Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-05-16
9ailg appeal,
-now orR EVENING EDITION OF YESTERDAY.
LETTER FKOI RICHmOND,


Special Correspondence Of the Memphis Appeal
RICHMOND, May >, 1862.
Since Saturday we have been waiting to heal
the faraway din Of resounding arms" The
posture Of affairs at Corinth seemed to make il
almost certain that the most momentous battle
Of the war would be fought yesterday, and the
thoughts of everybody could not but wander
from liturgy and sermon, frem the calm of the
vernal Sabbath and the tender beauty of the
fresh-robed trees, 10 the hot field Of conflict and
the dire scenes enwrapped in its smoky canopy.
No tidings came, however, throughout this day,
We have news this morning that the sabbath,
which here was so cloudless and beautiful, was
at Corintn day of darkness and pouring rain
that rendered military operations impracucabie
! Our suspense has not been lessenod, as you may
suppose by the postpOnement OF the struggle
The vast consequences that hang upon BeaUre-
CARDS success are too well apprehended here nos
| to cause every 10y al man and woman in NHgiuia
| to await the issue with almost breathess anxiety.
Our communication with Memphis is now so
difficult and crcUitOUs that for practical purposes
/ it might nearly as well be suspended. The last
! APPEAL that was received here bore date the 25t
/ Aprl-twclve days Ggo The telegTaphic col
! dispatch fr N Augusta giving us an extract
| from the APPEAL OF the 2Sth Thus without the
means of knowing accurately the condition OF
your city, we can only derive good auguTy
from the We Y lack Of information, and suppose
that bad Memphis shared the fate OF New Or
leans, we should have heard the fact, for evil
tidings fv fast. Whatever may be the success
Of the Yankees with their tremendous fotils of
war vessels upon the Mississippi, we feel assured
that they will not succeed ia obtaining the great
object Of their Xpeditiun-cotTnu-bUt that the
torch will 90 before them to illuminate with the
light Of blazing warehouses their way to desc
lated plantations
A very important change in tine condRct of the
war has been announced oUt-of- doors as the
definite policy Of the administration and the
events of the las. Iorty-eght hours in this i'm
mediate neighborhood would seem 10 give it
almost an official sanction. Ne arc TO gire ug
the coast abandon erery 1r0ter course into lchich
gUaL0at can peHotrate, and fgf The battle heHce- |
1Orfrayd IN the interior Accordingly, our forces
have fallen back from Yorktown 10 line not |
more than forty miles from this city, leaving |
Williamsburg and West Point outside This |
movement was admirably accomplished, without /
loss OF men, stores G. munitions of war. Our /
last train was ITed into yesterday morning at
West Point, By thee of the Yankee gunboats /
which had steamed with all speed up the York |
river, but no damsgc ws7 sustained
considerable number Of large guns had 10
be left in the batteries at Yorktown and Glouces-
ter Point but they were previously rendered I'M
seTviceabe 10 the ercmy. Ia further execution
of ibis new policy, Norfolk and Portsmouth have
been evacuated. For some time past the aU-
th0lites have been removing all tue available
materials from the navy yard, and what they
could not carry off they destroyed. This morn
ing the evacuation was completed by blowing
up the magnificent dry dock theTe-such al least
Is the report currently believed. The Virginia
will convoy all the vessels that can be useful for
the defense of James river, across Hampton
Roads, to place Of safety some distance this
,ide Of Newport News. II will occur 70 you, Of
course, that Richmond, being on Dayigable
trram afJTding depth Of water sufficient for the
,nemys gunboats, viii be made an exception TO
he general rule for the surrender Of the tide
water districts, and such is the fact By OBJ
tructious in the channel with the feet We have !
or tho protection of the stream, il IS confidently
relieved that the city can be rendered icaccessi-
lie 10 the enemy by water and TO attempt it By Z
and they must give us battle in the open field, !
Whenever and wherever they have done TINS
hitherto, we have whipped them, and we shall !
lot Sight the less bravely when the issue is the
afety of the Confederate capital and the ancient
,eat Of government Of Virgins II
But ;be most cheering feature Of the new poll
y remains yet TO be stated The Irar Is 90 be
made aggressive on orr part. Two or more coz
Imns under tried leaders, it IS said, are 20 pene-
rate into the enemy's country and carry cOusteT-
nation and suffering to their doors With 3
shout Of Joy viii this information be welcomed
throughout the land. Pals and weary occupants
1f beds in the sick wards Of hospitals, viii feel
the pulse Of returning health in their veins, es
they hear that they viii be wanted for IcaT Of
iHvasisn A now spirit viii animate the army,
a new life throb throughout the Republic 1t
would be improper to hint what commanding
generals viii be intrusted with this new enter
prise, or wha: points of the enemy's country
viii probably be selected for the first attack.
Let them fud this out by the sight Of the advan-
cing columns, and the sound Of the pealing
trumpets
We have the good news from the Peninsula,
that diseases Of all kinds have broken out in
army, fevers, small pox, cholera,
etc, etc and 10000 Of them are reported as in
the hospital
jackson was at Staunton yesterday, and ez-
pecting to engage the enemy within twenty-four
hours.
The President has issued bis proclamation for
another day Of fasting and prayer, on the 10th
instant Dixie