The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-03-01
SOUTHWEST

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iafions serioa.ly iarsienpd asih y
ilie rcfui movements Il cur arnies
OR General. have 10, VISITED respect
folly q ascertain lh,ir uishes aith -
gard 10 ll.r iime and place u conflict.
boz have taken upon themselves tie
responsibility Q. making tie tirsi move.
mtni Instead II waiting Tor lhem TO
I'VE, p around his faak anA compel
reiugr d. movement on our parl, Gen.
Gran, has, wish ile cooperation Of
other commanders, iuagutaled move
nepis which sill call their serious as-
ltmiou to lhe safety u their own
most vital communications Tie cam.
IA gu as commenced by our Generals,
has 90, Only the advantages always
attendant upon vigorous Offensive
movements, bul those resulting from
extensive combination aad unity Of e.
tort. The exp diliuns are 50 namei-
ous aud well timed, that the rebels
cant Of reinforce their troops at one
p,n, without weakening them al an.
other equally important.
Oar successful insasions Of the lat
Two years have rtduerd the territory
IN undisturbed possession Of the rebels,
10 a very small portion OF tie area Of
the Coplvdcracy rs originally claimed.
Our control oil the Mississippi River,
necessarily renders their possession OF
- wide strip along It's banks comprising
nearly the Whole State Of Mississippi,
very precarious. Our armies have
entirely recovered the State Of Tenn
essee and driven the enemy into tie
cotton States. Our possession Of tie
interior waters Of North Carolina.
lays the centre Of that State OPP II TO
hostile nsasions. While we hold jack.
sonylle aud The mouth Of the ~. Johns
liver, Florida i not safe place toi
the rebels. Thus il appears that the
three States OF South Caro- ina, Geor-
ga, and Alabama comprise the great
er part Of the rebel territory which
can be re lied upon as possessing any
degree OF security for rebel property,
clllrr goFerHmTiif or i.s..-..-.
armies have worked their way though
Kentucky and L nncsser, the rebel
lonnderies and manufactures have
|, en- removed to tie interior OF Geor-
eia. Cavalry raids through Mis,iss.
ippi have caused the transfer oi as
many slaves as could he saved from
HE enemy, into Alabama. Fl.iag *
petitions from tie coas, into the cen
tie o. the Atlantic States lave brought
on such feeling Of insecurity, that a
large portion OF The wealth uf those
States has been sent farther INTO The .
interior. So il happens that ever.
thing which, the success OF the Con-
fedeacy depends upou--prosisions.
iaborrrs, and war material, ARE now
mainly within The limits of Alabama
aud Georgia.
After securing tie possession OF
Tennessee andthe control Of the Miss
is-ippi, il is e,ident that The ne>t move
ment must be 10 penetrate this eentraa
section Gen. Grant has hong held
post on on the northern border OF
Georgia which opeus road INFO the
interior Of that State, but The difficulty
Of accumul ling rupplies for an on
ward movement fron that point, is 20
great, that Il Is apparent that no al
vance could be made far enough to
seenrc 10 session OF these States IS iih-
OF corresponding movements from
other directions. This section i rem
eirai,d from the Gulf IN the direction
Of Chattanooga BY the Alabama river,
which is nayigable Tor distance u
nearly five hundred miles. Ii il evil
dent tllat tie possession 81 this riter
would enable Us 70 establish an army
III the centre Of Alabama. which i,y
cooperation with Thomas al Chatts-
uooga could cat of another portion Of
the Coniedvracy and lay OPEN Geor-
ga TO raids and expeditions. NJ eff cln-
ally as the State OF Mississippi was by
our possession ef The Mississippi river.
The iirsi thing nees ssary 10 insure the
control II tie Alabama river, is The
capture IL MuJiir al iis mouth.
Some day. ago Farragut appeared
b, lore ihe ions that guard HE entrance
10 Mobile BAY with hi, fer, and
large force moved from Aew ORLEANS
towards lie rvar II the city. About
ne same iime. Sh Imau TOOK hi- route
from Virkslmg directly across the