The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-01-09

only one side of the story. The disappointment
which must eventually ensue will be all the
more bitter from the false hopes encouraged by
deceitful retention of unfavorable reports.
We demand from the War Department, In tho
and nothing but the truth.
General sherman's Repulse at vioks-
burg-AnOther Budget OF Blunders at
| Washington.
The circumstantial details of the repulse Of
General Sherman's army at Vicksbug pro-
duced very depressing sensation in this city
yesterday. How could it be otherwise, in view
of the facts that "the rebels had concentrated
| at vicksburg all their forces from Jackson and
Grenada, and along the liues of their railroads,
swelling their defensive army to sixty-five
thousand men; that this overwhelming force
had attacked General Sherman on Monday,
the 29th and caused him to fall back to his first
line Of defence;" that his losses amounted to
four or Eve thousand men, but that ut was
thought he could maintain his positions" at
was thought" is an expression not very sug-
| gestive of success; for we remember that ut
was thought last September that General
Miles could hold his position at Harpers
Ferry.
We think that the details of this bloody re-
pulse Of our brave troops at Vicksburg show
very clearly that 1t was the result of another
budget of blunders at Washington. Why were
not the gunboats of Farragut and Porter in this
vicksburg fight: Where wero the land forces of
Gen. Banks and the army Of Gen. Grant. They
were scattered about at remote points, above
and below Vicksburg, on other enterprises,
while all the forces of the rebels between them,
up the river and down the river, and from the
interior of Mississippi and Western Louisiana,
were thrown into Vicksburg. The rebels ex
pected some such scattering Of our forces at
numerous and widely separated points, while
theirs were concentrating at the main position,
the capture Of which would carry all the rest,
or the Richmond Examiner would not have
boosted, as it lately did, that "the Yankee
forces sent against Vicksburg would never
leave there except as paroled prisoners Of
war;,
The greatest blunder Of the administration
from the beginning has been a too contemplate
opinion of the strength and strategy of the re-
bells in every important movement against
them. Hardly second, however, to this funda
mental mistake is the policy which appears to
govern the War Department, Of holding and
guarding every section of the country captured
from the rebels. instead of following up their
armies. But we can tell the government that
under this system of territorial occupation and
protection against guerillas We can never
bring this war to q successful Issue; while, by
the Nspoleonic system Of pushing after the
principal armies Of the enemy, into the very
heart Of his country, regardless of smaller OBJ
jects, we may end the rebellion in single cam
paign.
The mistake of understanding the strength
Of the rebels was aptly illustrated during Sec
rotary Cameron's official trip westward from
the War Office little over a year ago. Falling
in with General Sherman on that journey, Mr..
Cameron asked him what force would be re.
quired to clear out the rebels from Kentucky
aud the Lever Mississippi valley, and when
General Sherman answered that the work would
require at least two hundred thousand men, he
was laughed at as little better than q lunatic.
The folly Of attempting prematurely to hold
and govern absolutely the territory captured
from the febels was very forcibly illustrated in
those attempts to hold the Shenandoah val
Icy which caused the defeat Of General Mellow
ell at Bull run and the repulse of Gen. McClel-
Ian from the very gates Of Richmond by the
consolidated forces Of the enemy.
The recall of General Patterson FROM the
Shenandoah valley to bring up the rear of
General McDowells advance upon Manassas
would have overwhelmed the rebel army, and
probably would have ended the war year
ago. So, too the abandonment Of the Shenan-
doah valley, and the country between Frcde-
ricksburg and the Blue Ridge with General
McClellan's advance upon Richmond, would
have reinforced him to the extent of sixty thou
sand men and carried him over all impediments
into the rebel capital. So, too, we spprehend,
a seasonable order from Washington instructing
General Grant to abandon the useless district
OF Northern Mississippi, and to join with his
whole force either Rosecrass or Sherman,
would have resulted in the complete destruc-
ton of the rebel army Of Bragg or in the cap
ture Of Vicksburg with trifing loss.
| But Sherman ought not to have made pre-
mature attack. lie ought to have waited till
the combination was completed. See how
skilfully Rosscrans won the battles Of Lu-k-a,
Corinth and Murfrecsboro, schooled as he was
by the genius of Mcclellan, without ever be.
fore having fought battle.
| In our gallant Union volunteers we have
everything that could be desired. Their cour-
ago endurance and tenacitv in the battle are
most admirable; but these are the peculiar
characteristics of Northern men the world over
Our soldiers have exhibited these ruling quail.
ties in hundred battles. They we're splsndidly
displayed in the late protracted struggle at
Murfreesboro; but they were never so strik-
ingly exhibited as in those seven days battles
| in front Of Richmond. Against all his dis