Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-10-31

iue recent change ot position MADE by the Coh
frderate army on the Potomac, viii be found in.
t~sresting. The letter was written after the re-
firing movemeut of the forces under Genera
D.aurega7d wss made, the pFopriety Of which il
so universally understood in military circles.
The writer says:
TWAS fully seven O'Clock in the evening be
fore. the order was promulgated that Eairfaa
Court House must be cTacuated, and that at hall
past two o'clock the army would take up II
line Of march for CeDterTille. In less than tel
minutes aiteryard, I venture to say. there wa.
hardly a man, woman or child in the moldY old
town who knew whether they were standing o.
faeir heads or their heels. Houses were turned
fopsv furry: lights dashed from every win
dow. war1robes were cmptied IN 3 tuce
trunks, earpet-bags and boxes grew abese Wit
fkelr hastily gatneled contents children Wrre
.,t cat Of bed and dressed; the wives Of officer
lIa through the streets 10 secure the means q
transportation, which the haste Of the movement
prcveuf-d their husbands from dong the most
rsorbitsnt sums were paid for broken dow
nufs-s aud wagons, and when obtained, humau-
jty and furniture were piled together in a style
ne miscellaneous as it was amusing; old ladies
pyramids Of bed clothing, sQUalliug children,
sguealing pigs, bags Of proTendc, baskets Q.
trockerv, servants and their babies, pictures,
HrAAatf AElEF-GA nElC lF4RttAtif AAAHFa-AAl+'N
into one wagon, presenting TO the eye as tn
novel csTgoes filed slowly by in the bright moon
light a oOagi0mfrated lump Of personal property,
a Asy day morning IS not a circula-
ssnce
e stores, with one or two exceptions, the
pr,giirtors were packing ND and storing their
s-,..5s io ~ soruS OF v-hic.cs some were dig
g.ug holes IN their yards and burying what they
could not carry. others were hiding their valu-
I'll =, .r ~ fba nav raaagaaa-urpfAa ofkarg
again walked around calmly with their hands in
flrr pockets aud svowing their intention to re-
lrain al home and tust 10 Banko honor
he latter class is o sister of the martyr
Jackson
COST Office the undeliyered letters were
couus into bags in a stream, the postmaster nut
I4Iugtie slightest idea when or Whereh he should
lesulue his accustomed place. st the several
headquarters OF the quartcrmasteTs, the same lie
was visible. Wagons were drawn mp in front Of
hay ricks, fodder stacks, corn bins and accumu-
lated stores, while teamsteTs and details Of men
hastily piled in the vaIious valuables belonging
50 their respective regiments. What could moi
be { ken was destroyed. and from nine until
three o'clock. the dancing fires Of a hundred en-
campments, fed by cid tents, useless baggage
and woEnout clothing, unworthy Of transpolta-
tion, illuminated the night, and sent up clOnds
white smoke hat hung ike g vail over
the scene.
o'clock, toe immense train OF wagons,
ur!vatr and public, commenced to move, and
irom tba: hour until the present moment-neaTly
loon-tbey have dragged their slow lengths
nlong every road leading fron1 Fairfax Court
Honse. N such scene has ever been witnessed
on this continent and imagination only can pic
tune the extraordinary spectacle OF an almost
endless winding procession. consisting OF private
carriages, t-auspC tstiou wagons, ambulances,
- 4-r-.-u -r--Tun rnrlaq stalled teams In
dies on borsrDack, dcvves Of cattle, sheep AND
pigs, famil. s on tvct children without shoes and
Stockings, aelIe young girls, mothers with babes
il then arms, each carrying bundles o. goods
with which to nuke themselves comfortable, and
Thousand ether incidents OF a midnight
lsEoet
.n- my peralnbulations from point to
poiur in The night 1 encountered one OF the poor
femhies referred to-tor this as no fancy sketch
and riding up 10 tie father, who was bent
nearly double under the weight of a sack full O!
cooking utensils, / said to hin "Where are you
roing p God only knows, sir. but anywhere
rather than fall into the hands Of the Yankees.
but v heredo you expect to stop tonight I'm
tbe woods. sir. unless we can reach Centeryille,
which is four or six miles away why con
YOU wait until morning-the Yankees wont b.
here for three days ID come 2" well, SIR, 1 an
afraid 10 trust them, and / would rather know
flI my ihQA1 art. olalts II We Nv ~ 1900
on tool all night / tried TO induce the man TO
20 home again, by giving him every assurance
9ossible that he would not be mOiested, even il
be remained-for be was too poor to steal from
but no consideration would induce him to retTacr
BIS steps. and ! left him trudging on with q hall
dozen little ONES and q feeble wife, realizing foI
the first time in this struggle, the terrible deyas-
Eating effect OF war.
