The New York herald., 1863-09-06
The Military situation In Tennessee
The Theatre OF War.

The Theatre OF War.
The telegrapb;c intelligence from East Ten
nessee which we published yesterday is highly
important General Burnside, on the left, who
is cooperating with General Rosecrans in stra.
tegical and fankng movements, captured Kings
ton on the I'd inst; and that is grand point
gained. See map on the first page.
All Eastern Tennessee, except the Chatta-
nooga region, has been abandoned by the
rebels and is now free. Meantime General
Rosecrans, on the right, has crossed the
Tennessee, and in brief time both
armies will close in behind Bragg at Chat
tanooga, unless he speedily evacuates that
stronghold and falls back into Georgia. He is
not in sufficient strength to come out and fight
Rosecrans on fair ground. He cannot give him
battle except in defensive position. But
when Rosecrans and Burnside shall have
united their forces Bragg will find him
self as little able to resist as Pemberton
was at Vicksburg, or Lee in Maryland.
If he holds his ground bis whole army will
be captured. 1t is not probable, therefore,
that he will wait to give battle after his posi-
ton is turned; and it is stated that everything
of value is being already moved away by rail-
road from Chattanooga. He will retreat to At
lanta, and still further back if pushed by the
not disguise from ourselves that they have
hard road to travel, and that in proportion as
their lines of communication are extended will
be the difficulty Of defending them and the
necessity for an increased force. BIT the re-
ward of success will be great
By the success Of this movement, in copjunc-
ton with the movement in Arkansas, by which
Steele and Blunt will place themselves in the rear
Of Price, and cut off the rebel army there from its
base or compel it to fight or retreat into Texas,
the whole territory west Of the Mississippi will
be set free from the rebel dominion, for the ope-
rations Of the insurgents in Texas amount to little
or nothing and once isolated, the rebels there
arms and not only the territory west Of the
Mississippi but the vast tract east Of the
Father Of Waters to a straight line running
from Mobile to Fredericksburg, will be eman-
cipated from the grusp Of rebellion. How
narrow is the strip Of territory along the coast
thus left to JEFF. Davis may be seen by looking
| at the map Of the United States.
The only hope OF the Confedera!es is in their
army Of Virginia. BY giving up other points
and contracting their lines they can make that
army sufficiently strong for offensive operations,
and great success would to great ex-
tent, nentralize our victories and triumphant
marches elsewhere. II is not only possible,
therefore, but extremely probable, that Lee
is now preparing third offensive campaign
against the North, having for his objective
point the city Of Washington. 1t would
require very large force to accomplish his
purpose; but If the rebel generals should pur-
sue the strategy indicated he could undoubted-
ly have such force; and as the success of the
campaign would put the rebellion on its legs
again for at least another year, 1t certainly
would be worth the risk to the desperate mill
tary and political leaders Of the confederacy.
That something of that kind must be done i'm
mediately, or the whole concern will collapse, is
evident to every one who takes even the most
superficial view Of the subject. The weather is
now flt for military operations, and warm work,
therefore, may soon he expected in Virginia or
one last effort will make terrible onslaught.
If he fails this time all is over with the rebel
lion. II he wins he will postpone for some
time the day Of its dissolution. But that he
win be defeated, as before, We have no doubt
The prestige is against him. He always fails
in INVASION; and, what is more, he has never
been successful since he lost Stonewall jack
son, his right arm in battle.
Meantime we hope the authorities at the
Wcr Department are fully alive TO the great
ness Of the crisis which is now upon them,
and that they will not have their preparations
still to make when the enemy is again thunder
Ing on the banks OF tho Potomac.
Az EXAMPLE WORTHY or IMITATION. BY a
telegraphc despatch from Cincinnati, which we
published yesterday, il appears that Spellman,
charged at Dayton. Ohio, with shooting with
intent to kill, has been surrendered to the civil