Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-04

The whole tlect has arrived at this plaee, bapons
painlm aecideDthaving occurred since II lelt Calf'
Ian ambulance, containing three soldiersi who
were Willing away their time at cards, was ,bhWl
over board. and the three soldiers were dfowhed
they belonged TO the S9th Indiana, and were ,losl
near Memphis. s.. - Z
The destination of the Acct whe.l it left Passport
was New Orleans. Here the men weIe to disem-
| bark and puOceed To place near Mobile, es'leo
PaScagOula and iOln CdnbyS army in The invest
ment OF the city Of Mobile. A rumOr n,M prevails
that the latter city has been evacuated, and We are
now waiting tor the confirmation or contradiction o
that report. Ii Mobile IS evacuated, II Is NOT i'm
probable that this command may move by land d.
| recty east from this city; and join Gen Gordon
Changers forces, With the object Of striking at
Il Selma. %
There is A.lagge amount of work to be performed
this Spring in Gen. Canby's department, butit is
the intention OF the Generals conman ding 10 move
rapidly and strike with stunning force.
I.-THE cAPTUxE SoBrLE.
The arst and foremost of the objects Of this eSpe-
dition is the national possession OF Mobile. fJther
the capture Of or the evacuation Of this city, Is all
the same to rs, except il We capture we viii get
several thousand prisoners and large amount OF
ordnance n the place is not evacuated, there are
two divisions Of troops there, two-thrds OF whom
have never been IN action, numbering in all between
four aud i've thousand men, under the command OF
Gen. Dohuer n. Maury, dapper little fellow much
smaller ia stature than Wheeler or Van Dorn.-
There are I'VE general officers there, including Gen
Chalmers who commanded FORESTS cavalry on our
right durInE the batIle OF Nashville, and who has
iust arrived al Mobile.
1.-THE CAPrURs OF cAHAwsA, SELMA AND MONT
GOMIRY, Ala, AND COLUMBUS. GA.
The next movement will be toward Selma aud
Mont gomeTy, Ala, both u which are situated on
the Alabama river. The Alabama river is formed
by tbs junction OF tho TallApOosa and CooSa rivers,
about ten miles abOVk Montgomery The TaDapoosa
takes it rise IA Pal Dc county Ga, about 23O
miles from ITS mould Mud is navga6le between 40
and 50 miles for smMl steamers. The Coosa rises
il Georgia also, Is $50 miles in length, aud nay-
gable TOT small boats iI1 miles from Its Junction
with the TAllapOoSa. The Alabama river Is a very
crooked stream bat is havigable at all seasons of
the year for the largest boats except IN times OF
great drought. The country through which Il runs
i exceedingly rich, occupied by extensive cotton
plantations, aud large tracts OF valuable timber.
CahaNba, on the Alabama river, $50 miles from
AObile, MAS before the fast becoming pIomi-
neHt town, and was . place of considerable trade
las prominence lust nov arises IRON the tact that
there are several thousand Federal prisoners Gagged
there IN = starving condition.
Selma, ON the same rVer, Is 252 miles IRON MO
bhe is situated Ia pOpulons aud fertile region,
aud does tremendous manufacturing business for
the Southern COnIsderacy. There are several ioun
dries an establishment iOT the manufacture Oi
IAN arms. a horseshoe MILL shot and she'll
This was, next 10 Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia,
the most important manufacturing town Ih the Cot
ton States. The terminus ot0the tennessee anu
Alabama rdilrO1d Is at Selma. Before the War It's
population vas well up 10 1000, which has been
doubled since the existence. oI the lebeIhOh.-
selma will probably be the last ditch an Alabama.
Columbus Ga, OH the Stale line, Is situated up
on the Apaiac nicola river, and 10y rail IS ahont 50
lnlles from Montgomery. Ii Is due east from the
halter named place, aud across the country IS but
nib MnutuompIN "A
the tate Of Columbus may be easily predicted. Co
hu,bus has always been place OF more or less
river aud railroad Importance. Vast Quantities OF
shot and shell have been manufactured here during
the war, while half OF the brass cannon used by
the enemy have heeu east ia its toundrieS Co
Iuulhu, contains population of nearly six th0n
sand people half OF whom are Northern mechanics.
There are thousands oi loyal people scattered
about Ia tl,r State oi Alabama. We hold STEVENSON,
HUNTSVILLE Florence aud Decatur, IN the north
Let Us get possession ct Mobile S''ma ANA Mont
geometry, in the south and AiIbaWa viii " a. thor
oughl, Nrcuchcd from the enemy A. Tennessee Is,
aud Mississippi will be lett ont in the cud With no
one 10 heed her iorlorn situation,
IrI.--ro' CLEAN OFT HooD's ARSY. i
Tia, aboy, caption would seem to indicate that
mn. of the objects OF the new campaign is 10 clean
,ut Hoods army. Really, the organization of the
rebel army of Tennessee, lately known a. Hoods
army has ceased to exist. Strictly reliable re-
state thai NIeutldl FRANK corps,
Wandering six thousand men, and stephen y. Lee
e.rp. numbering I've thousand, aud BuiorGs and
IIuns's divisions Of FORESTS cavalry four thous-
and men, have been sent east to JON Hardee M hi,
operations against sherman. This fact was known
hy General Thomas Two weeks ago. All deSerterS,
many OF whom are TeuneSSeans, from Chedtha ms
corps, agree ia the confirmation Of this REPORT
Til, leaves in tins section Alexander Stuart's
Germs Numbering about live thousand men aud
R oidy's and Chalmers cavalry diyisionsof about
the same strength all under the command OF Gen.
Ricbard TAYLOR Stewards corps has left the Mis-
,isSippi. and Is moving towards Selma, Ala The
cavalrv, with the exception Of one brigade atOui al
Thousand strong, under Colonel Jesse Forrest have
ALREADY arrived At Selma and Montgomery. Col,
Forrest has been left To roam at large through
Northern Mississippi and Northern Aiabama,
Federal brigade, two thousand strong, under Gene
raj Knipe. which will leave Nashville at tie latter
end OF hi, month, win attend TO Mr.. Forresi, noT
m the enemy eyacuatc Mobile, and escape with
his garrison to SeDa be will NJ doubt he loined at
that place by TAYLOR forces, aud what militia may
lac NJ present under arms in Central aud Southern
Alabama a. So he will have an army OF about TO-
900 veterans aud 600 miltia-22 ,O06 IN all ii IS
NOT necessary 10 add that we can Outnumberhim Ia
men aud material, and il is possible lit y really
general engagement ut sdngiiiha
~ nature may take place IN Central and Southern
Alabama Time will settle this spechiation,
,raE BBEL UlNsSAISsIssIryI ARMY.
ii everything works well, krby Smiths sDny will
h,. attended To- before next summer. ThiSWil re-
uuire tao expeditions up the Red River and
one ap the Rio GraIde. All the munitions ofw
in fact everything hui hood for this army, icarrled
up the Rio GFande by European vessels while
Texas and Eastern Louisiana furnish the bread and
meat Kirhy smith has not got very Largo army,
aud can easily be cleaned out when sufficient
force OF Federal troops ready 10 get 90 work
about the matter right.
TRIAL OF CAPf. kENNRDY.
The trial OF Capt. KeaneJy, of the LIST Louisiana
Regiment, charged with being spy, and with be
ing concerned ia the late hotel-burning in New
York has come 10 an end, although no decision in
a, .ss. hos h.en given As vet He was tried in