, 1864-02-11
NECESSITY FOR MILITARY CON"
CENTNATkUN.

lduh6DAly fEohOa1AA As AS"e*
NRCESSrTT FOR MILITARY CON"
CENTEIATkOE.
It is reported that new expedition is be-
ing prepared under Gen. Burnside for the IL
vasien Of Florida. We most solemnly pro-
test against these outside expeditions, Mes
cost vast sums: Consume mulhtuacs ol nc"
weaken our main armies; diss'pate ou6 ~
eonrcea: procrastinatc tie war; enaole cne
,,nhc1s IN meet MS near their depo1s OF supply,
AND thc advantages to be derived from them
arc wholly disproportionate to the cost 1t
IA like climbing up 1nddcrs to cut twigs from
n trrc when the true policy is to lay the az
at the root, and hew 1t down, when all the
wigs. branches and 1rnlt will be ours with
ont farther effort The mere occupation OF
nicces of rebel territory is of little benefit
while the great armies Of the rebellion are
,ncnocfnr rs in the field. Until the rebel ar
mics arc destroyed no territory which we
hold with, garrisons Is secure; but once
strike successfully at the moving columns OF
the enemy, cut up and capture them, and the
States T1ll submit We must wage "as
upon armies, not npon population. we
would conquer the rebellion. Speaking Oh
The effect Of scattering cur nrn'ies, the NC"
York Times truthfully remarks:
suad Pattersonts and McDoweaNs armies been
concentrated, the defeat Of Bull Run Wonld nave
mover occurred Lad Grant and Buell. been eAt1ie1
united, the battle Of Shiloh would never hs7e peen
more than rcpulse Of the enemy. Had tue spien-
did CORPS OF Burnside ut Ncwbern been united
with McC1suau.a. that General (os st least any
other Of cur prominent Generally would have car
tafn1y taken Richmond and the retreat Of the
Peuinsuls been saved. Want OF concentration 81
charlottesville ruined Ms, and the side eIpedl-
tton TO Arkansas cost us Ch1ckamauga, and pFoba+
liz six months rrottaction OF the wal. These are
1crr1b1o leeeons to na. They have not been thrown
ayay on the people, AL outside OF the central
military bureau, see that Arkansas and Texas.
and NewberD and Florida, are nothing to us. con-
pa1ed with defeat Of one Of the great rebcl A.
mics. When Leo and Johneton have been fairly
driven out Of the Geld, and their troops become
rowing ruerIl,as, then, and not until then, may VIC
begin to look 10 close Of tho war, and then ali
these outside prorinces which VIC have been spend
inc 70 much OF lite and treasure to conquer, will
tall Is by IN inevitable attraction, to the central
authority"
The policy of dispersion is ascribed to Hal
,cck. who 1s said to be almost insane On that
subject. II permitted, he would nse up
million Of men to garrison thousands Of In
significant posts and places. We are told
that Gen. Butler found 5000 men on the
rolls Of Ills department, but SO scattered and
dispersed that be can not concentrate NOV
ing column OF 0,000 men ut auy one point.
This is perfectly horrible strategy. Our gun
boats have full possession of Pamlico aud Al
bcr.arle Sound, and can maintain perfect
blockade, Ono garrison, say at Hatteras, is
all that need be maintained on that coast.
The twenty odd thousand soldiers should be
Withdrawn to Fortress Monroe and held ready
10 strike blow Mt vital point Crush Lees
army, and North Carolina will submit at
orce, as will Virginia Crush Johnston's
army and Gco1gia, Alabama, md Mississippi
are ut our mercy. Rout Longstreet aud East
Tennessee will take care Of itself. # BanEs
wants to conquer Texae and hold Louisiana
in peace, let him be allowed to collect to-
gcthcr his scattered garrisons and unite them
with Gen. Sherman's srmy, the whole to
move on Jolnstou's line of communications,
Willie Gen. Grapt presses linn from Chatta-
poosa. When Johnston's forces are routed
and captured Texas will give up the contest
as hopeless, and the rowing bandits In Louis
iuna will dfspcrae md disappear.
What can be done by concentration Is
shown by the large army General Sherman
r,kcd together from the useless garrisons in
West Tennessee, and that, too, while scores
OF veteran regiments were returning home
When Gen. Lees army invaded Pennsyl
yahia Inst summer, fifty thousand troops
might readily have been collected at Fortress
Monroe from Clmrleston, Port Rosal, Nor
folk, and score Of gnrrisons in North Caro-
linn, and marched On Richmond, which va!
stripped of defenders. It's capture woult
have been certain, thereby cutting OF Lee
communications, nnd ensu1ing the capture o
dispersion Of lis arny. THIS movement We
60 obviously the dictate Of common seast
that for considerable time It was general
believed that Gen. Dix YVES marching up th
james River To capture The rebel capital Blu
nothing Of the sort wns done, and n
use was made OF those idle troops. Geners
Halleck offers go explanation Of this MOI
ktrouB blundcr In his report to Congress. O
the management of the war. Nor does
explain why he neglected to reinforce Ge'
Rosccrans with Grant's troops after the ia
OF Vicksburg. This Was another Of il
shocking blnnderB, and cost us the bloed
rrpulse Of Cbickamnnga- It Is time to prof
BY tic experience of the past three years. L
us have our next campaign conducted on tt
policy Of concentration Of our forces aguins
the 1nafn rebel armies; overthrow them, an
the war is ended. It never will be until thu
is done. a contemporary thus states 1t
GAS Mi1ton's rcbellious angels were drive
through tho tmural brcech' into the conf1ne
.3r3,& K1x,