Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1863-03-27
FRIDAY, MARCH 81, 1868.
TJ1LAHOMA<.

directed. Charleston is threatened by far the
/, most formidable naval force ever assembled in
I.American waters, but the ample time for prep
/ aratlon, the repe ated warnings given by the
i Yankees, the known condition of the defenses.
and above all the skill of the General Com
roanoing ana the valor of his troops, as shown
at Secessionville and Pocataligo, give every as
surance that the enemy will be successfully re-
pulsed. Vicksburg is menaced by an army
nearly as large as Hooker's and river flee t
lager than any heretofore engaged, but the
sneaking attempts of the Yankees Is avoid the
batteries of that most gallant little city by
means Of "cut OFFS warrant the belief that,
even should their spades accomplish what their
cannon, mortars and bay onets could not, they
| will have to meet at some other point the same
undannted hearts they seek so earnestly to
avoid in fair hand 60 hand fight land that soon.
er or later they will come to greater grief than
befel them last December. Port Hudson, like
Vicksburg, is SO strong by nature and by art
that its fate may be considered equally secure.
What encourages the hope of the security
OF these important points on the Mississippi,
and Of Charleston as well, is the setting in of
hot weather. Very little time is left for areg.
| ular siege; the vertical rays of the sun have
come to the assistance Of the Contederates, and
whatthe bullets Of our irihemen leave undone,
disease will finish to perfection.
There remain two points which cannot be
reached by gunboats, and where the issue of
battle will have to be tried in the open field
Fredericksburg and Tullahonla. With regard
to e'forner. scarcely the slightest apprehen-
sion is felt So profound is the confidence in
Generals Lee, Jackson and Longstreet, that
the citizens of Richmond are no more conscious
Of danger than they were when the Conteder
ate army was in Maryland, or wheu the Allies
were besleging Sebastopol. The prestige of
"Fighthg Joe Hooker" however earned, andl
the fact that he has made good use. sot the
winter in drilling bis troops, does not avail to
disturb the equanimity of those who listened
TRANQUILITY to the fierce cannonading which
began at Meadow Bridge ard ended at Malvern
Hill. The same sense Of security Is not felt in
regard to Tuilahoma, albeit. Joe Johnston is
not far off, and Bragg ia exerting his best pow.
ers to ensure victory NOR complete and de-
cisiye than that at Murfreesboro'.
This arises not from a want OF confidence in
Johnston or a doubt in Bragg's peculiar merits,
but from well founded opinion of the skill
energy and tenacity of Rosencrans. In Western
Virginia, this officer afforded Gen. Lee as much
employment as good General would desire,
and if he did not prove himself foenaan wor-
thy of Lees steel, he certainly taught him les
son in dodgingaa and in rapid marching. AT
Corinth, by dint Of the greatest. energy and
SdlI-pOSSeeSlOn,n ne repaired IN single nSat tue
disasters Of dsgracsfulsurprise saved his com
mand and drove off his assalants with severe |
loss. AT Murfreesboro', after losing $1,000
prisoners, 80 canron and i 900 wagons--after
the severest punishment in front, and an almost
complete destruction of his communications
with Nashville, he dogged!y held his own, en-i
trapped his enemy into a slaus hter- pen, almost
destroyed division OF his army, and compell' |
ed him to yield the held he had won. This !
is the man we have 10 contend with at Tulia-I /
homa. He is no mean anita gonist. But. he Is /
not nvincible. He will find in Joe Johnston,
perhaps, the hardest man to trap aud the quick
est TO dodge in the sConfederacy. ;aj ~ T9
Y He will discover q man who will not strike
until he is ready, but when he does strike, gives
a blow between the eyes aud stuns his oppo-
gent before he knows what struck him. He |
will make the acquaintance of a General who
will esteem it sufficient reward for all the opsI
portunties lost by his wound, to give Rosencrans
what ne deserves, but has yet to receive sound I
thrashing. With Johnston as Captain, and |
Bragg as Lieutenant ssOfd Hold-fast,; as he
calls himself, will be forced to let go one or
two things--his grip upon Tennessee, and his
exalted estimate of his own abilities es sas ~
sRosencrans has hard road to travel, and at
Tullahoma, or thereabouts, he will be apt toI
stumble and crack his crown. The people Of
the Confederacy expect no less of the soldiers
who fought SO well at Murfreesbore and OF
the able General who pow will see that their