Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-10-09
VOLUME XIII, NO. 232.

] :
SuReriugs, and its PeriIs in Iise Htur'
9 Army Correspondence Of the Savannah Repubean
WINCHESTER, Va, September 6-My coz
dition is such es TO render il impossible for n
! to rejOin the army for the present. I was nC
prepared for the hsrd5hips, exposures and fast
I ings the army has encountered since it lett fa
RappahannOck and, Ike many a seasoned cam
/ psignar. have had to fall our by the way
Indeed, L can recall no parallel instance in his
tory, except Nsp0leOH's disastrous retreat iron
Moscow. where an sTmy has ever done nor
marching and fighting, under such great disad
vsutages. than General Lees has done since
left the banks of James river ]. proceeded
directly to the line of me Rappahsnu0ck, and
moving ont from that river. it fought It's way q
the Potomac, crossed that stream aud moved on
70 FredericktOwn and HageTst0Wn, had a hsavy
engagement a BO0uesbOT0 Cap, aui another al
CrsmPton Gap below, found the greatest pitched
/ battle Of the war at Shargsburg. and then
| IrscTOssed the Potomac back into Virginia
/ Daring 81 this time, covering the iuil space ol
/ q month, the troops rested bus four days And
let it always be remembered to their honor, that
/ Of the men who performed this wonderful feat,
/ one-titth Of them ere baretooted, OBe-balf Of
I them III rags, and the whole OF them bali fam
/ ished. The country from the Rsppshannock to
| the Potomac had been visited by the enemy with
! ire aud sword, and our Transportation was
insufficient to keep the army supplied from so
distant q base as G0Tj0n5yie; and when the
| provision trains would overtske the army, so
/ pressing were the eIigeucies Of their position,
the men seldom had time 10 cook Their diff
culdes were increased by ths fact that their
cooking utensils, IN many cases, had been left
/ behind, as well as everything else that would
impede their movements. 1t was not unusual
to see company Of starving nen nave a barrel
OF Hour distributed to them, which il was utterly
impossible for them to convert into bread with
the means and the time allowed 10 them They
could not procure even piece of plank OF q
corn or -four sack, upon which to worll up their
dough
Do you wonder, then, that there should have
been stragglsTs from the arnyl That brave and
tTue men should have fallen ont of line from
steer exhaustion, or in their efforts 20 obtain a
mOuthtul TO eat along the rOsdsidel Or that
many seasoned veterans, the couquerOrs in the
valley, az Richmond aud Manassas, should have
succzImbed to disease and been forced back 70
the Eospita2 l look to hear g great outc1y
raised against the stragglers. Already lazy
cavalry men and dainty staff oficers snd quar-
termast tiers, who are m0unted and can forage the
country Tor something 30 eat, are c0udsmuing
the weary private, who, Notwithstanding hi,
b0dy may b covered with dust and perspiralicn,
and his feet with stone bruises, is expected 10
truoge along under his kUsPsacS and cartridge
box, on an empty stomach, and never to tuIn
aside Tor mOrsel Of food to sustain his sinking
limbs Out upon such monstr0us iuiusticfl T.
That EhsTe has been unnecessary suagglers. is /
readily admitted; but in large meiJrity Of !
cases TIE men have only 70 point to their bleed /
ing feet, tatteTed garments and gaUnt frames tor
an answer to the unjust charge.
No army on this continent has ever accom- ]
plished as much OF suffered as much, as the army
of Northern Virginia within The last three T.
months. At no period during the first revolu- 4
tionary wsr-n0t even at Valley EoTge-5id our
tOretatheIs in arms encounter greater hardships.
or endure them more unc0mylaiuiagly.
But great as has been the trials to which the
army has been subjected, they are hardly worthy
to be named IN comparison with the suffsrings
Ia stoIe for it this winter, unless the people Of
the Confederate States, everywhere and IN what
ever circumstance come to its immsdi.te relief
The men must have clothing and shoes this
winter. They must have something to cover
themselves when sleeping, and to protect them
selves from the driving s.eet and SHOW storms
when on duty. This must be done, Though cur
friends at home should have to wear cotton aud
-it by the fire. The army IN Virginia stands
guard this day, as il viii stand guard this win
ter, over every hearlhstOle throughout the South.
