Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-07-24


certain amount Of the enemy's property; by the
other we lose not only property. but prestige
II vIcksburg falls, what will be the conse-
quence? The Confederacy will be cut into
two parts. Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas,
placed beyond the reach of succor or support,
the Mississippi river yielded to the Yankee, the
State Of Mississippi given up to raids and ruin,
and Johnston forced to fall back to the Bigbee
river, and perhaps to the Alabama. These re-
suits will surely follow the capture of Ficks-
burg, and yet we doubt If many persons give
more than a passing thought to the subject
1--WE learn, indeed, through the telegraph
that all is going on well; that Kirby smith :
Youns's Point, that Johnston has possession OF
Union Bluff, on the Yazoo. and that the Yam
KEGS have abandoned Grand Gulf If all this
is so, then our forces are not only in front and
rear, but on both TANKS of Grants army, and
his capture would be merely question OF
time. But are these reports truel Are they
reliable! We have eur doubts on the subject
reliable are those which come to us from Jack
SON. The operator of the Press Association ut
that place seems to be the most credulous NOR
tai alive, and does not hesitate to send dis
patches in all directions that are perfectly
ridiculous"
The same editor SAYS in another article:
cit will be seen the q that we are in the midst
OF events of the most important character.
Turn In any direction and we see the camp fires
blazing, and hear the tramp of cavalry, the
rattle OF infantry, and the thunder of cannon.
The month of July may decide our fate, for if
we are victorious, if we whip the enemy from
our country, and prove that we can success
fully invade his own, then we may regard the
crisis over, and our independence achieved.
&c Since the foregoing was in type our dis.
patches reporting the fall OF Vicksburg and the
battle OF Gettysburg have come to hand. They
speak tor themselves, and if they did not, we
have no time TO comment. We presume, no w-
ever, that even the authorities at Richmond
will agree with US, that, If there was an army
III "a haa,
divided between Bragg and Pemberton, thus
making sure of victories in Tennessee and
mississippi, instead of invading the enemy's
country-whIch at best was very hazardous
experiment"
BRAGG's DEFEAT.
Inc same paper speaks as follows of the
situation in Tennessee:
sThe latest reports in regard to Bragg's army
place it at Bridgeport, and that he inten is
making the south bank of the Tennessee his
future line of defense. II this report proves to
be trne, 1t will have very unhappy effect on
our prospects in that quarter, for Middle Ten
nessee will be overrun by the enemy, and the
war drawn into North Alabama. What in
duced Gen. Bragg to make this retrograde move
ment we cannot say, unless 1t was that Rose
GRAMS had been heavily reinforced, butt strikes
us that it would have been better for Bragg to
have stood his ground and fought at Tulla-
homa. In fact we had confidently relied on
his delivering battle in Tennessee from the
rumors which reached us, and from the follow.
Ing statement Of the Chattanooga Rebel OF the
22d ult.:
"We have it from good authority that Bragg
mas gwen his men the sacred assurance OF a
soldier that he will never cross the Tennessee
river without one of the bloodiest battles of
the war. He means to fight Rosecrars son the
square, and he has every confidence in being
able to drive him and his whelps beyond the
border"
THE FIELD.
From the Mobile Weekly Tribune, July 1871
"Vicksburg fell on the 9TH instant. General
IL a. ha not ~, has
OF War on the eth instant. Thus three DAYS
elapsed before the Government was informed
OF the calamity, and, we suppose, before John
ston knew it. It would seem that the moment
the news was received Gen johnson fell back
toward Jackson.
ssThe great question to us is as to the course
Grant intends to take. The telegraph-but that
is not to be relied on for this kind of ipforma-
tion-says that he sent ten thousand men to the
assistance of Banks, and ten thousand up the
river to aid in removing the forces Of Price and
others; He left fifteen or twenty thousand at
served for his own command, and was going
toward Jackson. Perhaps his army numbers
forty or fifty thousand men, as the remainder
10 operate In mississippi What course will he
take May he not strike for Selma, while he
expects Rosecrans to draw Bragg of, take
Chattanooga, and move down toward Mont
gomery? II this be the plan, it is bold enough,
trous enough. Mobile would be then at the
mercy OF the enemy without firing a gun into
1t. We should be controlled by the force
which compelled Pemberton to lay down his
arms.
sThis is drawing a very dark picture, which
resembles, after fashion, one that we find cir
culated extensively on the streets. But its
probability is in the assumption that Bragg
will be annihilated, ard that Johnston has no
army to help himself with.
"What is the strength of our army, taking
in all the forces on and contiguous to the Mis-.
sissippi, including Prices command, and omit
ting that OF Magruder, who Is supposed to be
not far off! 1t is estimated at nearly 80 OlO
without counting Pemberton's garrison This
is not large number, and it is SO divided that
the largest part Of 1t massed-that is, Johnson's
army-may be considered equal to the whole.
In other words, Johnston has the only force
under his command that stands as a barrier to
the progress of Grant. Kirby Smith is on the
other side of the river. The fall of Vicksburg
relieves him. and he can now move at will to
the most endangered part of the field, if he can
cross the river.
ave lack troops beyond doubt; and it will
presently, perhaps, be found that the true pol.
cy is to withdraw every man from Arkansas in
order to meet the emergency which seems TO be
about to present itself in Mississippi, Alabama
and Georgia.
1.-The danger of this movement shows that
people not now in the army must prepare to
help themselves. The armies called out for
State defense must be relied on. How much
better it would have been if they had been
called out two or three months apoI,