Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-05-20
RIoHMoSp, As1 10, lse

RICHMOND, Msy 10, 1862,
EC5TCRs AFFEAL; That handful CT
rebels which we're = have been scattered in
thirty days" should hare beaten the organised
forces Of az cid and stable government at Bull
Run, Msnassas, HsrPe-'s Ferry and LeesbuIg-
efectually blockaded the Capital Of the Old
States for SIX month. and bid defiance to its hun
dreds Of thousands in arms, wili ever remain a
tough problem for historians to solves and szch
ipexplcable facts cannot bat reject ignominious
ly upon the sssacitT, via, aud esEnestness Of
the Federal Cabinet and upon no oRs, individ-
ual7, uors than Geo. Mcclellan, who foT ons
whole year has beaa harelded as the coming
man. and done lsughs but banboozle his
Washington friends and admirers, and been
thoroughly laughed at. and despised bT the
ve-iest drummer ia the Confederate service
Afraid 70 advance upon our forces ct Munson's
Hill, who with banners TO the wind bid defiance
and offered fair and open battle 70 the whole Of
Yankeedom finding II impossible to sssal Or
storm our defenses at Centerville, (rspidly erect
Cd and perfected By the dashing and accomplish
ed Beamegard) = months upon months were
allowed 10 roll by inacdvely, while Federal debts
rapidly accumulated, and the friends Of the
North IN Europe, even, because 3isgusted CT the
nonsensical pratensions Of the FedeTals, and
laughed in their sleeves at the fact, that the
Capitol itself was during that whole time
jeops-dized, and the very necessaTies of life cut
Of from these who bOasted of being rulers of
the land. while the Potomac itself was efeetually
blockaded even to pleasure and fishing boats by
the hardy, earnest, and wakeful Confederate
batteries Winter passed, and vast sums were
expended TO prepare for the spring. Men by the
L e 4.
| formed-cOuntess teams and wagons were con-
gregated-stores and preparations Of peculiar
character were gathered and perfected, and when
spring began TO dawn, heavy masses Of the enc
| my appeared in the Shenandoah Valley, expect
| ing TO flank Johnston at Centerville and Manas-
| sas, while Mcclellan appeared in front for pur-
poses Of diversioDi Our scattered forces at
| teesburg and beyond Winchester were expected
| 10 fan into Federal hands without opposition By
columns moving from Lo7ettsville and Stras
burg, while the reel Aanking forces crossed the
mountains and debauched upon or near Stapn-
ton by gapst Llnkkersville!
Pretty and feasible as this plan Tas OF paper,
! and mysteTiously and quietly as our enemies
! epdeavOred to execute 1t, Johnston and Beaure
| gard long foresaw It, and laughing at McClel-
/ ANS duphcity and assurance, made prepare
tions for evacuation, evscusting Manassas and
Csnterville. even months kefore any one dreamed
of It These points were accordingly left, even
before the enemy could believe it, but eonfound-
ed at the move, and driven almost to desperation,
Mcclellan essayed to retrieve his disgrace and
short sightedness. by throwing his foIses upon
the Peninsula, hoping, and really expecting that
this route to our temporary Capital would be
found undefended and easy Of access But il
this he calculated without his host. MagrudeI
had held possession Of the peninsula fOT one
whole year against immense odds, and when
the foe approached Yorktown he was astounded
to find that from York to james rivers one con
tinuOus line Of breastworks prevented all pro
gress. while stony redoubts, sand batteries
abattis and artificial lakes, (formed By draining
the headwaters Of the Warwick river) efectual
ly prevented progress further without des
perats conflict
supposing MagTuder's force to be thousands
(instead Of hundreds y MeClsllsn haltsd, Will,
Johnston, aivining the zsVensRt TO kO in ear