Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-11-07
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A New Orleans correspondent Of the Herald, says

Nav Orleans correspondent of the Herald, sayA
sncs the reopening of the Mississippi river by the
canitulaton of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, and the
conse ouent severance OF the pseudo c1monation OF
States under the high sounding apPellaton OF The
Southern Confederacy that part OF the confederation
wing west of the river has figured in kind CT isolation
xhieh the insurgents at Richmond could not reach
This il fact in the case of armed assistance yet IN
communication by courier or letter there mas as YET
been no permanent interruption. la consideration OF
those facilities the enemy is able TO drect a. least,
not 10 assist the operations Of their troops west OF the
Mssissipp Until the present very little at,ennon,
however has been given by the rebo leaders 10 affairs
in this far of region. The threatening advances Oh
Rosecrans into Georgia, the demonstrations OF meade III
Vii gnia and the approaches Of Gilmore at charleston,
combined 10 keep their attention more closely riVeted
upon the things is near at handhan sac
r6ce themselves at home for the contamination OF an
extremely difficult and uncertain task ABROAD Accord
| in0Iv ali aorts of wild and unaccountable move
khents until the present. have been gong on VI
their Trans Mississippi Department Their military mat
terra however are now assuming condition controlled
Inv some of the principles Of military operations The
principle of combating armies by the concentration
of heavy bodies upon certain strategic points and the
evacuation or patrol oil the territory formerly
held has been extended to the rebel armies oil Arkan
sas Louisiana Texas and the frontier The ereduity
of the dupes OF the nurgent leaders, the entire South
ern people, have magnifed the retrogressve movement
of the Army OF Cumberland into decisive and IT.
remediable disaster and eniVened by their 0eei IN
the permanent Of their arms there, they look
for an inevitable counterpart OF that success by similar
means In the West The IN which this work 10
IN he eff cted il thus: The armies now commanded by
Holmes Price and Parsons In Arkansas the forces OF
Smith Hobart and Taylor, in Northern ard Central
Louisiana those Of Greene Straight and MAJOR, IN the
Sou bern part of the State and part OF the troops Of
MagIuder in Texas to be concentrated at Nioelts
Bluffs on the Sabine river which, together with the
lake of the SINE name forms the boundary between
Louisiana and Texas The evacuated regions necessa-
nv 10 be occupied for military reasons-ior instance,
demonstration sgaios. the advance Of our armies-Wl
be held by a mere handful OF mounted men, depending
upon the cooperation OF guerrilla bands IN cases OF
move upon our part
The point of concentration chosen by the enemy
hibts no insignificant sagacy. Sabine Lake lies mme
diaely upon the Gulf coast, being connected with the
Gulf by narrow channel known as Sabine Pass The
lake formed by the inflow Of the waters OF the Sa-
bine End Neches rivers Upon the Louisiana side OF
the Sabine is situated Nblets Bluffs in almost the same
latitude on the west side of the Neches lies Beaumont
"A small toEn. Between the two poihts-by' land
across the peninsula formed by the two riversthere
lies an immense swamp impossible at some seasons oil
the year even local conveyances but for the passage
of an army its infantry cavalry, artillery, baggage aud
surpy trans would be at all times mpracticabe. How
ever by running from Nibets Bluffs down the Sabine
river across the lake, and thence up the Neches TO
Beaumont from an excellent water communication be-
tween the Bluff and Beaumont the distance being but
eighty eight miles For purposes OF navigation by this
route the enemy has about twelve light draught steam
era.
Upon these excellent nsderatons Nibletts Bluffs
has been chosen the defensive Offensive positions
of their concentrated armies and Beaumont the base.
supplies los IRON that place TO Houston, Texas the
communication by road s passable, and at Houston TIE
cattle and ebtre agricultural resources Of Texas be
centred for transpota ion to Beaumont aud thence to
their army the Bluffs
The enLre force of tue enemy when here centred will
not exceed thirty thousand Their armies in the
IRENE west have suffered greater depletion than those
Of the east ard more from disease than by the casual
Gies of battle camp.ign
>Tne enemy ia resoutely determined to hold Texas,
forthe possession Of that State by will put end to
The existence aggregate of their armies on the
west side of the river.