Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-07-23
THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.

ues. BY nature, tbe position is one OF th
strongest that could have been found in tb
whole State. Abont half way between th
eastern spur OF the Blue Ridge and the POto
mac, below AleXa ndTia, it commands tht
| whole country between 20 perfectly that ther,
is scarcely possibility OF its being turned
The right wing stretches off toward the head
waters Of the O,coquan, through a wooded
, country, which is easily made impossible by
the Telling Of trees. The left is rolling tabl,
land. easily commanded from the suecessiv,
elevations, till you reach a country so rougt
aud 80 rugged ths. it is defense to itself Tn.
key Of the whole position. in fact, Is precisel,
that point which Gen. Beaursgsrd chose for
his cen'er, and which be has fortified so strong.
ly that, in the opinion Of military men, 5000
U1sn could there bold 20 coo at bay.
The position, in fact, is fortified, in part, BY
nature herself. It is succession Of hills
nearly eqai distant from each other, in front
OF which is raviRs so deep and Sc thiekIy
wooded that l. is impossible only al two DoiBts
and hose through gorgss that ffty-m can
defend against whole army. It was at one
cf these points that the Washington artillery
We're az first encamped, and though only bali
the battalion was ben there, and We had only
rons company Of infantry to support "a, we
slept as soundly under the protection Of our
guns $ If we had been in fort of The ampest
Dimensions.
/
Gen. BsauTegsrd to those Of nature, it is of
! course not proper for me to speak. The gene
raj reader, in fact, will have a sufficiently pre-
else idea Of them by cOnceiving q line Of forts
some two miles in extent, zig gag in form, with
angles, salients, bastions. case-mates, and
! everything that properly belongs TO words of
this kinl.
The strength and advantage of this position
| at Mansssls is very much increased bv the
| mil =
OF similar formation while the country between
is admirably adapted to the subsistence and
| lntreEchments Of troops in numbers as large as
! they can be easily mSnouvered on the real bat
! tle-held. Water is good and abundant for
| age such as is everywhere found in the rich
FARMING districts of Virginia, and the commu
nication with all parts Of the country easv.
Here, overlooking an extensive plain, wa cred
| bv mountain streams which ultimately find their
way to the Potomac, end divided into verdant
fields Of wheat and oats and corn, pasture and
meadow, are the headquarters of the advanced
forcna o. the army of the Potomac They are
South CaTolinians, LonisiaDisns, Alabamians.
Mississippisns and Sirsinians for the most
part; the FIRST two, singular enough, being in
front, ami tEat they will keep II, heir friends
at home may rest assured. Never have seen
finer body OF m-n--men who were more obe-
ldient to discipline or bresthed a more self-sac-
'iheing patriotism.
As might be expected from the skill with
which he has chosen bis p7sition, and the sys-
| tam with which he eneamps and moves bis
men, Gen Beauregsrd is very popular here.
! doubt If Napoleon himself bad more the IN
divided confidence Of his army. By nature,
ssalso from wise policy, he is very rsticent.
No an individual here knows his plans or a
| sinile move OF regiment before il is made.
aBdiaen only the colonel and his men know
Whes 1t goes TO. There is not a man here who
! can rive anything like a satisfactory answer
how pany men he has OF where bis exact lines
are. Fer the distance Of fourteen miles sround
you se tents everywhere. sad from them you
can make a rough estimate OF his men, but
how miay more are encampsd on TIE hy-road
and in he forests none can tel. The new
ccner, rom what be sees a fret glance, pnts !
dewn th' number at about 10000: those who |
have bssl here longest estimate his force at
4O,hOO, 10000, and some even at 60 900 strong |
And thereis the same discrepancy as to the |
quantity q his artillerV. So close does the |
general ka'p his affairs 70 himself. bis left |
hand hardly knows what hrs right hand doeth, |
and so jsalols ia he Of his prerogatfve Of a |
commanding officer that verify believe il be |
suspected hLscoat Of anv acquaintance with |
ne plans revolving within him, he would cast /
it from hin.
