The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-09-16

of the Confederacy, how was 1t else
where? Kirby Smith was somewhere
in the west with an army, but he was
in no condition to help or to be helped.
The Mississippi rolled between. and
was patrolled by 1ron-clads. Atlanta
had fallen, Hoods army had been al
most destroyed at Franklin and Nash
Vile. Sherman had made waste in
Georgia and destroyed it's principal
railroads. Charleston tad been evacu-
ated. and in Captain Fagan's diary en-
tries were being made like this: De
cember 25, 1864. Savannah end Fort
Fisher have fallen" February "A.
1865. Serman reported to have cut the
railroad below Braachville."
Long before. Captain Pagan had re-
corded, July 10, 1854. The Alabama
sunk nine miles of Cherbourg by the
Kearsarge." The wonderful exploits
of the Alabama ana herN sister ships
in destroying the enemy's commerce
had greatly annoyed the enemy, but
that was ALL and now even the Ma
bama was at the bottom of the sea.
1t was. after all. the United States
navy with which the newly born gov
eminent in the South lacking naval
resources, hao never been able to
cope. Like the serpent of classic fable
that strangled LAGOON, after 1t had
first wound itself about and pinioned
fast his arms and legs, so the United
States navy had. by penetrating our
rivers. deprived our armies OF the pow
err TO help each other ana by winding
its deadly folds around our sea coast
was fast strangling the life out of the
Confederacy. Until Sherman started
from Chattanooga no signal success
had anywhere been achieved by any
Federal army. east of the Mississippi.
that had not been directly aided by
the navy 1t was the gun boats that
enabled Grant to capture Fort Donel-
son and Nashville, and made success
full the expedition TO Huntsville, Ala,
in 1852 1t was the navy that cap
tured Memphis, Island No. 10. New Or
leans, Fort Fisher and Mobile COM
passed the downfall OF Vicksburg. cut
off Confederate communications across
the Mississippi. and burned OR depots
of supplies along nearly all the navi-
gable streams in the Confederacy. 1t
was the gun boats on the James River
that saved McClellan's army when he
had been disastrously driven from mis-
trenches on the Chickakhominy; and
Grant now had these gun boats at his
back. More than all, this the navy oY
the blockade had destroyed for the
Confederacy all opportunity OF procur-
ing with it's cotton efficient supplies
of railroad material and munitions of
war from abroad Our railroads and
their rolling stock were wearing out.
1t was and had been impossible. with
out better railroads, to concentrate
rapidly our troops, or even to supply
| with decent food and clothing our ar
mics where they were. Grant had
been repused all along the lines from
| the Wilderness, and had only at last
been content to cease swinging around
a circle when he reached Petersburg
where he had the navy in the James
River to support him. Here ne sat
down and after a rev repuIses' en-
| trenched and entrenched. extending ms
! lines further and further to his left.
And think Of that terrible crater!
! Three whole companies of infantry.
| besides. artillery had without a mo-
mautS warning been blown into eter-