, 1864-02-07

such anidea.
FROM v1cKsDrnd TO MISSISSIPPI. :
Agunbont expedition, under the command
Admiral Porter, but at present conducted "
the; commandant Of the SOuschita, Keeps the
rebels at bay In tho Red River country. In
addition to this the Federal advance, as far Us
possible, iB conveyed By and Is to co o.opcrate
with otIcr gunboats, now lying at different
points on tho Mississippi for the purpose, and
awaiting orders. And although am not
ab1o to state the precise force with which
General Sherman will move from Yicksbnrg,
which he will turn his Immediate efforts, yet
It looks reasonable from the facts am In
possession OF, that he has an eye to the Red
River Country as well IS Mobile and central
Mississippi. ..
Whether those supposltions may prove
truthful or the contrary, 1t cannot but prove
profitable to surrey, Tor moment, the route
from Vickshurg to Mobile. It may be Of use
to the reader In the future, even should the
supposltion prove unfounded that General
Sherman Is preparing to knock loudly, In Co
opert1on With other Federal forces, at the
gate of the latter named city Of secessia.
or course VIC do not speculate ns to the
course Genenl Sherman may take, even
should he conclude to 60 to AlabaHn. but Of
fer the following as our observations of the
map Of the country, aided by tho little Of IN
intellIgble character obtained frcm refugees
from Mississippi aud Georgia-
The maps have obtained show tho distance
from VicIsburg to jackson, Hiss, By rail-
road, to be NOT over fifty miles, paasing on
the route the stations Dcsota, Bovina, Black
River Bridge, Edwards, Bolton-where q
branch runs Southeast to oRaymond-Clinton
and MT Salns.
From JACKSON to Meridian, by the same road
and in almost an eastern course Of trayel-ac-
cording TO L1oyd's latest map, using the scale
OF geographical miles, Is within one hundred
miles, making the distance from Vlcksburg
not far from one hundred and fifty miles. At
Meridian the traveller, IN the past, bcfor war
changed tic rni1Eoad System, OF made its
Eindings to Us Of The North j web Of unrny-
clled mystery, would take the Mobile g. Ohio
Railroad south for Mobile, distant about an
other hundred miles. This makes the route
f,om Vicksburg to Mobile, By Ibis old line Of
,oad, not orcrtwo hundred and fifty miles.
,I,s; Tie statiens Ct s, on the Jaskso1 road from
ioap Of Prang g. Co., Boston, are Hamel,
Brrntlop, Petahatcl4ie, Morton, Forest, Like,
{bctwecn Forest aud Lake passed Gen. Gricr-
sons great raid from Lagrange to Baton
Rouge,) Newton, and Ctuukey. From Mo-
ridian 10 Mobile, over tic Mobile & Ohio
Chockta.s, Qnltman, De Soto, Red Dlutf,
Wnyncsboro, Winchester, Buckatuna, Brusby
Creek, Escatawpa, Sidney, Churchula, Beaver,
Ma1.nilla, A1uan and Spring Hill.
At Jackson, the railroad running est Is
intcrsccted by the New Orleans, Jackson &,
Northern Railroad, which, after leaving Lake
PonctLurt1ain, runs in almost northern line
to Jackson, and buck from the Mississippi on
an average Of not more than fifty miles, aud
almost parallel with the stream, Of course al
lowing for The 6crpentipe twtstiugs Of the
riycr. It Is almost positive TINT, provided a
bold stroke may not be intended to be aimed
1T Mobile, that great advantage over the
| 3,o1e ILL.,
end occupation Of the Jackson Railroad Us
fur as jackson, cast, and the entire line Of the
New Orleans, Jackson j. Northern line run
ming north and South, through the very cen
trc of some Of the most fertile country be-
longing to the Confcderacy. By such occu-
patton, long and valuable strip of territory
would be at once reclaimed TO the sway OF
commerce md trude, and the present raids
upon the river and Arings upon steamers BY
enetillas. made entirely inpracticable Be-
sides cutting off rebel supplies entirely, onr
amy would gain II rapid communication with
Should our n1ny undertake the land route,
through Mississippi, III south h-easterly
course, from Jackson to Mobile, it would at
present prove heavy job, unless the rivera
in that vicinity arc less swollen than in Ten
ncesee, aud the roads less saturated by
Eeayy raips, and less liable to be cut
up and become mirY and impractfcable.
Yet even this would not prove an impossible
undertaking unless the rebels could concen-
t<atc in force sufficient to stop our progress
Eaying thus summed up briefly the little
that is known Of the progress Of the expedi-
ti0u Of Gen. Sherman, as far Ns Vfcksb0rg,
leave 1t in the hands Of an experienced cor
respondent, now with the troops, that he
may rcsume the thread Of the narrative ut no
very distant day through the medium Of let
tiers md dispatches which will be transmit
ted al the earliest opportunity.