Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-23
What our Success Might Have Been
The Capture of Mobile Prevented by the Sham
4 . ppm Election in Louisiana. ..ii aHi
Mr.. Lincoln Responsible for
Iio agaG Another Failure. .ur.
THE RETURN PROGRAMME OF
le .i.. THE ENEMY. au,
Tennessee and X entucky to be Reinya
ded and New Orleans Threatened.
The Opening Campaign Fixzle.

lfrom the Mobile Register and Advertiser, Feb. 26
| The spring campaign in the West upon
the part of the enemy may be briefly supi-
med up as a magnificent conception and
miserable failure. A grand and compre-
hensive campaign has degenerated into a
gigantic raid. With Sherman on the back
track at double quick, Grierson trembling
under the rapid blows of Forrest, Banks
covering in New Orleans, and Farragut
hesitating to come within reach of our forts,
| the situation must be humiliating In the
extreme to our nonplussed and bafiied foe.
| We believe that we have sufficient insight
at this date into the movements and plans
of the Yankees to surmise their intentions
and to map out the campaign which they
had anticipated following up successfully,
but which has ended thus far in their COM
plete discontinue and disgrace.
While we have been doubling and conjec-
turing the movements of Sherman, it ap-
pears that he himself has been subjected to
torturing uncertainty. The original pro-
gramme, as thus far developed, appears to
have been mastery one; but fortunately
the ability of the Yankees has not been COM
mensurate with their ambition. Sherman.
having under his command the corps o.
Hurlbut and Mcpherson, was to precipitate
| himselfupon Polk, and force the Confederate
forces into disadvantageous engagement
between Jackson and Meridian, while the
enemy's mounted body, under Smith and
Grierson, was to move down upon the rear
of Polk's army, and accomplish the double
purpose of harassing his retreat and seizinI
the grain country for the subsistence o.
Sherman. Farragut should appear off Mo
bile, and by bombardment threaten the
city, preventing its garrison from going to
the succor of the army in Mississippi, while
DO MI 70 In ri ,.x,n 30
suitable point at which to establish his base,
and then march to the rear of Mobile,
making an investment Of that place,
and throwing himself within supporting
distance to Sherman. This would cut off
communication by the Alabama and Tom
bigbee, and make these rivers back en-
trance, by which Banks could threaten
Selma in flank and rear, while Sherman
pushed boldly on in front. Thus Mobile O.
necessity must fall, and Polk forced across
the Alabama, the flank of Johnson's army
would be threatened by Banks and Sher-
man. Assuredly this was stupendous un-
dertaking, and although now failure and
farce, it is altogether too serious to be
laughed at when we consider the successful
execution of Shermans part of the pro-
gramme, and know not what would have
been the result of the contemplated move
ment had Banks moved and displayed the
same energy and boldness. But
"The best laid plans of mice and men ,-.
Gang aft aglee;"
and for some inexplicable reason the Yam
kee commander at New Orleans failed to
move from his snug city quarters, and Lo-
gan and Grierson were too slow or too much
hindered by Forrest, and thus the bottom
dropped out Of the tub of the Federal cam
paign, u. .tsr ~, .,.I t..,... III.
Sherman having accomplished the success
full opening of the grand movement, awaited
anxiOusly to hear from his cooperating
column from Louisiana, and failing to learn
anything of it, and becoming aware of the
enemy massing in his front, he seized the
invading bull by the tail and drew him
back to his base. His retreat appears to
have been as rapid and unexpected as his
advance, and quite as successful; but we
doubt whether his valuable adjunct, Grier-
son, would prove as fortunate. The youth
full spy upon whom was found Hurlbut's |
Endorsement, "Trust the bearer represents |
that when he was dispatched to Banks to |
give him information of Sherman's success |
and Intentions, it was expected that he |
would find the former General on the north |
side of Mobile. Before he left Hurlbut's
headquarters, it was the impression of
that General that Mobile had been evac-
uated, the garrison having been with
drawn to Selma. After this messenger
had departed, General Sherman must
have been made aware of Banks failure to
come to time" and seeing the futility of |
his campaign without the proper co-opera-
tion, he took advantage of the cover Grier-
sons raid afforded, and the detachment of |
our cavalry after him, to withdraw in all |
haste. The last vestige of this bungling
is the laughable Joke Farragut Is
playing in his bombastic manner off this
port, innocently, delightfully."- oblivious of
the magnificent failure in which he is a
sharer, Verify
"Where ignorance is bliss. tits folly to be wise."
The spring campaign, then, will probably
end in the occupation of jackson and the
Mississippi Central road as far north as
Grenada by the exhausted forces of Sher-
man. This is bright opening for the Con-
and we hail 1t as a good omen
the precursor of our success and the utter
of our enemy. Not the least
significant part of the lesson is the learning
that the Yankee commander dare not with
draw his forces from New Orleans, even for
in such grand undertaking
rs Sherman's proposed movement. Dick
Taylor and Magruder have an eagle eve
upon Banks, and will make run" on his
when they discover any
weakness. ,-.e
' 5a AChange OF Tactics. 1}0
'f'o From the Mobile Reeister.I
The complete failure of the enemy in his
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