The generals headquarters is little farm 1
house, sbout hteen feet By twenty, fronting on /
one Of tho road that lead 10 Alexandria. The
ground floor Is 6vided into two rooms. The
front one is fiied with desks, at which clerks
sit wriii~g, or engaged in business of varied
character. The .ack one appears to be used
for A store room and kitchen. Above the
same division continues, and the front room is
the generals apartment. II is about fifteen
feet long by ten Wild, and hung with mans of
the State and county around 10 the center ls
plain pine table, onwhieh lie, neatly folded
up, what the visitor S,uld naturally take to be
plans, specifications, surveys, ceomstricsI
drawings, &c, aBd by Retr side military re-
PORTS. Everything has the air Of neatness,
crolness and mathematical calculation. OIL
course there is nothing intbe room but what
per aims to the office, and o most eyes it vould
appear somewhat hare; bit what there is. is
arranged with so much ta5e that the general
impression $ By no means uiplsasing.
The general is in bis room be greater mart
OF the day, apparently occupied with his plans
and reports. Then hour aftar hoar be sits
alnne by his neat little pine table, maps, plans
and specifications before hisl, aud lsrge. nnen |
windows open behind and arou,6 him, at FIRST
sisht the cold, calculating, umympathizinr
Mathematician Every now and then an Aid
enters With report or a message which ia
in military style, deliberately exam
tned in silence, the correspondipS order
promptly written out OF delivered IL az few
words as possible, and our mathematical ice
berg is alone again. When visitor dreps in.
however, at leisure moment, the formaiitv OF
The officer readily gives way TO that easytnter-
change of civiiities which chsracterizes onr
pc pie at home, but nothing more. Even at
the table, when the general is daily surrounded
BY the most distinguished gentlemen of the
country, there appears to be distance which
I suppose is natural to his position. but which
is rarely found elsewhere
The leading characteristics Of Cen Beau
regards mind is clnaTness of perception. S1
peradded to this is strictly mathematical ed
ueatloD. This yousee in every word and look |
even the expression Of his face. Sines, cos
ines and tangsnts stick out evervwhere In
person be is slender, but eompactiy built. and
neat. Add to this a precision of
manner, eighty modified by the ease which
character yes the well bred man of the world.
and YoH have correct idea of the man whose
word is law and gospel throughout one of the
largest, most fntelligsnc and best appointed
armies ever assembled on the American conti-
asnt.
In his personal staff the general has been
peculiarly fortunate. They are prineipalfv |
from South Carolina. the same be had with
him At the siege of Fort Sumter, all Of them
accomplished, discreet gentlemen, of the most
pleasing manners. Among them have been
happy to meet Col. Preston, so long a resident
society must be happy relief to the severe
ahors Of the day.
The generaPs mess is very much in keeping
with his character. and simple enough for Ma
Doleon himself. II is served on long pine
able, set In an open piazza OF the farm house.
and al bis friends are Hospitality welcomed to
t three tines day. The general sits nearly
n the middle; his aids Immediately on one
hide, and bis latest guests on the other: the
est OF the company as they may choose or
;hance to seat themselves. The viands are
iueh as the country around affords only the
ice was "mported," )" and with II, SUSPECT.
''uth CarGiBa cook, FOR every kernel was as
n dependent as the Safe from which il came.
|
The EFFECT OF THE WAR. The New
York Datlt NeEs says that cheese, which
eadiiy commanded in that city on the 1st % / .
January, ten cents per pound, now brings INT
Wo eents Butter, which then sold for foUr-
cen cents, how sells for seven. Hay. which
o'd ror nilety cents six months ago. now
rings thirtY-fve, and all other articles have
leclned in Ike proportion.
We learn from the same psper that fha %
ices in the Fourth avenue, where the u-ivss
ind families OF soldiers have hitherto gone in
eaTeh OF Necessary relief from actual want
we're closed last week. A notice put M on
me Of the doors announces that no nnrs
money will b. given out for the present. =
aTge crowd pi women, who are actually sue |