Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-11-24
TIE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY.
Message eOsJessersOn Davis. Pres
idcnt Of fhc COnfedcraCy, TO
the Rebel Congress al Ricsi-
ntOnd. Nov. z. 1864.

hOEU. NOV. z. 1864,
To The Senate md House Of Representatives
yMe Confederate StatcS Of Imqica.
1t Is with satisfaction that / welcome your
presence at an earlier day than usual for
your session, and with confidence that ! in
woke the aid OF your counsel at Il time of
such public eXigency. The campaign which
was commenced almost simultaneously with
your session in May last. and which was
sun IN progress at your adjournment in the
middle ofJune, has not yet reached its close.
IL has been prosecuted on scale aud with
an energy heretofore uncqualcd When we
revert to the condition Of our country at the
inception Of the operations Of the present
year. to the magnitude Of the preparations
made by the enemy, the number of his
forces, the accumulation of his war-like sup
plies, and the prOdigulty with which his
vast resources have been lavshed in the at
tempt to render success assured when We
contrast the numbers and means at our dis
| posal for resistance, and when we contem-
| plate the results Of struggle apparently so
unequal. we cannot fail while rendering the
full need of deserved praise to our generals
and soldiers, to perceive that a Power high
er than man has willed our dcliverance and
| gratefully to recognize the protection of II
kind Providence in enabling us successfully
to with -tand the utmost efforts of the enemy
for our suliugation
At the beginning Of the year the state of
Texas was partially in possession Of the
enemy, and large portions Of Louisiana and
Arkansas lay apparently deienceess. OF
! the federal soldiers who invaded Texas. none
are known to remain except a. prisoners Of
war In northwestern Louisiana large and
well appointed army, aided by IA powerful
| fleet, was repeatedly defeated, aud deemed
itself fortunate in finally escaping with Il
loss Of one third of its numbers. Il large part
Of it, military trains, and many transports
and gunboats. The enemy's occupation Of
that state is reduced to the narrow district
commanded by the guns Of his fleet. Ar
kansas has been recovered with the excep-
ton OF Il few fortified posts, while our forces
have penetrated into central Missouri, af
tordng to our oppressed brethren in that
state an orporWuity-of which many have
availed mselves-of strikingfor liberation
from the tyranny to which they have been
subjected
On the east of the Mississippi, in spite of
some revcrses, we have much cause forgtat
ulatlon. The enemy hoped to effect, during
the present year, by concentration Of forces,
the conquest which he had previously failed
to accomplish by more extended operations
! Compelled. therefore, to withdraw or scri-
ously to weakcnthe strength of the armies
OF occupation at different points, he has ai-
torded us the opportunity of recovering
possession of extensive districts of our terri
tory Nearly the whole of northern and
western Mi 'sissippi of Northern Alabama
and western Tennessee are again in our
possession; and all attempts to penetrate
from the coast line into the interior Of the
Atlantic and gulf states have been baffled
On the entire ocean and gulf coast of the
conlederacy, the whole success, Of the enemy,
with the enormous naval resources at his
,mmand, has been limited to the capture
OF the outer dclences Of Mobile bay.
II we now turn to the results accomplish
ed by the two great armies, so confidently
relied on by the invaders as sufficient to Sc
cure the subversion OF our government and
the sublcctlon OF our people to foreign dom
nation, We have still greater cause for de-
vout gratitude to Divine Power In south
western irginia, successive armies which
threatened the captse Of Lynchburgh and
SaltviIle have been routed and driven out Of
the country, and IA portion of eastern Ten
nessee rcconquered by our troops Innorth-
ern Virginia extensive districts formerly oc-
cuplcd by the enemy are now free from their
presence. In the lower valley, their general
rendered desperate by his inability to main
tam hostile occupation, has rcsorted to
the infamous eXpcdlent CONVERTING fruit
tul land INTO desert by burning it, mills,
granaries and homesteads, and destroying
the food, standing crops, live stock and ag-
rcultural Implements OF peaceful none com
batants. The main army, after series Of
defeats in which its losses have been enorm-
Gus; after attempts by raiding parties to
break up our railroad communications which
have resulted in the destruction Of Il large
part OF the cavalry engaged in the work
after constant rcpulse Of repeated assaults
on our defensive lines, Is, with the aid OF
heavy reln1urccmcnts, but with it is hoped,
waning prospects OF future progress in the
design, still engaged in an effort, commenced
more than four months ago, to capture the
town Of Petersburg.
The army Of Gen. Sherman, although
succeeding at the end of the summer in OBJ
tanning possession Of Atlanta, has been un-
able to secure any ultimate advantage from
this success. The same general who, in
February last, marched Ii large army from
! Nicksburg to Meridian with no other result
than being forced to march back again, was
able, by the aid of greatly increased num-
bcrS, and after much delay, to force a pas
sage from Chattanooga to Atlanta, only to
be for the second time compelled to with
draw on the line Of his advance, without
obtaining control Of Il single mile OF territory
beyond the narrow track Of his march, and
without gaining aught beyond the precarious
possession of Il few fortified points in which
he is compelled to maintain heavy garrisons,
and which are menaced with recapture.
The lessons afforded by the history of this
war are fiaught with instruction and en-
couragement, Repeatedly during the war
have formidable expeditions been directed
by the enemy against points ignorantly sup
posed to be of vital importance to the con-
federacy. Some Of these expeditions have,
at immense cost, been successful but in no
instance have the promised fruits been
reaped Again, in the present campaign,
was the deusion fondly cherished that the
capture of Atlanta and Richmond would, if
effected, end the war by the overthrow Of
our government and the submission Of our
people. We can now judge by experience
how unimportant is the influence of the
former event upon our capacity for defense,
upon the courage and spirit Of the people,
and the stability Of the government. We
may, IN like manner, judge that if the cam
paign against Richmond had resulted in
success instead of failure ifthe valor of the
army under the leadership of its accomplish
ed commander had resisted in vain the
overwhelming masses which were, on the
contrary, decisively repulsed; if we had
been compelled to eYacuate Richmond as
well as Atlanta the confederacy would have
remained Us erect and defiant as ever
NOt tbinp coulI huva bnan .bonra1 IN .bo