Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-06-03
9ailg Appeal.
TFRoh oUR EVENING EDITION or YESTERDAY
LETTER FROM RICHMOND.


Special Correspondence of the Appeal
RICHMOND, May %, 1862.
The Yankees are all around US on the eastern
quart of the city. We hear of them at tvariOui
points, at distances Of five, seven, and ten miles
in greater or less force committing depredationt
exactly Proportioned in their euormity to tb'
number Of the maraudeTs, and the impunity
with which, under existing circumstances, the
offense might be perpeuated. Last night G
small body drove in our pickets on the line O.
the Central IsiIOsd, near Atlee's station, nine
miles from Richmond, on which account the
regular train did not leave the depot this morn
ing ct its accustomed hour. Later in the day
intelligence having been received that the enemy
had retired without doing any damage to the
track, the train started and moved uninterrup
tedly to the present terminus at StsuntOn q
speak of Stsuuton as the present terminus, Lot
because the road has been destroyed beyond that
place. except i'll the burning Of the bridges over
the Cow Pasture and Jackscn's rivers, but on
account of the fact that he daily cOmmunica~
ton by passenger train ends there)
1t was supposed all day yesterday that fight
Meadow bridge, by which the Central railroad
crosses he Chicshominy six miles from town,
and battalion of artillery was moved IN that
direction by bTeak-Oi-day yesterday morning,
but the enemy did not appear. A large Federal
column having shown itself in the afternoon, at
point south Of the railroad on the Mechanics
vile turnpike full division of the Confederate
troops was ordered thitber at midnight last night
and we have sBxiOusiy awaited the result to-day
The report was current on the street at o clock
that the fight was going on, but no friug has
been heard in that quarter, and 1t is now six
P. D.. full late enough for us to have re-
ceivsd tidlngs of the struggle had it indeed
come of General JOhnstOns headquarters
have been fixed on Church Hill within the cor.
porate limits of Richmond, and no general en-
gsgement can possibly be fought without his
departure for the scene suggesting it to our citi
zens have never believed, since Mcclellan
landed 81 Fortress Monroe that it was his inten-
tion to give battle to our army in the open field,
and do not therefore look for any operations on
q large scale at present. We are acting ON the
defensive, and the Onas is upon the Yankee gen.
ersl to whip us and take Richmond. If he does
not accomplish this, without further serious de-
lay, the deep dsmnstion of his taking off " is
not FAR in the future. Meanwhile it may be
difficult 70 restrain the impetuOsity Of our troops.
Already they are chatting under inaction and
crying out for an opportunity to repeat the " dis
sstTOus Confederate repulse at Fort MsgTuder.
You have doubtless observed that Mcclellan
had promised his men who were in the battle Of
the 5th May, to have " Williamsburg - inscribed
upon their banners. He need not resort to this
expedient to keep them in lively remembrance of
that ter ibe day. One of the Yankee officers,
in teegrsphing the result of the battle to the New
York papers, says that upon being pursued with
h.Ig Elra bofVVodg a+.. afa
In point of fact th= only cold steel " the Yan-
KEGS employed that day, was the new patent,
life preseTvi z, steel bulletProef vest and if the
rebels ran like hounds" 5t s0as only because The
Yankees J0eTe running before them like the hare "
The officer who composed this telegram cOnTived
to compress so many pure inventions into it, that
his talent for fiction ought not to be neglected,
and he deserves to replace Sylvauus Cobb in the
columns of the New York Ledger.
The first instance of direct treachery to our
cause in the neighbO!hOOd of Richmond met its
Just reward yesterday. A resident OF HenTicO
county, by name Joseph Street, heretofore re
puted loyal to the South, was made prisoner with
a small body of Yankee soldiers whom be was in
the set of leading as q guide along an unfTe-
az1entsd road BY ordsr Sf Gaaa- AS-e.ss2ssY H.
was taken out Immediately and executed, whether
bv hanging or shooting l am not informed.
Street was frequent visitor to this city, and was
well known upon our tboroughfsres. He lived
for some time in Mississippi, v here be became
personally known 10 Jefferson Davis, and be he's
since renewed the acquaintance at the presiden-
tisl mansion. His fate awakens nothing but sat
isfsction, even among those who were called his
friends, and such fate may all who emulate his
treason undergo.
Commodore TstnRll has not improved the mat
ter of destroying the MerTimsc by the Publica-
tioH Of his official report The community at
large, after bitterly deploTiDg the occurrence as
q fatal error, had well nigh settled down into g
reluctant acquiescence in it ss soTrOwful uecss-
sity, when the commodore himself, by tissue Of
Inconsistencies and absurdities wherein be en-
deavored to cast the whole blame on his pilots,
called general attention again to his folly, aud
this morning the pilots have issued their vindi
cation which Is cruelty damaging to the commo-
dore's reputation. The impression made by the
documents taken together is exceedingly un-
favorable to him.
Gen. Floyd is in town, having accepted the
position Of msioT-general 80 handsomely offered
him by the Virginia Legislature 1t is doubtful
whether the force Of 1000 men authorized ty
the act can now be raised in Virginia, stripped
as the State has been by the volunteer re-enlist-
ments and the cOnscription of her fighting mate
nal, but, if they can be obtained In any section,
il will be in the extreme southwest, where Floyds
popularity knows no bounds. Let US hope that
be will soon be in the field sgain
a negro woman, condemned 10 death for muI-
der committed last year in the county Of Cul-
pepper, was to have been banged to-day near
this city. / have not learned whether the hang
in took rlaea not DIXIE