
On The 18th Of february the lasf of the
Conir,lera,es had evacuated Nashsille, and
the Yankees took possession. There Is
little doubt that the inhabitants have seen
cause % regret that they preferred 4 sur.
render, with ANDY Johnson as military 70.
yernar, 10 bombardment.
G,n. Johnston by railroads and forced
marches hurried to form junction with
Beauregrrd. WIN having a mnnih belnre
been removed from The army oi Northern
Virginia 70 the command ii the Depart.
ment u the Mississippi, was withdrawing
III troops frum Columbus.
Oh The very tIsy that Nashville vas given
VII III AIf fWNMN Hlf tnFlFN W.T. NibNWliHNN
Il Sugar Greek, Missouri, anil val Verde.
New Mexico. and great storm was scat.
tsiing Burnside. fleet on Tie Atlantic.
On the s2,l oi February President Davis
sas inaugnrated al Richmond. The day.
like The hearts Of our people. was gloomy,
and The inaugural ceremony took place
amid i tremendous snow storm. Still, the
installation of the President was gratifying
10 tic nation. fhc Yankees had buasttd
that he should never be inaugurated at
Richmond. and il was Thought that affairs
would be managed with greater yigor by The
permanent Government.
zfhc first joy the nation knew sprang
IRON the unexpected appearance. and glo-
rious victory of our unriyalled Virginia
over the Yankee frigates Cumberland and
Congress, and steamer Minnesota, in Hamp
ton Roads, on the Sih Of March; and her