Pursuant 70 orders, the army commenced it
march at halfpast two O clock. By daylight,
such regiments as were assigned this situation
had arrived. and when, shortly after sunrise, !
rode upon an eminence commanding a view oi
tbc surrounding locality and looked abroad. the
whole country a. IHr IS the ere could reach, gas
alive with humanity A city Of canvass had
sp1iDr into existence as suddenly ss if rbr
vtnyd of an enchanter had called it from tht
round Camps dotted every hillside and val
4.s: The smoke " the ten thousand fires was
curing upward 10 miucle with the clouds
stacked bay0uets g]listened ia the sunlight;
bands were playing; flags flying; men were
f-liirr trees in the woods, and order was being
established throughout tAe vast household.
BGhaf we've the feelings OF the yillagers through
on dis tumult 81 the night, and sensations Ou
wakIur I'D amid the new Snd wonderful sur
,,rn5,ogs. are not 10 b. described; but ii il
secuted = dream to one who had seen no sleep,
Lut watched the gradually changing process, II
must. for a monent have appeared 90 the unsus
;.5al.s ike n vision little less than
supernatural
.,,,,qrativeIy settled again. Gbe arrangements
"a admiralty made by the c~oIEnanders, though
so su6depiy announced. have enabled the NeTious
REGIMENT p drop into tTr uew PLACES without
Lhe slightest disorder or delay. aud the men 1Ie
uow engaged IN putting things to rights ID
their respective departments. All tie houses IN
Tf--t---F- hs-ra fArr dressed INFO service Tor
Inc different officers OF the army, such as bead
Quarters for toe generals, cOmnlIssaTles ana
qnart%Tnasurs. and the hustle now goIDg on
arounj me Is not cQUaled by even that Of a city,
"a act, I am writing IN tie midst of q crowd OF
hungry f-ilows who are waiting for dinner, with
. large board foT ny desk. 8 stone for q seat. and
40 end 90 temptation % ansthematize internally
every individual who comes within two feet Of
me-. for be is suTe TO be looking over my shout
d.. Under these circumstances, ] find II diff
rr't 10 inditc anEiEuo Interesting. and much 4
naE = So To- . stow tiaj careful thought upon a
su,;fet viii u I AM aware viii enlist The severe>t
criticism d. the southern people.
S,rpTisr viii be everywhere expressed at q 1
,novefaeni IN tie face OF our enemy, so appar-
entity indicative Of weakness or fear. A little
,eh,--tiap. however, viii satisfy every mind, thaf
howev.r well We might have done IN our old
,,stf,1. we can 80 better whore we are at pres
een; Our Disadvantage at Fairfax, or at Nun
cons Hi, were, FIRST, q country not well adapt
ID or a battle-ground; second. a line Of forces
v4-.t frat we rouid have been easily out
q-nt 2. aud bird. we were in too close proximi
- to the enemy for him to fairly avail himself Of
cur invitation &c come ont andbe whipped.
orr advantages Lcre, if we remain, are . com
handing position. nights which are impregna-
ble. a concentration Of our troops, and, OF course,
mucb greater effectiveness, whether on the Of
f-nsive or defensive. Finally, we throw the
gauntlet 10 General MeClellaR "a . manner 50
Toirtsd chat, g. g military man, he must, having
advanced th1 Er accept tbs challenge.
Alreaav h4 !, 8I ancIng ou our left with an
;nn,4n.a fsvse .raI 81 be eighty thousand. EIf
cor thopsand IRE iryeTted 20 have crossed ths
chain Brdg1 fn ona night; aud all has lat5eT
,,oyenlonts eele - ,n8oete . determination
once r,crc a. i.s1 -nto Richmond WHAT
ever he q his ce2frls nay ascertain concern
;nv our strength here. | an satisfied that when his
arny-fhe bone and siuew who are to DO his