Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-02-18
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY lS, 1864.
From the Daily of Feb. II.
The Opening Campaign.

Three distinct expeditions have recent
been set i'm motion in the southwest
OF course nobody, except those VINO are
In the secret, knows what is the design
and destination of these columns, bnt 1t
may not be wholly Improbable to in
,dulge in few speculations.
n In the first place combined land and
naval expedition is moving from New
AOrleans under Commodore Farragut and
Gen, Banks. We conclude its destina-
Stion is Mobile In the second place a
large body of cavalry under the COM
mand of Gen. Grireson, of Vicksburg fame,
has SCI out from corinth. We have no
definite conception of what their partic-
ular role may be in the grand drama, ex-
scept that of general cooperation, forag-
ing and raiding. r. s.. .......
The third column consists Of the 10th,
Gen. Hurlbut's, and the 18th, Gen. Nc
Pherson's corps, all under the command
] OF Gen. Sherman. This expedition start
ed from Yickburg, moving east, and we
ALREADY have intelligence that they have
taken possession of Jackson, on the Pearl
River. What can be its final destlna-
ton Is it also going to Mobile ? Per
haps so, but probably not.
If we take good map and draw a
Dine from Mobile to Richmond, or
fredericksburg, Va, and across this line
extend another from Charleston S. c., to
Chattanooga, we shall have the cross
like frame work around and upon which
The rebellion now clusters and hangs
Some means must be devised to loosen
this Southern Cross" Gen. Grant has
got fairly hold of the Chattanooga end;
but like Archimedes he lacks the '.pos sso, {"
the psrcAase, by means Of which he might
work his lever, and give the ugly fabric
an effectual hoist. In plain language,
he has no near and convenient base of
supplies
1t has been with some difficulty that
the troops at Chattanooga could be kept
from suffering while in state of inac-
ton, to say nothing about moving for
ward. Immense supplies are indeed ac-
eumulating at Nashville, and gradually
also at Chattanooga, but what is want
ed is an accessible water base. Now
let us look at the foot OF the Cross, Mo-
bile. If that city can be taken, as we
fondly hope it can, and Gen. Sherman
can proceed eastwardly to Meridian on
the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and to
Montgomery on the Alabama river, our
forces then will have their needed water
base; they will have command of the
navigable rivers of Tombigbee and Ala
bama, they will control some of the rich
est cotton lands of the South with plen-
ty Of negroes; and they win also tap the
last remaining railroad communication
between Richmond and the Gulf. They
will have possession of one OF those tri-
angles that we sometimes read about
the angular points being Meridian,
Montgomery, and Mobile. These are
connected with each other and with the
surrounding country by rivers and rail-
roads. and of course afford admirable
facilities for intercommunication.
If such is the programme we may ex-
pect stirring times before long. The SO
called Confederate Government will find
use for all their conscripts, all their
co,r.na ON, oil their vainglorious boast
ing. If this plan is not the true one' 1t
may at least serve as an aid to our mihas
lin Cooking the subject into shape. II
His evident that a magnificent prepara-
tion of some kind is going on which in
wolves the lives of brave men. Now as
ever, our prayer should be, "God speed
the right"