Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-10-01

Correspondence of the Mercury
| RICHMOND, September 23-The mysteries Of
! Udolpho are very fac, but they are not up to
the myteries of Richmond. In tTaversing the
spscs of fonr squares, last evening, heard the
| following:
1. General Lee had sent word to put Rich
mond in complete state of defense, without a
moments delay. ,. Our army had burnt Boons-
| boro' and captured 1900 prisoners, including
Burnside and his whole staff 3 Lse had tels-
| grsphed the President that he crossed the river
not on account of the enemy or tho want Of sup
plies, but because he feared the river would rise
afJel the equinoctial storms 4. A surgeon in
Lees staff, just arrived, had stated that our
whole army was on this side Of the river, in
quest Of provisions. 5. An Intelligent young
man, belonging to the War Department, had
heard Lees dispatch read, in which he said :
We have been victorious in every engagement
6. An officer of the State Department he'd read
Lees letter, which stated that Wednesday, bat
tie amounted to drawn one, and ONr army was
on this side OF the Potomac :. A clerk in the
adjutant generals Office who len Mddletown,
Maryland, on Friday at noon, said we had whip
ped the enemy that day, and were chasing him
toward Fredericktown. Colonel Y high iu
Office, said our whole army was in Virginia
bat, nevertheless, at the Presidents house every
body was in high glee, 9 Mr. u, Of the War
Office, said there was good news, which he was
not at liberty to tell, which would be made
known to-day. Wasn't this enough to make
mans head swiml
To-day the fog continues The Erdmiaer
has one story, tho Dispatch another, and the
governments organ a third. Add to this Il re-
port that Colonel Clifton, chief of Lees staff
has written u letter to his wife declaring there
was a fight and Confederate victory on Fri
day. There is mystery, too, about General
Fi'zhugh Lee, son OF the commanding general
Il is stated positively that he was killed on Sun
day when pursuing the Yankee cavalry, which
had escaped from Harper's Ferry. Our men
charged with drawn sabres, the Yankees re-
csived rs with csrbnes and pistols, and at the
frst voey Lee fell Sill there is a doubt.
A Southerner, inst from Nicaragua, reached
here last night having passed the Yankee lines
during the fight at Boonesboro' after many pre-
vious intffsctual attempts. H3 saw General
Garland when be was kiled-in front Of bis
brigade, leading il into action, ami exposing
himself Tashiy. He says there is no doubt Me
Clean was attempting to reach Hsrpsr's Ferry,
thinks he was folled and inclines TO the belief
that, being foi}ed, lie retTealed to Washington
He ought to be driven into hotter Hades (uO
fouler one exists than that to pay for the exc
cradle bom5ast of his dispatches.
The question of delenses, in view of the fen
de EenteF which will be raised on our coast nBEt
winter, is a serious one. Mobile and Savannah
are said TO be safe; so is the Yazoo, but not the
Red river Charleston IS a question to be
solved. The defensos of the North Carolina
coast are uncertain, so far ss | have been able
to ascertain.
A friend comes in to tell me that the president
of the telegraph Company is very smiling this
morning-says there is news, bat won't tell it,
as he is bound to secresy.