The New York herald., 1863-09-12
Letter from Hon. W. c. Diyes,

NY lrsr SIa-I learn from you with great regret that
some o orr eioir cscns good deal discouraged 6y
recent sre' military operations while you Yourself
am glad to sc2, retain your accustomed ercctnrss
buoyance oc spirit Are We not in some degree the
spoiled children o TINT marvellous good ortunc which
by the gracious Of God has for tho most part
attended u since tho commencement Of this gigantic
conflict And have not onr long
they have been unstrung minds the discipline
of those Occasional revcrses which none hope to
escape amid the ircyorable vicissifrdes of WARP
When recolect, merely The disparity Of numbers
and material nth between and adversarias but
Y a ~ M s S as % e a1 army s ana navy ANY
contributions o. the entire linton for period OF seventy
odd years that all those branches OF manufacturing in.
dustry, most essential 10 the operations Of had been
long established and in fa activity with them and that
at che same time they had the advantage Of open and
unrestricted intercourse with the rest Of the world
supply any deficiency which might exist in their
sources while at the commencement of the war, we had
not ship or soldier. were without the munitions Of
war, any existing establishment for furnishing them
even 10 percussion caps, and cut OF from al foreign
plies by the blockade o our whole coastthe ezten, ana
magnitude OF what we have accomp ishcd ought to be
matter ot great asonshnent to ourselves, II Is OF
special wonder 10 tho other nations Of the earth. With
all these odds against what long and dazzling roll OF
victories have we furnished FOR tho pen OF the future
historian Of the
Virginia, embracing the seat n government Of the con
fedeaey has been the selected object against which the
most formidable aud imposing enterprises OF the enemy
nave been directed How .'lnme and mpotent the con
clnson 81 all these vautcd expeditions, SO often and
pompousy gotten M Cor the capture cf Richmond the
subjugaon of virginia, let cthel, Manassas, Iecsburg
IN the iirs year of the war-the plains OF WILLIAMSBURG
the bloody panorama OF battle eds around the nelol.
cured capital The blaze Of successive victories with when
Jacks lighted up the valley OF the Shenandoah from
Earper's Ferry 20 Fort Republc Cedar Mountain Manas.
again the closing and overwhelming discontinue at
Fredericksburg tie second year of the war ana the
grand rogt after four days continuous conflict az Chan
cellorsvc and Marye's Heights present year fol
lowed BY the enemys third expulsion from the valley
let these memorable fields with their solemn and truth
fvl voices, tell.
During this period too. the army Of Northern Virginia,
under It's lrstrous leader, made two bold success
ful incuso1s into the enemys territory levied contri
buttons upon ~ battle TO his concentrated cgons
his soil, gripping and nhcting heavy losses upon
him and then returned leisure attitude
Of calm defiance aud proud inviucbty at home. Such
Is general outline q the history Of the war on the At
hntic side or thecoucdcracy. outskirts and ragmena.
ry portions OF territory have, in some Instances, been
Temporarily and reluctantly abandoned TO tho enemy
notsustyuG the attempt TO defend them, nj the risk ~
the central and important portions but In
has the heart grand interior Of the territory been yet
penetrated
In the valley n the Mississippi the Of events has
been more checkercd by alternate good and bad fortune
Springfield, Columbus, shloh and oven Murfreesboro
noble successes Tor Fort Dpnsi, C0rntt, Neg
ORLEANS, recall the remembrance of.sdd disdrrs: 10
sis has ben rcen,y ddd ne toss II rict burn and Port
Hidtrn. have no disposition 10 exenuate the gravity
any of these disasters but, looking at them their
very worst aspect there is nothing any all Of them
u give rise TO feeling Of despoadency The enemy
far from the Inject he had in yiew-the free and
unmolestcd navigation o the Mississippi Tor
frercni purposes rs tanks n accessible for hundreds
a. miles '0ihin our tcycyto sdrpshoors aud
az os1es thdi can and ,el pcr1 ne g1 of the rirer
commerce. The inhabitaots Of the country more
reused than by the Of tho enemy
doubled efforts VIII be made TO render his local
biotless 70 him. We have two powerful and noble
under Johnston and Bragg eastern side OF tho
river which strengthened daily by the Confede
rate conscripton and by the actous operation the
adjacent state governments while the western side o
Shs river the cnterpr sing and ndontabe command
OF price of Kirby smith o TAYLOR and or Magruder q
strike wherever the enemy may present himself.
When this situation n compared with the una
v1dablo reyerses and endless difficulties which brav
ancestors had 10 encounter and 20 eooss surmouuicd
IN ,ber struggle for Independence wha does not hi
srt rebuked al the slightest thought OF dscouragemen
uudar oar present Recollect tho cbndo
OF Washington In the sccond year OF the war Of the Rcvs
Iaion when, after successive and severe disasters
Long Island New York, at White Plains, and the os
c tort Washiugten the Hudson, with its garrison,
was compelled retreat through the Jerseys, "pushod
o. use his own expressive language, "from place
place. TIL we obliged u cross the Delawar
aud the reluctant confession was extorted fro
bs firm and manly breast, nat unless "a ne
army be speedily recruited the game spreity noarl
up'-even 10 this extremity there was no despondenc,
encouragement The pressure and magnitude OF N
danger only supplied energies Of action and siin
lated 10 redoubcd exerton and IN few davs the bri
liant achievements Of Trenton and prRceton redresse
the balance of victory.
~ every period ct the Revolutionary contest lars
portion Of territory ovsrruu and occupied by m
enemy. In the South, Greene was compelled 10 retl,
before CORVALLIS, as Washington had done before IN
rToNes ths North Georgia south Carolina Nor,b s,,r
Ina Virginia. each and all OF them east Of The p,r
Nnunia ns. ovcrrun for time by tho armies of ~
e,prv whiIc a tho chS cities the North and IN ii,
eJul- ros' Newport, Now York, Philadeipha. p,cl
r.,nd + rfolk, Wilmington, Charleston ard saya,nah.
were al. gaxer or shorter Poriod, " his posssssio,