Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-08-09
FEDERAL REPORTS FROM MEM
aBEFEG
Correspondence of the Chicago Times
MEMPHIS sECEssiOyISTs FIRM.

:
! MEMPHIS sECEssIoNISTs FIRM
! MEMPHIS, July 30-Memphis is very much
/ excited about current events The rigorous
measures of Gen. Sherman, in compelling the
secsssionists to take the oath, have not in tie
| least changed their preferences and they are as
much seceSsiOnists as ever; consequently, they
rejoice as much as ever at those little incidents
which they style Federal reverses. The ahan-
donment Of the siege of FicksbUrg, with rumor-
ed successes for the rebel arms in -Tennessee,
are considered omeus Of favor, while the air is
filled with prognOstications founded upon
Bragg's expected advance.
FEDERAL DANGER IN THE WEST.
There is ground enough for all these rumors
and representations. My daily telegraphic dis
patches from here have contained facts which
continually pointed toward the results now
reached, but they have not arrived at their deg-
tinatiOn, and the facts have not become so gener-
ely known at the North as they should be- As
my information has come through the most reli-
able rebel sources, it has been important, but on
that account alone 1t may have been suppressed.
Government censors seem to think that the
Northern people should be kept in ignorance OF
what they have to meet, Or, perhaps, deeming
the eXigencieS at the Easf sufficient - force upon
the public mind, they would conceal the exigen-
ces At the Wes. unlil the blow itself falls
4
lieve that the people should know the present
truth, and receive enlightenment on the future sc
fer as mGy 5e.
The situation Of affsirs in the southwest is a
somewhat critical one. The rebel army has been
5Welled by the c0nscriptiOn to formidable dimen-
slons, and is rapidly organizing into @ we'll
equipped force. Every man in the States Of
Mississippi and Arkansas ia a soldier. Schools
of discipline are located in different places, at
q EwarH
then are hauied into the army. Iu Arkansas
nOs man is exempt from duly, and in her sister
State none under forty-IiYe are allowed to re-
main al home. Il LJUiSia1a the same vigorous
measures are GdOpsed, and, as a consequence,
the rebel army is tO-day-GYe1 in the iucipient
stage Of the c9nscuption-most formidable il
strength. This IS what the North should know.
ESTIMATE OF THE CONFEDERATE STRENGTH.
There are in Mississippi, a. the present mo
meat, not less tbdu a hundred aud twenty thou
sand vel armed snd equipped mea. These
have been raised since Beauregard evacuated
CoTinth and took the flower Of his army to Rich
moud There are fifty thousand more who ars
IN . state of preparation. or already engaged in
the guerrilla warfare. To this army the three
above named States have contributed. General
Bragg is 10 command, with sixty or seventy
thousand men Al TupelO. Gen. Van Dom IS a.
FIcksbUrg, which place he viii soon leave with
twenty-five thousand men. Gen. Price ia-no-
body knows where-with twenty-five or thirty
thousand more. He will Be heard from within
three weeks, opening the ball In a style which
viii open the eyes OF the North pretty speedily
YOu may depend upon that much. 10 addition
to this, Gen. Hiudman has al army Of twenty
thousand men in Arkansas, which he is prepar-
ing to use for his own unscTupulous ends when
ever an opportunity offers. Nov, the rebels are
not gOing to lie sill with such q force. Price
will get possession Of the country north Of Mem
phis, and blockade tha river, and then cross into
Missouri aud sweep that Srate ike an avalanche
Hindman will hold Curtis in check, and Bragg
aud Polk viii march on CoTinsh, and possibly
on Memphis. lie now holds Grand junction
It would be treason to tell your readers how
many men we have here to fight our battles
They are few enough, God knows.
WHAT IS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED.
The substance of it all is-and the North
might as we'll know it-that we ara to be driven
out Of the Southwest, and the Mississippi river
wreSjed from our grasp, unless energetic meas
ures are taken TO strengthen our army. Mem.
phis VIII sCOn be cut off, except by gunb0st nsvi-
gaion, from the North, and the country will
again be oTerrun by rebel army. Tennessee
aGd u -ssoCTi will again become the theater Of
partisan warfare, and the boundary line of tho
South will not c0Ehne guerrilla depyedsti0ns
All this is certain TO occur, for the rebels have
acquired the strength, and they will not be slow
30 use it. The North has been asleep to the vast
consequences which were involved in the new
agent-cous criptiOn-and, if not too late must
wake up snd meet the danger
CURTIS REFUSES TO OBEY ORDERS.
Gen. Curtis refused t) obey Cen Grants or
der to 60 to NIcksbUrg, except on an express or
der from the cOmmander-in-chisf of the Federal
armies. His reasons for doing 50 are unknown
to me, but he was right in the abstract Four
weeks campaign before FicksbuFg would re-
duce his army OEe-half as it has already reduced
the feet, and, before the summer was cut, be
would not have a man left. The wan cOuute-
nances Of our people who retarn from there are
sufficient evidences Of the effects Of the climate
Nearly everybody is sick.
TIE GUEBOAT FLEET
The gunboat aeet viii be brought up here to
patrol the river from Helena to Ceiro. They
leave the Essex down there, unless she can run
tie blockade, which is Lot at all likely SiK
months have been spent in IecOnstructiDg Ler
and equippiug her in the most effective manner
and, on her first trip she was thrown away OF
course she viii bo sacrificed to the Arkansas or
sent to New Orleans, either alternative being of
equal benefit 10 the river fleet. While our bOsts
are pairolliag the river the Arkansas will take
her hand in the business and capture or disable
them singly Patience is exhausted in c0ntem-
plating the stupid folly which left her at Ficks-
burg, when we had force Of steam power col
lected there which could have picked her up and
carried her off bodily, if It had been controlled
by men who dared 70 do such bold deed. She
might have sunk two or three boats il the opera
tiOn, but che is sure to sink them all now, Il
they come in her way. If history does not take
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