The ragged sentinel who may pace his weary
rounds this winter on the bleak spurs of tle
Blue RLGgo, OF along the frozen valleys Of the
Shenandoah AID RaDpshannOct, viii also be
your aentinels my friend, at home II viii BE-
for you and your household that he encounters
the wrath Of the tempest aud the dangers Of the
night. Ho suffers, and tolls, and fights for you,
too brave trua-beartgd women Of che South.
VIII yCu not clo.he lis naEs5uess then VIII
you not pus shoes and stockings On bis fee. Is
L not enough that he has written down his
patriotism in crimson characters along the bat
e road from fhe Rapp8haun0ck TO the P0tl-
mac And must his bleeding feet also impress
heir marx OF fidelity upon ths SHOWS Of the
coming winter I know what your answer
vii be-. God has spoken through the women
IF the South, and they are bis holy oracles in
his day OF trial aud tribulati0n-
1t is not necessary TO counsel violent nlsasure
but It is not expected that any person viii be
purposes Of speculation. The necessities of the
army rise up ike a mountain, and cannot, and
sill Lot be overlooked. It was hoped at one
time that we might obtain winter supplies in
Maryland. This hope was born amer the army
eff Richmond, and has nos miseTsbly perishsd.
Inc government is unable to furnish the sup
plies for they are not to be had 10 the country.
IF It had exercised little foresight last spring
and summer, when vessels were running the
blockade, with carg0es Of calico, linen and other
articles of like importance, g partial supply Of
lats. blankets, shoes and wooden goods might
nave bean obtained from England. But fore
ight is q quality # the mind That is seldom put
n practice IN these days.
But whatever may be done By the people,
hould be done Immediately. Not one moment
an be lost that win not BE- marked, as by the
scond hand of a watch, with The paugs of a
uffsr Already the hills and valleys IN this
Ugh latitude have been visited by frost, and the
nights are uneomfOrtsbly cool to the man who :
leeps upon the ground Come up, then, men
md women of the South to this sacred duty.
Let nothing stand between you aud the perform
.nce Of il. Neither pride, nor pleasure, nor per
onaI ease and comfort, should withhold your
lands from the holy work. The supply OF /
Gather and wool, we all know, is limited but
10 what you can and all you can, and as soon
IS YOU can. If you cannot send wooden socks,
end half wOolen or Gotten socks and so with
Inder clothing, coats and pants. Aad if 0laG- |
Iets are not to be had, then substitute comforts
made of dyed osnaburgs stuffed with cotton.
Anything that will keep of the cold viii be ac-
eptable. Even the specUlstOr and extor5ioner
night foregO their gains for a season, aud unite
4 this religious duty. II they neither clothe the
laked nor feed the hungry, who are fighting for ;
heir freedom, and for their homes and property,
What right have they to expect anything but
terns damnatiOn, both from God and man
II the army of Virginia could march through ,
he South Just as it is-rsgged and almost bare ,
ooted ana hatlsss-many Of the men HmPing Z
long and not quite well of their wounds OF
ickness, yet cheerful and not wiling to aban-
on their places in the rsnks-their clothes rid :
lied with balls and their banners covered with
he smoke and dust of battle, and shot into tat
ers many of them inscribed with Williams
,urg," Z" seven Pines" Gaines Nil" " Gar ;
.e rs Farm, 'FrOnt Royal" Mcdowell"
Cedar Run" and other victorious helds-if this Z
rmy Of veterans, thus clad aud shOd, with tai 9
cred uniforms and banners, could march from /,
Richmond to the Mississippi, it would produce
sensation that has no parallel in history since Z
'ster the Hermit led his swelling hosts across
Europe to the rescue of the Holy Sepulehre. I
do not write to create alarm, or to produce a
ansatiOn, but to arouse the people to a sense Of
be true condition Of the army. l have yet to Z
earn that anything is to be gained by suppress
~ the truth, and leaving the army to suffer ]