The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-12-15
MESS AGE
OF EsIDENT DAVIS.


the Confederate States: K -
The necessitv for legislative action, arising out
of the important events that have marked the in
tcrval since YOUR adjournment, and my desire to
have the aid of your counsel ON ather matters Of
grave public interest," render your presence at this
time more than rdinarily welcome. Indeed, but
for serious obstacles to convokiEg you in extraor-
porary absence from the seat OF government,
would have invited you to an earlier meeting than
that fixed ut the date of your adjournment.
Grave reVerses befell our arms soon after your
departure from Richmond. Early in July our
strongholds' at Vicksburg and Port Hudson, TO-
gether with their entire garrisons, capituated to
che combined land and naval forces of the enemy
The important interior position Of jackson next
fell into their temporary possession. Our upsuc-
ce8sful assault the post at Helena was followed,
at later period, by the invasion of Arkansas and
the retreat Of our army from Little Rock gave to
the enemy the control of the important valley In
which it is situated. :
The resolute spirit Of the people soon arose SUI
perior to the temporary dependency naturally reg
sulting from these reverses. The gallant troopsj
so ably commanded in the States beyond the Mis-
sissippi, inflicted repeated defeats on the invading
armies in Louisiana and on the coast of Texas
Detachments Of troops and active bodies of parti
zans kept up so effective war on the Mississippi
river practically to destroy its value as an ave-
nue. Of commerce
The determined ard successful defence Of
Charleston against the joint land and naval opera.
4ions M the enemy afforded an inspiring example
of ability to repel the attacks of the iron
clad feet which they chiefly rely; while the
Northern frontier our success was still more
marked
The able commander who conducted the cam
paign iu Virginia, determined to meet the threat
ened advance on Richmond, for which the enemy
had made long and costly preparations by forcing
their armies to cross the Potomac and fight in de-
fence of their own capital and homes. Transfer
ring the battle field to their own SOIL he succeeded
in compelling their rapid retreat from Virginia,
and in the hard-fought battle of Gettysburg in
hicted such severity Of punishment as disabled
them from early renewal of the campaign as orgi-
nally. projected. Unfortunately the communica-
tons which ourgeneral relied for receiving bis
supplies Of munitions were interrupted by extra
ordinary floods which so sveed the Potomac
to render impossible the fords by which his ad
vance had been made, and he thus forced to
withdrawal, which was conducted With delibcra-
ton, after securing large trains Of captured sup
plies, and with constant but unaccepted tender
of battle. On more than OCCASION the enemy
has made demonstrations of purpose to advance
invariably followed by precipitate retreat to en-
. trenched lines on the approach Of our forces.
The effective check thus opposed to the advance
of invaders at all points, such to afford hope
of their early expulsion from portions of the terri
tory previously occupied by them, when the coun-
try painfully surprised by the Intelligence that
the officer in cotnmand of Cumberland Gap had
surrendered that important aud easily defensible
pass without firing shot, upon the summons of a
force still believed to have been inadequate to its
reduction, and when reinforcements were within
supporting distance and had been ordered to his
aid. The entire garrison, including the command
er, being still held prisoners by the enemy, l am
unable t. suggest any explanation Of this disaster
which laid open Eastern Tennessee aud South
western Virginia to hostile operations, and broke
the line of communication between the seat Of
government and Middle TENNESSEE This easy
success of the enemy followed by an advance
OF General Rosecranz into Georgia, and army
evacuated Chattanooga and avaied itself of the op
portunity thus afforded of winning on the field Of
Chickamauga Of the most brilliant and decisive
victories of the war. This signal defeat of 6 en-
Rosctranz was followed by bis retreat into Chat
tanooga, where his imperilled position had the
immediate effect of relieving tie pressure of the
invasion at other points, forcing the concentration
for his relief, of large bodies of troops Withdrawn
from the armies in the Mississippi Valley and in
Northern Virginia. The combined forces thus
accumulated against in Tennessee, So greatly
outn1mbered our army as to encourage the enemy
to attack. After long and severe bgttle, in
Whlch great carnage was inflicted on him, some of
our troops inexplieably abandoned positions of
great strength, and by dsorderly retreat com
PEELED the commander to withdraw the forces else
where successful, and finally to retire with IFS
whole army to position some twenty or thirty
miles to the rear. It is believed that il the troops
who yielded 10 the assault, had fought with the
valor which they had displayed on previous occa.
sions, and which, manifested in this battle on
the other parts of the line the enemy would have
been repulsed with very great slaughter, and our
I country would have escaped the misfortune, and
the army the modification of the first defeat that
/, has resulted from misconduct by the troops. In
! the meantime, the army OF General Burnside was
J driven from all its field positions in Eastern Ten
nessee, and forced to retreat into its entertainments
j st Knoxville, Where's for weeks it was tl,reat
J ened with eapturs by the forces under G EN- Long
| street, No information has reached me Of the
! hnal result of the operations Of our commsudsr
though Intelligence has arrived Of his Withdrawal
J FROM chat place.
I While, therefore, our success in driving the
: enemy from our soil has equalled the expecta
tons confidently entertained at the commencement
n OF the campaign, his further lIogress has been
checked. If We are forced to regret losses in Ten
nessse and Arkansas ne are not without ground for
congratulation successes in Louisiana and Texas
On the coast he is exhausted BY vain efforts TO
g capture ports while on the northern frontier
J. he has in turn fell the pressure aud breads the
renewal ofinvasion: The indomtable courage and
perseverance OF the people in the de.uce of their