Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-04-09
derinr them unable 10 remove the trees which had been

dering them unable 10 remove the which had been
felled across the stream.
A good deal of Smelling was done, but SO far as
could be learned the damage inflicted insignificant
The pupboats we're utterly helpless and had II not oeen
for the arrival Of Cen Sherman, they would In another
day. have been so penned up that escape wouiu nave
been impossible By throwing out line OF skirmlsh-
ers he soon drove off the negroes and their guard VINO
we're telling trees behind the gunboats and thus lett the
crews at liberty TO exrcate themselves from their dan
| gerOus position.
The next day the whole expedition commenced TALL
ing back and succeeded last evening Monday 10 reach
ing this point without material loss Of fe just De-
fore reaching the gunboats advance company OF the
Sixth Missouri met small force of rebels engaged in
guarding gang of negroes who were employed in cut
ting trees and telling them across the bayou. short
skrmish ensued here in which the Sixth had one man
killed and two wounded and which resulted in the re-
bells being driven from the ground An engineer on
the tug Dahlia killed by shell from the rebel
works while standing the bow of his boat Posi-
bly, our entire loss does not exceed twenty killed,
wounded aud missing of whom not more than two or
| three come under the first named class.
sKILFUL srRATEGIsr WANTED
The New York Times in an editorial comment upon
| the foregoing, says:
Like SO many of the other odd and wonderful expe-
pediens resorted to for the reduction of Vicksburg,
| this latest has not proved brilliant success.
To reduce other point in the South have so many
aud such varied means been tried as in the case OF
Vcksburg. There was first the great naval lombard
ment by Farragut in the middle of last year. which
followed by the direct and sanguinary sorming of its
works by Sherman at the close of the year and these
have been followed by the numerous naval and military
strategic devices which have occupied great army and
feet during the whole Of the first quarter of this year.
Frst the canang project directly in front Of the city
then the Lake Providence pre- ee then the YszoO Pass
project and then the project of the nextricabe bayous
IL is difficult to tell what pau device coup the mill
tary strategiss who have this hard in hand will
next attempt; and newspaper-strategy being at dis
count il might be unwise to make suggestions
lt would appear however, from our correspondents
letter that TIE hope of starving out Ncksburg on
which people generally are now inclined 10 rely is not
likely soon to be realized lie found the whole of the
region of country which forces traversed SUI
perabundany supplied with the necessares of life and
they ALL of course within arms length OF the Vicks-
burg garrison.
What man Of genius in this fertile land of genius
what skul strategst in our army Of srategsts, will
open up to our bewldered country and baed Generals
some feasible mode of taking yicksburg-and take it
A DESCENDING VIEW OF THE SITUATION"
The New York Herald of the I'd, in an editorial head.
ed 1.-THE war-what is the Administration about ~
says:
Gold went up yesterday in Wall street to ifty-eight
per cent. prem. The fact may be embarrassing to Mr.
expectations of the country weeks ago of sub
stanal victories close at hand the armed forces of
the rebellion have come TO nothing. The operations
against Yicksburg and Port Hudson thus far have re-
suited only in failures losses and disappointmens Our
land and naval forces assigned to the work Of reducing
Charleston and Savannah appear to be waiting for
something turn up" in Their favor in some other
quarter and General Hooker still remains ia in the
mud on the Rappahannock.
East and West fleets and armies remain stationary
or are bafled in all their aggressive movements We
are supposed to have army of hundred thou
sand len in the field and from four to five hundred YES
sells Of war OF all sorts. How are these tremendous
forces bestowed? For while it appears that the army
Of Gen. Banks may be too weak to make deliberate
assault upon the Of Port Hudson and while General
Grant in the absence OF overwhelming pressure of
f, ops is compelled TO resort TO all sorts of tedious ex
pernents of strategy against Veksburg it also appears
that General Rosecrans far from being able to ad
vance is really in some danger from the possibility of
an attack by rebel army vastly superior in numbers 10
his own We infer that President Lincoln is satisfied
that in the aggregate he has soldiers enough from the
fact that he has not taken single step streng then his
armies through the CONSUMPTION act but still the I'M
satisfactory reports from the South of last few DAYS
are beginning to create the impression in the public
mind that the campaign of thls spring and summer will
fall amentaby short OF the promises OF the government
and the late reasonable expectations of the country
We were amused for some time with the idea that the
rebels were about evacuate Vcksburg but that con-
lecture is length set at rest Next told that
il the opinion of General Dix at Fortress Monroe that
the rebes at Richmond actually engaged in the pre-
limnary business which indicates their evacuation Of
their Confederate capital DeSeters from the rebel army
are reported bringing positive intelligence to
this effect General Hooker, however it is said has no
faith in these wonderful reports; and he in position
10 know whether there is not rebel army OF some
magnitude on the opposite hills Of the RappahaI mock
The simple truth is that Richmond in the cast and
Vicksburg and Port Hudson, in the West the most
important of the songholds of 'the rebellion, aud
that they will not be evacuated without a stubborn
si-tlnce
Tue WAR IN TENNESSEE
GAINESVILLE Tenn Friday, April J-Last night the
steamers Eclipse and Lizzie Martin were fired into be-
low here on the Cumberland. Both escaped. Several
more boats below. The Lumnary is safe at Donel
son. The gunboat st. Clair which engaged the enemy,
was crippled, but was repaired to-day at Donclson
The Glasgow arrived with guns this evening She
was fred into Harpeth Shoals The pilot and seve-
raj OF the slightly wounded
LOUISVILLE, Friday, April 3.-The Democrats cor
respondent says the rebels under Van Dorm attempt
iag to flank Rosecrans on the left. They crossing
the river at Palmyra 1t is thought that Van Dorm has
heavy supply oil artillery, aud that the movement is
aimed against Kentucky. CO.
MURrREEsBoRo', Friday April Sit is rumored that
number Of bridges are being constructed across the
Tennessee above Florence to connect the rebel armies
of Tennessee aud Mississippi.
Gen. Rosecrans has approved the sentence of the de-
serters in Woods and Palmers divisions.
Col Lowe, at Fort Doneson, telegraphs that the
cmy are apparently in force.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Friday, April S.-Twenty-fvc guc-
rillas threw wood train off the Nashville road, four
miles above Franklin this afternoon. They burnt the
locomotive and two three cars and tore up the track
for some distance.
IRON WASHINGTON
1t Is rumored in Washington, says the Herald, that
Secretary Stanton viii soon leave the War Department.
and General Butler be appointed in his place. We are
afraid the rumor is good to be true. Whatever Gen.
eral Butler may have been in New Orleans, he would
certainly make most efficient Secretary Of War. AT
any rate, any change would be for the better.
GEN. sCHENoK
Gen. Schenck had long interview with the Secretary
of War to-day. This vigorous commanders firm rule
over the Secessionsts of Baltimore and his deportation
of the more mischevous Of them to the inside OF the
Ines uhnre they helnnD have indnccd q chorus