Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-10-05
N0RTIIrRN GOSSIP.

| special to lhe New York IIerald.l
| WASHINGTON, September 22.-From devel-
opments made to-day, | am satisfied that the
| statement forwarded last night, purpoTting to
| come from man Just from Manassas, concern
ing the strength and condition of the rebels, was
garbled coming through third party to-day. /
| have seen him, aud his statement is very clear,
and confirmed by numerous Othor statements
/ made hy other reliable parties His position Of
| late at Richmond, Manassas, Winchester, Har-
perS Ferry, MHnsons llill and Fairfax, al
variOus periods, and his extensive acquaintance
/ with men and things, have enabled him to judge
well Of the condition and movement of the rebels.
! He saws the number of troops from Richmond to
| the Potomac. at Leesburg III one direction and
Aquia and Matthias points IN another, may safely
be put down at I75,0O0; $4,000 Of them were at
| Richmond three days ago, and another 50OVO at
Manassas while the remaining IS, 900 are secretly
moving along from that point to Mrnson's Hill,
and from the vicinity of Noland's Ferry to Har-
per's Ferry, and on the Potomac, south of Alex
andria, from the vicinity of Aqua Creek and
Matthias Point The militia at the trenches at
Leesburg number ab0nt 5000 There am about
5000 in the vicinity of Noland's Ferry. The
force at Fairfax Court House is qufife, ,sinali
Generals Beanregard and Johnston make
FairElN Court House their headquarters. The
main battery on MuSon's Hin consists of three
terry, more secure containing three guns. The
men are generally well clad, but not with winter
clothing, and arr beginning suffer for the want
of them, and especially those from the extreme
Southern States. Blankets are very much
needed at night and il is considered a thing inn
possible to supply their wants The troops have
10 shoes but those they brought from home and
most Of them are about used up and there is
no possible means for supplying tie articles.
They cannot be manufactured, as leather is
scarce, and thcrc being no meats foot oil to be
had and cannot he procured for the manufacture
of leather.
The cotton crop which has bcen pledged for
the Confederate loan IS not to be moved 10 the
seaboard cities untl pady for shipment, for fear
Of seizure
There have bean pressed into the Confederate
service nearly all the teams and horses in the val!
l..v Of Virginia. Farmers are thus deprived of
the usual advantages for tiIling the ground pre-
paTatory to sowing their next wheat and corn
crops. Fomgr for horses is being rapidly
bought mp showing that a speedy move IS about
to take place. Between Aqua Creek and Alex
audria two new batteries, one five and the other
tn miles above have been erected. The work
ON them has been done on dark nights. The IN
toution seems TO be the erection Of similar de-
tenses along the Potomac up to point as near
Alexandria as practicable.
He SAYS the rebels were safe in regard to the
protection Of the Potomac between Aqua Creek
and Matthias Point, and that this feeling of Sc
curity has probably arisen from the fact that CON
tTaband goods have in many instances, been car
Fied across from the counties of Charles and ST.
Mary's into Virginia On the Maryland side in |
these two counties signal lights have been noticed,
giving the rebels timely warning of the passage
at night Of any Of our sailing vessels Ny in |
ioTnant learned, before leaving Manassas, that |
the anticipated advance viii be made simultane-
ously at Noland's Ferry, Alexandria, and at a
point between Aqua Creek and Matthias Point |
The movement at Alexandria viii probably be a
t,int. They have made every attempt 10 induce !
Major-Genrral Mcclellan to attack their masked /
batteries but are now satisfied that he will not |
attack them
Ny informant was asked if he ever heard of
n plan to asssssinate MaioT-General Mcclellan |
lie said he never did, but he had heard OF some
thing about asSassinatng President Lincoln, |
whom they assert to be the head and front of all
their trouble. He says they regret that Gen. |
Mcclellan is in command, and express the hope |
that Gen. Scott viii again assume it. He says |
that jeff Davis, although not dead was quite |
feeble when his death was announced and that |
his health is declining fast.
The gentleman from whom the above informal |
ton is obtained had high position in the rebel !
army, and had the confidence Of Baauregard /
He is & native of Virginia
A Union woman residing at Searnisvle ar
rived here to-day She reports that there are
not more than fifteen or twenty thousand rebels |
in Fairfax comfy. 1t was their intention to at
Tempt crossing somewhere on the upper Poto- |
mac They had moved a large portion to cross,
and then by "a flank movement cut of Banks |
division They swear vengeance against him |
and his gallant army, aud seem more anxious !
fer aa engagement nsith Ain than with 'irnerai /
Mcclellan.