The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-03-19
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
Opening Of the Spring
Campaign.
Fighting in February.

IN
Ere the snow melts away the snug huts OF winter
quarters are abandoned for the long march and the
tug Of battle The camp fires are quenched, and the
serrIed columns are in motion for the field. The
Government has decided not to give the enemy any
more dme to recruit their armies. Except upon the
Rappahancock, our forces are again actively employ
ii, and great results may be expected before the
peniug Of that spring campaign for which the rebels
have been preparing. There are many considerations
IN favor OF this prompt adoption of a vigorous policy.
The forces OF the enemy are vastly inferior to those
we have IN the field. The rebels are gloomy under
the shadow of defeat. IL is Of the first Importance
that they should not be allowed TO recuPerate In pur-
suance OF the strenuous programme formed at Rich
mond. A succession u blows during this month
must have a far more depressing and decisive effect
than = nember Of bloody battles with the recruited
armies of the rebellion in the spring (; first, because
of the prevailing dependency ia Dixie; and, second,
because the CONSUMPTION upon which the enemy rely
may be nuiiihed by further contraction OF the re-
gion under their sway. The rapid increase of the
public debt warns the Government to hasten the hour
Of relief The suffering of our commerce from pi-
ratical depredations, which can only be terminated
by prostrating the rebels as n " belligerent power
and thereupon demanding the exclusion of the pirates
from foreign ports, urges our armies to action. The
groans of the oppressed Unionists Of the South and
the ~hardships of our soldiers who are confined in
Southern prisons are additional arguments against
resting upon our arms a single day after we are able
TO move upon the enemy's works. For this reason
the Inauguration Of a vigorous capaign in February
will diGuse a glow of hopeful enthusiasm throughout
the loyal States
General Grant has been engaged since the victory
OF Chattanooga in maturing "a magnificent combina-
ton and preI aration for its execution. He has re-
paired and put in working order his lines of supply
IN Tennessee. The railroad circle is complete from
Nashville, by way of Chattanooga, to Knoxville, and
steamers on the Tennessee and Cumberland increase
the facilities of communication. Chattanooga and
Knoxville have been converted into fortresses strong
enough 90 resist powerful armies. Supplies have
been accumulated The force of mounted troops has
been largely augmented. TO meet the requirements of
this vast department aud insure the destruction OF
the enemy's lines OF communication. At the begin
ming Of the present month General Grant found that
he had troops enough to open the campaign, while
he might expect continual reinforcements by the
return of the veteran regiments with their recruited
ranks The plan OF the campaign in the West ap-
pears to include the capture Of Mobile and penetra-
ting, with formidable armies, to the HI art of Alabama
and Georgia. the latter State being the recognized
center Of Confederate power and resources. To
Banks and Farrsgut is intrusted the task of making
n direct attack on Mobile. According to rebel adyi-
ces, the Union troops are expected to land at jackson,
on the Pascagoula, twenty miles west Of Mobile,
under the protection OF u squadron of g~unbOats.
The line OF march will be through n low, sandy,
pine covered country, intersec;ed by only two consid-
cradle streams and presenting no advantages for the
defense. To Sherman, Gran; has assigned the COM
mand Of a corps Of thirty thousand men, with an
adequate cavalry force, which is u arching directly
east from Eicksburg to attack the rebels under Leon
idss Polk, and, If successful, to penetrate to the
Tcmbigbee, by which commit aication may he opened
with Mobile. A cavalry expedition under the COM
mand Of Generals William ). Smith and Ii. III Grier-
son-famous for his Mississippi raids TO sever the
railroads in the rear Of Polk. and between him and
Mobile. General Logan, witt the Fifteenth Corps,
has moved southwark from Huntsville. Alabama
hot. as a dispatch intimates, : to join General Sher-
man" for the distance renders that impracticable,
but, rs we surmise, to co operate with the army
moving into Georgia from Chattanooga, which army
was under marching orders on the 18th. LogaD's
corps. by a flank march on Rome. can prevent John
stCn from defending fue line of the Copaa IL that
redoubtable rebel has any such intention. A cavalry
force will doubtless be sent to destroy the important
railroads which form n junction ut Atlanta, and
thus make that position untenable for a rebel army.
Such. according to the latest lights. is Grants COM
bination for bringing the war to a glorious close in
the Gulf States. Sufficient forces have prob bly,
been sent to Cumberland Gap and Knoxville to battle
any attempt Of the alert Longstreet to effect q diver
sion N favor OF Johnston and Polk by attacking
those important positions. If all goes well before
the lst of March, the sword Of Grant will have
reached the heart Of the rebellion.
The plan OF the campaign in Virginia and on the
Atlantic coast is not 50 easily defined, although there
are abundant indications Of activity on the Peninsu.
la and in the Department of the South. The arrival
Of Foster and his command at Yorktown may be taken
rs q sign that the euterprising Butler is not to be
left any longer without an adequate force for his
operations. Reinforcements have been sent to New
bern, the vanguard, We have little doubt, Of Burn.
sides army, destined for the liberation Of North
Carolina. While the batteries on Morris Island con-
tinue to hurl big shells into Charleston, Gen. Gilmore
and staff have gone to Port Royal to commence ope-
ratiOus against Savannah or sOme other important
point within the line of Beauregard, and General
Seymour, with three brigades, has gone to Jackson
vile (Florida). The detachment of Seymour's divi-
sion indicates that Gilmore has been reinforced.
The rebels have not anticipated such n display Of
vigor at this season. Tney are called upon to fight,
and TO fight at many points, before they are ready.
They are thrown entirely upon the defensive, and so
threatened that they cannot easily concentrate against
any one Of our armies. 10 accordance with their usual
~sagacious policy. Ii they concentrate against Sher.
man and Banks they sacrifice Georgia; ii they con-
cenirate against the army advancing from Chattanoo-
ga they give up Alabama, including Mobile. II they
determine to reinforce Beauregard and defend North
Carolina, they lose Virginia. let that the enemy
mean ts dght desperately, it will be safe 10 assume;
for If they fail now, the experiment of a reaction
against free institutions aud in favor Of Dahomy
principles, will end in irre,rievable ruin.
JEFF. Davis Last Proclamation.