The New York herald., 1863-05-25
The Fall OF Vicksburg.

| day, our readers were prepared for the glorious
| intelligence which we are enabled to announce
| this morning, that "the Stars and Stripes float
over vicksburg, and the victory is complete"
| This brilliant success of Grant redeems from
reproach the generalship which has hitherto
conducted our armies, and it opens o new era
in the war. The rapidity, skill and energy of
his movements, together with his indomitable
pluck and the fighting qualities of his troops,
evidently took the rebel generals by surprise,
and neither gave them time to concentrate
their forces nor to escape from being defeated
and dispersed or captured in detail. The pro-
liability is that the whole garrison, numbering
from $4,000 to 10000, remaining to the rebels
after their losses in killed and captured in the
previous fights, have been made prisoners Of
war, as were the garrison at Fort Donelson by
the same energetic commander.
This is undoubtedly the greatest victory of
the war. Its results, not only in a military, but
in moral and political point of view, arc of
the highest interest The rebel Congress and
rebel journals have recently held out to the
Northwest the free navigation Of the Mississippi
as bribe to induce that section of the republic
to swerve from its allegiance to the Union. But
they misunderstood the Northwest, which has
resolved to stand by the Union to the last, and
at the same time to recover the freedom Of the
Mississippi as an indefeasible right, and not as
boon at the hands of rebels in arms. By the
noble achievements Of its heroic troops the con-
quest has been wrought; by its best blood its
rights won-never again to be questioned. The
fall Of vicksburg, therefore, cannot foil to be
attended with vast moral and political effects.
Nor are the military consequences less i'm
portant. The capture Of New Orleans Is not to
be compared with 1t in real value, The possession
of Charleston would be of small moment when
weighed in the balance against such prize as
vicksburg. Richmond itself, as o strategic
point is Of inferior worth. By the acquisition
Of vicksburg Port Hudson necessarily falls in
brief time, If it does not surrender Immediately
| to the thunder Of Farragut. The safety Of
the army of Banks and of New Orleans is Sc
cured. The Mississippi is opened from Cairo to
New Orleans, and the navigation of the whole
river Is free from its head waters to its mouths.
The confederacy is cut in two. Missouri, Ar
kansas, Western Louisiana and Texas, which,
with the territory lying west of them, are equal
in area to the rest of the rebellious States,
are severed from the eastern side Of the
Mississippi and lost forever to the insurgents.
The theatre of the rebellion Is thus reduced to
one-half its dimensions by single blow, and
| the subsection of the remainder becomes an
easier task. The fate Of vicksburg involves
that of Mobile; for holding Jackson, as he does,
all General Grant has to do is to send small
force against Meridian, which is incapable Of
without fight BY this operation the confede-
racy would be again subdivided from the Gulf
to the Mississippi half way between Cairo and
New Orleans, and Alabama and the State Of
Mississippi would be again numbered among
the stars of the Union.
The complete control Of the Father of Waters
will give immense facilities for the conveyance
of troops and supplies and for operations by
movable columns on the flank and rear Of the
enemy, while he is pressed in front by our other
armies. Lastly the enormous supplies Of beef
| and other provisions derived from Texas, and
the contraband trade in arms, ammunition,
clothing and medicines by way Of Matamoros,
will be effectually cut of from the armies
Of Bragg, Johnston, Beauregard and Lee.
To permanently secure these advantages Vicks-
burg and Port Hudson must either be held by
garrisons Of Union troops, or the Notifications
must be destroyed and the rebels prevented, by
the activity Of our gunboats, from erecting
others either ut these points or elsewhere on the
river
In q strategic view the effect Of this dis
astrous defeat Of a portion Of the rebel army
will be 10 compel IL TO contract and draw in it
lines, which for q time will give II strength
Henccforward Chattanooga and Richmond viii
be the two great points to be defended. All the
rebel troops who escaped from Grant will
hasten 10 reinforce Bragg, so as to crusf
Rosecrans before reinforcements can reach
him. But II the War Department will only d.
its duty, that general can be reinforced NOR,
rapidly and TO q greater extent than Bragg
II the military authorities aud the War Depart
ment at Washington, instead of quarrellinI
over the campaigns In Kentucky and Tenncs
see. will promptly direct General Burnside I,
march upon Knoxville, the communication be
tween Lee and Bragg will be cut OF by way o
the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and th
latter will be compelled to fall back from hi
present line TO Chattanooga, 20 prevent hi
. flank being turned The two rebel generals
being thus deprived Of the means Of easily re
inlorcine each other, can be attacked separated
and In turn with overwhelming numbers, an
2 o speedy end rut % tbc war if the same enei
, ~ and ability are displayed by other Unio
generals that have been exhibited by Gran
in his Immortal campoirn Of three weeks.
THo rrsgoENr $50 uH PREss.--Thc publ
2 are Indebted % Fre&len. Lincoln Cor Tie eorl