The Shasta courier., 1863-01-24
Importarce Of the Mississippi.


At last the death struggle has commenced,
nd both sides are in full understanding OF
be importance Of the Mississippi river to
ach. Throughout the war, except the forts
Tecaptured on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts,
and the taking If New Orleans with the de-
fences st the mouth Of the Mississippi, the
Federal cause has achieved but slight cub
stantial advantages in the contest In Vir-
ginia, notwithstanding the vigoroue and stu
pendous fighting, the struggle has been for
prestige alone We desired to expel the Con
federare Congress from their capital. they to
hold on 20 it and in either case success must
be more beneficial to the parties succeeding
in a moral than q physical point of view.
On our side, if we merely take Richmond
without capturing the army which defends it
the victory will be rs empty as that of Boro-
dino to Napoleon; for it will take the whole
field force now under Burnside, to garrison
and hold the towns in Eastern Virginia,
while the rebel army would be as powerful
as ever, and might cut up our scattered di-
Aisions in detail With less number of men
than would be required to capture Richmond
and hold the towns and cities between the
Rappahannock and the Roanoke, the Federal
Government may capture Vicksburg and clear
the Mississippi of rebel enemies. Burnside
nay remain inactive in Eastern Yirginir
without especial damage to the loyal States !;
but inaction on the Mississippi will be fatal
to our cause. The Northwest, as we stated
ten days ago, will not endure the blockade of
that great and sole artery of their trade
The rebel leaders understand this matter
as well as ourselves On the 26th of Decem-
Der, jefferson Davis, in speech to the Mis-
sissippi Legislature, warned them that
Vicksburg and Port Hudson must be held at
all hazards; that to lose these points would
be to endanger the success of the Confeder-
ate cause and that to hold them, will make
the people of the Northwest restive under the
Government, and prepare their minds through
the arguments of suffering interests, for terms
of peace with the South. Hence we may be-
lieve the report that the rebels have concen-
trated hundred thousand men at Vicks-
burg, and that Banks and Grant and both
the fleets, under Porter and Farragut, are
destined for immediate operations against
that place and the army defending it. II
they succeed in destroying the works at
Vicksburr, and beat the rebel army there,
the Mississippi will again be opened to the
Northwest, and the danger of detection re
moved The chances Of success are greatly
in our favor. The gun-boats, above and be-
low the town will cut off supplies from the
West. while they can cut off communication
on the Yazoo from the north. The army OF
Vicksburg must soon be forced to an open
field fight, or starve. The plan of the cam
paign on our side, appears to be so arranged,
that the rebels shall be simultaneously en-
gagged at all points. Thus Rosecrans is
watching and following up Bragg $4,000
men are threatening Raleigh and Whining
ton a large force is ready to strike at Charles
ton and Savannah Burnside holds Lee fast
at fredericksburg; while Banks and Grant
are ready to attack Johnston at Vicksburg
All are prepared to move at once. The reb-
els, however, have their hopes set upon car
rying the day on the Mississippi, and to that
end, no doubt have run the risk of weakening
| themselves in other quarters. Their late at
tack upon Springfield was an admirable
fent to hold the forces of General Curtis in
Missouri, and prevent the reinforcement Of
our Generals at Vicksburg. Generals Grant
aud Banks oan probably bring into the field a
force Of fl0,000 men 10 match against the
| 100, 900 under Johnston but if the rebels
choose to run the risk of losing these places,
they can bring up, perhaps 10000 more
troops from Mobile and Savannah. To match
these, there are thousands of Union soldiers
| Quartercu at Cincfhifsstl> lnufaIapoiis, aiiu
! other larger towns in the West, who have
never vet been brought into the field.
| Everything indicates that grand and de
cisive battle will soon be fought at Vicks
burg. With million soldiers under arms
it is imposs bic that the rebels can outnum
ber us in this Important battle and if they
are beaten there, both Johnston and Bragg
must before spring opens, be hurled back in
to Alabama and Georgia. In that event th'
| trade Of the Northwest would be as unshack
led as that of the Middle States and New En-
gland, while the Southern States would b
severed and that great military engine, thei
railway system, would be broken at Chatta
nooga, at Jackson and at Columbus, Missis
sippi. Stockton Independent.