Washington telegraph., 1864-07-13
from tho Houston Telegraph.

THE TRANS MISSISSIPPI CAMPAIGN.--
After the surrender OF Vicksburg the
complete subjugatiou Of the TRANSMITS
sissippi Department was resolved on by
Linco!n's government, and Gen. Rose
Grams army was assigned for this pur-
pase. This plan was defeated at Chick
ansugua. Its accomplishment then de-
volvtd on Gen. Banks: He opened the
campaign with 5000 men This army
Of Gen. Banks comprised the 18th and
18th army corps. under Gen. Frank lin;
the 18th and 18th army corps under Gen.
4. j. Smith. aud the reserves left at diff
ferent points, the cavalry force under
Gen Lee, the forces, on the feet Of trans.
ports and gunboats under Admiral Porter
and the forces under the Yankee Gen.
Steele advancing through Arkansas to-
wards Shreveport. The army under Gen.
Franklin, moved on towards Alexandria
from Brasher city, that under Gen. A. j.
Smith, by way Of Simmsport, and the
feet under admiral Porter by the Red
River towards the same point. The OBJ
i-ctive point of all these forces. and
Of Gen. Steel's was Shreveport; there to
BE- all united. and all under comnand Of
Gen. Banks, Commander-in-eh The
forces of the enemy amounted in the
aggregate to $4,000 men. To oppose to
them Gen Kirby Smith had, al the mcst,
less than $4,000 men. For obvious rea-
sons the distribution of our forces under
their several commanders, will not be
here stated,
The mastery ability and mastery ac-
tirit7 with which Gen. Kirby Smith,
with only $4,000 men, by the wisdom Of
his plans and combinations, foiled the long
matured plans of the enemy, and repulsed,
defeated, overthrew and forced to retreat
from the country almost in rout, the nu-
merous armies of the enemy, rntitle him
to the highest praise, that of true gener-
alship. Any colonel with such soldiers
as ours can dash his regiment with i'm
petuosity against the enemy, and earn a
Just reputation for great gallantry; most
brigadiers may claim TO be able 10 han
die well few regiments in the field
but, to plan n campaign ably, where large
numbers on either side operate; the sa-
gacity to penetrate beforehand, and battle
the plans Of the enemy; to co-adapt and
coordinate the movements oflarge bodies
of men acting against large bodies; to
supply by military science and art the
deficiency of numbers in the ranks; with
small forces, to achieve victories over
large armies this complex power it is
which constitutes generalslrip. War is
not coniectural art. The time has not
yet perhaps come for writing thoroughly
appreciative history of this campaign ;
but two things are established beyond
contesting-the staunch and dashing gal
lantry Of most of our troops engaged'
plucking victory from greatly superior
numbers-snd the great facts OF the
campaign, the grand movements of our
armies for which the commander-in-ciiei
is alone and exclusively responsible, at
tests the high and prompt strategic skill
of Gen. Kirby Smith, and justify the
solid confidence of the people, az well as
Of the army in his leadership. We now
proceed to notice the campaign some
what in detail.
| The enemy, then, were launching large,
and it would seem from their numbers
Overwhelming forces against the only
portion of the Trans-Mississippi Depart
Inent not subject to their arms, to wit: A
small corner of Arkansas. a portion Of
Louisiana, and the State of Texas. Had
this been the simple problem, Gen. Kirby
Smiths chief business would have been
to assemble all his forces in that region
and to hold them in the greatest readi-
ness; but it was embarrassed by the fact
that the enemy was also making an at
tack on us by way of the western boun
dary of Texas. The eneny's forces
were so strong in Western Texas tina