Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-04-27

rNTEEkESTINe FROu E0RF0LK.
special Correspondence to ihe Pfsrsburs Kxpress.l
NopvoLK, April 23.-Perfeet qaic' has
taken thu place Of he wild excitement that
urevaiIed bere during Saturday and Sunday
}ast. An fear Of Immediate attack is now re-
moved, and people breath free once more.
Sill preparations FOR defense are being prose-
cutsd with extraordinary vigor.
On hospital point the sand batteries are
I nearly completed and seven guns are already
In position. The work is SO far advanced that
FIVE additional guns can Be mounted to-day,
which. with the iron battery, materials Tor
which are now on the spot, will complete the
defense at The point.
or the opposite side Of the river from the
hospital, the old United States viii be an
chored IN a position perfectly eommasdingtn s
channel. She will be taken to the navy YARD
I to-day and receive a sufficient armament OF
guns n The heaviest ealibre. Betwee0 these
tive powerful d~sfenses, placed lessthan halt a
mile apart. It Is believed no feet can possibly
force rs way even though It succeed IN pas
| sing the heavy batteries now being erected on
| Craney island and AZ Fort Norfolk.
Prorer precautions have been taken too, TO
guard against any attack from The rear, and
people here feel now that their city is safe.
Gen. Gwynn's appointment gives great sat
isfaetion, and already the good effect Of hav-
ing an experienced mil tary man at the head
Of affairs is becoming manifest. Order reigns
where formerly confusion prevailed, and vastly
more is accomplished with much less expendl-
ture Of time and labor. The Generals aids,
DR.. Robinson and Messrs. R. R. and Chas. +.
Collier, Of ysur civ, have no siaecure. They
are kept constantly busy, night and day Pc
tersbufg, by the way, has yet another worthy
representative on the Generals staff, in the
person Of Arthur johnson, Esq who was ap-
pointed yesterday Assistant Quartermaster Of
ibis port.
About dark yesterday evening some little
excitement was produced by a report that the
Cumberland was returning to this city In tow
Of two tugs. with The design Of recovering
possession Of the navy yard, but investigation
proved the alarm 70 be without sufficient foun-
datien. The terrible msn-of war turned out
10 be only a peaceful merchantmen bound to
thia port with a cargo from Havana. She had
been stopped, however, in the roads, but, after
examination, was permitted to pass.
So the ports OF our State are not yet biocka-
ded. But after The 23d Of May, then lO0k out.
After the people shall have ratified, as with
unanimous voice they will, the act that pro-
nounces eternal separation frem the ediOus, be-
sotted and Vandal government; at Washington,
then will come blockades, and then will com
mencs war in earnest. The hope Of compromise
still liHgers in the hearts Of The miserable i'm
beetles that are fast wreeking the Baboon gov
eminent, and until the people Of Virginia have
themselves declared the decree Of irTeVocable
divorce, the delusion Of reconstructien viii not
be abandon !, and no act OF hostility will be
committed against Virginia. All this is based
upon the supposition that before the 23d OF
May comes, events will not have trsnspired
with such rapidly that Lincoln himself viii
be a fugitive from the capitol, and Jefferson
Davis the occupant of he White house, for
which glorious consumm2tion | heartily trust,
all true Virginians do most f~erventlv pray.
In one Of my dispatches published in Mon
days paper, you made me say that "ten thou
sand' troops were being landed at Old Point.
whereas ] only wrote fro thousand, ard that
number / gave on the authority Of the captain
Of the Baltimore boat who saw the troops
landing. (The telegraph plays hobs With dis
patches sometimes, and mangles mine unmer-
cifuily.) Now the truth as nearly az I can
ascertain it, with respect TO the number OF
troops in Old Point is, that there are not in all
more than two thousand In the fort at this
time.
This statement is made on The authority Of
Capt. Elizey, who reached this city Yesterday
morning, having succeeded in making his
escape the night previous from Old Point,
where for more than a week be was held a
close prisoner. It is reported tbattherea are two
other southern officers, who like him were
not permitted to resign, and who are now
in close confinement. He succeeded BY a
stTatagem in escaping to Hampton, whence
be was ~smuggled to this city yesterday. The
number OF reinforcement thrown into the
fort be represents has been greatly exaggera-
ted, the whole force there at the time Of his
leaving not exceeding two thousand men.
They are all raw recruits, ragged dispirited,
and for The most part forced or entrspped
into service. There is no fight in them, he
SAYS. he contradicts, too, the Tumor about
negroes forming part Of the garrison, there
being no negroes there except in the capacity
Of servants. Il IS here thought that attempts
have been made to entice slaves into the forts
as laborers, under promise Of good wages, and
this, without any recognition OF the masters
rights. It ia also true that promises Of free
dom have been held out to the slaves, and
that reports have been put into circulation
among them, declaring that the object Of the
northern troops in coming 70 Virginia, is to
effect their emancipation These Facts reach
them from so many different sources and so
directly, that | cannot suffer myself TO doubt
their correctness. Thus, then, the programme
Of the abOlitiOnists is being carried out, and
the /" irrepressibls'' is in our very midst.
The negroes though, in all this section Of
country, slave and free, are as loyal as could
be desired. The brides offered by the aboli-
ton emissaries are spurned with contempt,
while at tie same time theV freely prefer their
services 10 The State, AID zealously contend
for the privilege of being allowed to work on
the batteries Yesterday, General Gwvnn de-
clined the services Of three hundred from
Hampton, who collected employment on the
batteries, and twice and thrice that number
could be obtslned in this city and vicinity in a
single dav, il it was thought advisable to ac-
cept them. Indeed, The entire Notifications Of
this hsTbor might be constructed by the vol
] rrnAarw Ia hnru Of nnHrnnn Who u-oulAr 1afm m
higher reward than the privilege Of being al
lowed to contribute their share toward the de-
Tense Of the State, and the protection Of their
masters and mistFesses, who had always eX-
tended a sheitering hand over them. Cufee
has many admirable qualities that Yankees
havsnever yet given him credit for.
Twas surprised and mortified yesterday to
learn that a report was In circulation in your
] city tothe effect that an engagement had taken
place here, in which not less than twenty Of
the Petersburg volunteers had fallen. How a
fabrication so unfseling and so entirely with
out foundation could have been started, / can
not imagine. There has been n engagement
here, nor from present appearance ia there the
least probability that there will be one. Tke
Petersburg Volunteers are all in excellent
health and in fne spirits. Major Weisiger
and Captain Nichols have both been a little
sick. confined for two days, but are now both
on duty. Mr.. Morrison, Of the City Guard,
was also quite in last Sunday from impru-
dence-with these exceptions, the command
could not have enjoyed better health They
are an CHARTERED at the fair grounds, about
two miles distant from the city, and have ex-
cellebt accommodations. They have powder
from he magazine In charge. / design paying
them a visit possibly to day-whsn / will be
/ able to give their friends more minute intor-
nation concerning them. Meanwhile, time
presses, and have scarcely space to say,
ADI0S.
sPRFCH oF STR.