Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-08-18
FROM THE SEAT OF WAR IN VIR.
GHAHh


Especial Correspondence Of the Appea1.1
ArriVdiof Members ofths Confederate Congress from
TerHessee-The Hon Thomas 4 R. Nelson, Of Lin
coln's Congress, a PrisoHer-MoUsmsnts at the PO-
fOmdc-A Fortcdrd Step near at hGnd-Accident on
the Central Railroad Destruction of Hampton q
Military Necessity.
RICHMOND, August p, 1861.
The Hon. James H. Thomas, John F. House,
R. L. CarGthers and D. NJ. Currin, recently
elected members from your State to the Pro-
visional Confederate Congress, appeared in
the hall this morning, and, after taking the
oath, were assigned seats en- the floor. Every
State in the new Confederacy is now repre-
scented in the National Legislature, and we
have a body Of men convened to provide for the
safety and honor of the Republic, who may be
worthily compared with any similar assembly
on earth. Indeed, the parliament Of England
is the only constitutional body with whom they
ought, fairly, to be placed in comparison,
since the corps LegisIGtif of France does little
more than register the edicts Of the emperor f.;
and yet it would be an insult to the latter
body to speak of them at the same time with
LincoIn's degraded Senate and House Of Rep
resentatiVes, in which men Of spirit and indie
pendence, like Breckenridge and Vallandigham,
cannot open their mouths without being threat
ened with prosecution. The absence of a del
egatton from Tennessee in the Confederate
Congress so far has not, perhaps, been Of any
Importance to her interests, but the arrival Of
her members is matter Of satisfaction, since
the fullest and freest interchange Of sentiment
between all parts of the country is desirable,
and we have high authority FOR believing that
Gin a multitude Of counselors there is
wisdom"
a Tennessee NJ. C. Of Lincoln's Congress
has also just made bis appearance in Rich
mond, under circumstances somev hat different.
The Hon. Thomas A. R Nelson, the follower
Of Andy Johnson, who did bis best endeavor
to make the people Of bis noble State turn
upon their brethren of the South ia this I'M
righteous war which has been waged against
them, was arrested while attempting to make
his way TO Washington, and is held here as one
whose free movements through our State is in
consistent with the general interests. The
federal government does not hesitate to take
up and imprisCn citizens Of the seeded States
wherever they can be found within its borders
more than this, it manscIes its W citizens if
they but so much as whisper an opinion ad-
verse to the sense, justice, wisdom and hulnani-
ty Of the war, and we may surely consult our
own safety by refusing to permit the omissa-
ries Of that government 10 travel where they
please within our limits. The Hon. Mr.. Mel
son has been turned over into the custody of
the sergeant Of the city, and will find congo
NAL society and a ST mpathizing companion in
the person Of William H. Hurlbut, Esq, who
has been sojouTning here som weeks. We
shall haVo no lack OF distinguished prisoners
after a while.
Not a word as yet from the army on the Pc
tomac. That Beaursgard is not idle all this
time we may be well assured, but whether be
is thinking Of Alexandria or Arlington Nights
is iDdeterminate. There vas a rumor a day
or two ago that he was engaged in erecting
batteries on hill which commands Arlington
and from which the latter point could be
shelled at discretion, but it seems in the high
est degree improbable that the Federalists
who have occupied the neighborhood for SC
many weeks and have many skilifUl engineers
in their service, would have left SO importan'
a hill unoccupied 0r undefended. The signi
are that some large movement will be made il
a few days. A private letter from an officer.
wife at Centerville received yesterday contain
si the statement that a considerable fOTca haC
been advanced from that place with the inten'
ton Of crossing the Potomac. Yesterday
there was an arrival Of one hundred wounded
soldiers from the Manassas hospital, anC
orders were sent dow to provide for the re-
ception Of one hundred and fifty more today
as it had bseu determined to remove all tht
non-combatants from the lines. This look
like clearing the decks for action at sea.
There was a very heavy rain last night
following upon a day Of most oppressive heat
which proved very destructive to our railroad
and may seriously retard military operations
by preventing, for some days, the rapi.
transportation Of troops. We have not, as yet
learned the full extent of the damage, but W
hear Of one very lamentsble casualty on thp
line Of the Central Railway. The embark
ment near The farm of Mrs. Mary Cosby, Of
the South Anne river, about twenty-fou
miles from town, was carried away by the &C
emulation of the waters. One train which lef
the depot at g P. IL, went off the track in th.
darkness, the engine and several OF the car
being precipitated zone fifteen feet below
The train carried eight hundred troops, o
whom four companies were from Kentuckr
and four from Texas. l send you by tele
graph the names Of the victims o. this melan
choly disaster. Eleven of the wounded wer
brought TO town to-day and carried to the St
Charles Hospital. There does not seem T.
haze been any want of caution on the part c
the engineer. The night was excessivel-
dark, the fall Of water had been mueI
heavier on the line CT the South Anne river
than in the city, AMI the rate at which tht
train was moving, was very slow, by which
alone, a much greater loss Of life was avoided
The destruction Of Hampton, by order o
Gen MagTuder, turns out to have been a mat
ter Of military necessity to prevent the occu
patton OF i. by the enemy, who were preparing
to go into winter quarters there before Christ
mas. But for this, Butler would himself haJ
fred the town long ago. The evidences of thI
vandalism Of his men were abundant in dis
gusting inscriptions and licentioui drawing
on the walls Of the houses, and in violation c
the tombs, in the old Colonial burial ground
Gen. Magruder directed the church to b
spared from the general condagration, but
caught from the neighboring houses after hi
troops had left the place. DIXIE.
Discharge Of Hon. T. 4. R Observation-Disclosures 0
the Governor Of TeRnsssee-McDc7 OGciC
Report Garibalai as a U. s. G-enerci-TtrginiG'
Share Of the Proceeds Of The Public Lands girra Z
PierPont.
RICHMOND, august Il, 1861.
The Hon. T. A. r. Nelson, Of ycur State
concerning whose arrest as a suspicious per
son l wrote you in my last, was yesterday lis
charged By the authorities Of The Confederat
Sta'es. mr. Nelson gave satisfactory assur
ances Of his loyalty to Tennessee, and ce
clared bis purpose to abide by her outspokel
will, and share her future destiny as a membe
of the new Republic. He has gone home
wiser man, and it were well that all who uni
ted with him in resisting at the polls the ordi