Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-02-23
r1r s.TUATYoN IN TFTR WEST.

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The bl1n5ers-perhaps the incapacity--oi
Gen. smEEY JOHNSTON have prseipitated q
state Of affairs on our northern frontier, the frsi
intelligence Of which fell upon the ears Of the
people of this Confederacy ike thunder-clsp
from comparatively elOudless sky. The public
mind. at first very naturally thrown into panic
has since become composed, and Is now prepared
to contemplate the situation with GOODNESS and
Judgment. and to meet the emergency with the
undauntea heroism of true Southern men.
Oae of the most palpable effects Of the late dis
asters that have so rapidly crowded upcn US, has
been to completely break up our military line
Of desenss and necessitste its reformation sew
eral degrees Of latitude further south It
viii no longer extend from Columbus to Forts
Harry and Donelson thence to Bowling Green
and on towards Somerset. We may safely cal
culate. however, that Cumberland Gap viii be
the stand Of our extreme right wing, and that
ample precautions VIII be taken by Government
10 protect tbis and other natural gates to East
Tennessee.
Gen JOHNSTON, it is understood, viii not at
terppf to hold Nashville, but has moved his army
on towards Murfreesboro, thirty miles southeast,
where he is expected to make astand. He may
fnd it advantageous 70 faI stin farther back in
the neigbborhood Of Stevenson, Alabama.
From this point our line must necessarily eK-
tend west along the Memphis and Charleston
railroad to Corinth, thence North TO Jackson,
Union City snd Columbus.
The loss, temporarily, of large portion Of Mid
die Tennessee and the State capital IS certainly
Of rTeat nomeut TO u.s. but its chief effect viii be
a moral one IN the North and IN Europe. We
can sand It's Immediate consequences at home,
however. without serious de6iment to our cause,
The character Of tbs country is such BUELL.
win accomplish little else by further advance
than to endanger the safety Of his army, except
il be made with the view of destroying some Of
the large bridges along the line Of railway ex-
tending between Knoxville aud Decatur. He
may make forays with this view, bat the great
bulk Of his army viii never venture twenty miles
south Of Nashville
The seat Of active hestilities for the future is
70 be west OF the Tennessee river, in Kentucky
and Tennessee. Columbus ana Memphis are
the prizes which are now held steadily in view,
and the full strength Of the enemy viii be put
forth in the next thirty days for their capture.
We had as weIl look these facts sternly in the
face, and confront them with fearless determi-
nation and wakeful energy worthy Of our
high and holy cause. BUELL. has accomplished
his chief design, the fanking Of Bowling Green,
rhieh led to its evacuation and secured the
easy oecupssion of the capital Of Tennessee.
He ewil now repose temporarily upon his success
urtil HALLECK makes the movement on Co
Iunbus which be at present has in cOntenpls-
ton
Our military authorities should lsse no time
in ezpediting their preparations to meetthis at
tack. They may or msy not have information
thatifis soon to be made, but of this we are not
advised. Sill we can tel them with as much
confidence and accuracy as we did regarding
tbe attacks on Forts Henry and DonelsOn. that
indications which we find IN the Northern pa
pers--always infallible barometers of Federal
war novements-point almost certainly to q
speedy attempt at its execution. The order
which has been issued 70 the railways in the
Northwest 70 make Preparations for the trans
portatioa Of City thousand troops from the Po-
tomac-ihs shipment Of heavy mortar guns
from Pittsburg to CairO-and the gradual as
sembling Of troops at the latter place, in our
nind, are 50 many positive proofs Of what we
say
The attack on Columbus viii be made by land
and water. FooTE's fotillA of gunbosts and
uaortarbosts, under the direction Of HALLEcK,
WI move down the Mississippi with the view Of
taking our batteries and driving our army from
their sutTenchments, By bombardmeut Simul- |
tane0uslY, we may surmise, movement will be |
made By land fTom Paducah with not less than |
sixty thoussnd men. The object Of this column |
viii be to penetrate to Union City and Hickman, |
SO as TO cut of communication between Colum- /
bus and Memphis By both river and railroad. /
This feat accomplished, it is hoped that the posi-
ton viii yield to lengthy siege, even should it
fail 70 suocumb 70 & terrific bombardmsnt Such /
we believe Is the plan Of the enemy. and only
few uesks VII test the esTaStness Of cur opinion
To resist this sttack--we mean to discuss, not |
% dictate measu1es-two things win evidently |
b necessary: First to make the heavy bate
Yies st Columbus, and other places below, bomb
proof, neglect % do which alone has lost US
Hstteras, Port Royal. FOris Henry and Donel-
sen, and Roanoke Island, our only disasters Of
the war. Secondly to place large reinforce
ments IN the rear Of Columbus along the Mobile
and Ohio railroad, from Corinth to Unien City,
% as to be readily moved to Gen. PoLk's relief
when wanted.
The contest for the Mississippi Valley is thus
Z, be decided in one or more tremendous battles
IN this locality within sixty days We believe
that the experienced and observant officer in
command. who has recently been transferred
fom the 6eldof his victory and renown at Ma
nassas 70 bring order out Of chaos and confusion,
f1llv appreciates the responsibility and peril of
his position, and wiz be equal to the emergency
T In reply 70 the expression Of fears, by the
Atlsnss ConfsSeraeg that the Federal guDboats
would tsle Augusta, Ga The Chronicle says
TIE Yankee gunboais draw eight OF Ter feet Of
water and our river at most stages Of The
water. can only be ns7igsted hy craft that can
+, an where II IS slightly damp. When tbe wster
|. birb the channel can only be found BY pilots
Who have spent their lives ou the river Steam
,st captains have passed up and down
,r,ssblv Eve hundred times who would not rev
,5srsss ~ pilot their light draft bosis between
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