Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-01-19
CUR GULF COAST CORRESPOND

COA5
Butler and las Men DecamP from Ship Island
Dreadful Prevalence of Disease among the
Yankees on Ship ~Bland-Maiarg Ardor-The
alabama PAe--Equpwent Of the Mliia-
Raining The ROckade-PensacOIa
MOBILE, January IS, 1862.
EDITORS APPEAL: The doings Of our neighbor-
ly enemies on Ship Island are exceedingly mys-
trying. A couple of weeks since they were
there in great force. Of this there can be no
doubt, for there is little difficulty in obtaining
accurate information as to what is going on
about and on the island. Now, there can be no
doubt but the island has been abandoned by the
great body of Buffers forces. This fact has
been ascertained in a manner which might spe-
city, were it polite to do so. There now remain
ON the island but about five thousand men, over
two thousand of whom are sick-the duty of
those who are able to do duty being to garrison
the fort" Fort Massachusetts, and attend
the hospitals, crowded with the forlorn candi-
dates for plumber and glory, who erst left Yam
keedom in such gallant style, chanting the abo-
htion Sc Canuaguole about " Old John Browns
soul marching on"
The intelligence of the disastrous prevalence
of disease in the camp of the invaders is very
direct, and, believe, accurate. 1t would seem,
therefore, that Providence has interposed directly
in our behalf in laying the hand of retribution
heavily upon the assailants who come to bring
ruth and ruin upon our fresides. The weather
has been most unfavorable to health since the de-
barkation of the Yankee forces. The tempera-
ture has been the most variable that 1 can re-
member, the shifting winds laden with mist and
rain, and charged with the very essence of pneu-
mOnia and typhoid. This weather coming upon
the weak-lunged and narTow-chested shoemakers
and weavers Of Massachusetts in their damp and
exposed camps, in a strange climate, was worse
than grapeshot and shell. They doubtless fell
sick by hundreds and thousands, as though a
plague had smitten them, and, alarmed by so
fearfully appalling a presence of him of the pale
horse, Picayune Butler pulled up stakes in a
hurry and abseonded from the scenes of meditated
glory in a panic only second to that of Bull Run.
It took some thirty ships to carry off so much of
his grand army as absquatulated, and only three
or four now remain anchored off the island. 1t
would be interesting to know how many Yam
KEGS are now resting quietly in their oozy sand
beds, doomed to the inglorious fate of feeding
" sand folders and crabs.
Great Caesar, dead and turned to clay.
May stop a chlnk to keep the wind away
Now the anxiety is to know where Butler and
his armada viii next turn up. Probably his
first business will be to carry to some place,
where they can be cared for, the sick whom he
was unable to remove. Perhaps this is all that
the Grand Expedition Of the Southwest " will
attempt or accomplish. 1t is pretty certain that
they have got to fight fast to do anything for
Abe will soon have to gather in under his wings
his " black hens chickens if he wishes them
to escape being bounced upon by the raging
British lion, whose fleets would bag every one
of them within thirty days after a declaration of
war.
The military spirit in the city wakes hotter
and hotter. The most incorrigible " hang
backs " are falling into line and DOMINIC mill
tary tOggery. The "old ones and the " solid
ones" are being licked into soldier shape
" according to Hardee - and though Mobile has
sent off near five thousand men, she viii prob
ably soon parade a couple of thousand more in
uniform, thoroughly equipped and drilled. She
already has many more soldiers than she ever
poled yotes-soldiers in active service mean,
for twelve months or the war, not reserves as are
at present organizing. What other city can
say as mueh7 Your correspondent pauses for
reply.
We are arming men with a weapon new in
this war and in modern warfare generally. but
a most effective weapon, as it will compel the
southern soldier to his best fighting points and
throw the northerner on his worst, to wit: hand to
hand fighting. This weapon is the pike; a large
number having been, and still being manufac-
tured, under an appropriation of the State Legis-
lature. The Alabama pike consists of a keen
two-edged steel head, like a large bowie-knife
blade, near a foot and a half long, with a sickle
like hook, very sharp, bending back from near
the socket. This is intended for cutting the
brides Of cavalrYmen or pulling them of their
horses, or catching hold of the enemy when they
running ava This head is mounted on a
of tough wood about eight feet long. A
cleaning row Of these fearful implements of
slaughter, beaming dow upon them at the pas
ts charge, would strike the terror of ten thousand
leaths to the apprehensive souls of Buffers
Yankees. It can scarcely be doubted that we S
would have won more, and more decided victories
han we have, had there not been an ounce of !
sun powder, except for artillery uses, in the !
Jontederacy. Then the southrons must have r
'ome to close quarters, and their superior physi-
al prowess and nerve would have made their [
~ictories deadly and decisive. :
l would mention that all our uniformed COM s
have good firearms, as also the regiments a
f the army hereabouts have. The mere militia Il
pixies, in part, and all who have pixies have /
be additional aceoutrement Of a bowie-knife of D
s%rocious dimensions.
The +" web-foots - Of Mobile laugh at Abe's
To them it is begun to be a good =
1ke and a profitable one withal. None of them Of
been caught, and they are constantly slip E
ing out and in with their light-heeled clippers. d
would like to give yOu more particular infor- -
nation, but the blockade breakers would not b
lank me for h~eralding their successes. Few of di
lese achievements find their way into print, but tn
assure you that some of these daring adven- -
lrers make their trips to Havana with almost ar
le regularity of a mail steamer in times of 50
eace. y
All quiet at Pensaeola-aud dull, very dull, Il.
ay the valiant spirits there, who chafe in inglo- NJ
repose. ANON. ST.
~ The Pensacola Observer of the 18th inst m
opposes the negroes who recently absconded "a
ON that city were drowned. A quantity of ne at
70 baggage and an empty boat had been found, sw
hich lead to the supposition. m'
no