New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-03-09
we cherish strong hopes of Republican tri'
VICIxNR URG.

sissippi seems to be chiefly dependent GU tue
re,ut of the engineering efforts now in pro-
gress. These comprise three separate plans.
which may easily be comprehended by reference
to any good map of the Mississippi Valley.
The first that was undertaken, and probably
now the least important, was the cutoff or
canal near Vicksburg ITSELF lis object and
plan are familiar, and need not be again de.
scribed A bed of clay is said to underlie the
upper soil, so difficult of removal that the CON-
pletion of the canal will be delayed longer than
military necessities can wait. Hence two other
plans, far more extensive, and promising very
extraordinary results. They may be referred
to for convenience as the YazOO Pass and Lake
Providence plans.
Yazoo Pass 10 q channel twenty miles long,
East from the Mississippi to Coldwater
River through which light draft boats used to
pass when the water was up, but which was
closed by levee in 1856 III order to protect
the lands Of Northern Mississippi from its
annual inundations. This levee has already
been cut by our troops, and through it the
waters of the Mississippi pour into the Cold
water, which flows into the Tallahatchie. A
hundred and fifty miles below this junction,
the Yallabusha unites with the Taahatchle,
and the two form the Yazoo River, which flows
two hundred and twenty miles and emptes into
the Mississippi just above Vicksburg. Through
these channels which are of difficult nayiga.
ton in places, it is proposed to approach
the rear of Vicksburg. The obstacles are partly
natural, partly artificial. If the Coldwater is
practicable for steamers of any size, they will
nave to encounter Rebel Notifications at the
junction of the Tallahatchie and Yallabusha
Rivers, at Yazoo City, which Is hundred
miles above the mouth of the river, and at
IIaines's Bluff. The Notifications at the latter
point are a part of the system OF the deienses
of Vicksburg, and their reduction is considered
essential TO successful attack on the city ITSELF
If they can be carried, the Lake Providence
plan may not need TO be accomplished. The
two plans, however, are attempted smulta-
neously. The whole distance over which 1t Is
sought in this way to approach the rear OF
yick.burg is nearly 500 miles.
Lake Providence was once the bed of the
Mississippi River, and is now fifteen feet below
it, 1t is proposed to return tine river to lis
old channel. The point at which the river 10
to be diverted is nearly hundred miles above
Vicksburg. Between the river and the lake
lies the old bed, from which the water il now
h. A al nj
more than halt mile in length, will unite the
two. From the lake d chain Of bayous extends
southwark 10 Tensas River. and these bayous
require only 10 be connected by short canals IN
order to make continuous and na,igable
channel. The Tsn.as is n deep stream, unit
ing at Trinity with the Wachita, TO form the
Black River which emptics into the Red River,
thirty miles from its mouth. Red River flows
INTO the Mississippi below Vicksburg and above
Fort Hudson. 1t is evident, therefore, that
will give to the National fleets the coDtrol Of
the Mississippi between Vichsburg and Port Hud-
son, and that the delenses Of either may be at
tackled on their weakest side.
An advantage scarcely less important is the
control of the navigation of the Red River aud
its tributaries, which drain region of extra
ordinary productlycness. and have transported
the Rebel forces Immense supplies. The
Washita is pavigable for large steamers three
hundred mes aud the Red River four hundred
miles from its mouth.
In addition to these important results third
may be accomplished. The great Atchaafayn
Bayou, or pass. or river, as 1t "a variously
called, which is supposed TO have been the
original channel to the Gulf of either tue Mis-
sissippi OF the Red River, still affords pacti-
cable route for steamers. The connection Of
the Mississippi aud Lake Providence and the in.
creased flow of waters thence into the Red
River, may make it possible to turn again the
current Of tbs latter into the Atchalaiaya, and
tho result of this gigantic engineering may
even be that the Mississippi shall send no
small part of its volume Of waters through its
old channel to the Gulf. Ii is at least prob
able that means of communication from the
Gulf to tho Upper Mississippi, sufficient for all
military purposes, may be established by a
route that avoids both Vicksburg and Port
Hudson, and which, while it renders them
comparatively unimportant will insure tho re.
duction Of both
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