Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-05-15
OPINIONS OF THE ENGLISH PRESS
ON OLE REVERSEs.

OPINIONS or THE EEGsLlsEE PRESS
ON OUR REVERSEs.
We have been placed in possession of a copy
OF the New York Times Of the 9th inst, contain
ing interesting extracts from foreign papers.
We append the following, taken from the London
Times
From the London Times, April 22.i
The tidings OF great battle fought in Ameri-
ca, and the report Of tens OF thousands slain
wounded, and captured, comes to spur our flag
ging interest in the transatlantic civil war. The
ndecisive and uncertain skirmshes of the last
six months had induced the English public to
wait with patience for ultimate results rather
than to follow with excitement the vicissitudes
of the contest, The gradual approaches, by riv-
er and by sea, the landing Of isolated expedi-
tions npon different portions of the coast, the ad-
vance of gunboats pushing their way mp great
rivers, and the sudden embarka.ion OF the great
army OF the Potomac, if they were parts Of some
grand scheme, lOsTe parts Of q scheme SO uaSt IN
ITS l1h0C, get delicate ia is detas that It could
not be COmpTehended at ttiS great distance and
with the imperfect geographical knowledge Of
the villages and townships IN America which is
possessed in this country The English people
have been content TO wait and see what this
opening of the game was to lead to. Hitherto
only the pawns had been pushed forward, the
important Confederate pieces had been driven
back upon the board, and the important Federal
pieces had been worked into position for attack.
4 few pawuS had been taken on either side, but
we had for the most part begun to wait until
some gIeat swo0p of the queen or some danger
Gus check from knight should recall as to the
table and gi1e an aHEioas interest in the game.
At last this has happened The China brings
US news of three great events. The first seems
to be clear enough. On the 9Th instant Island
No. 10 surrendered to the Federal gunboats.
The Mississippi therefore, is to this oxtent clear
Of Confederate obstruction. and the gUnbOaJ5 OF
the Federals can descend tho great river until
they meet with some new Inpeliment, or, if
they think it wise TO trust themselves so tar until
they gain the neghbOrhoOd of New Orleans.
The Federal advices boast that hundred siege
guns and six thousand prisoners have been cap
ured upon this island Putting aside these
numbers, which experience teaches US TO d.strust,
the probability is that the loss Of the COnfcGer-
ates was very great upon the capture of so i'm
portant position.
The second affair Is by no means made SO clear
to us by its result It seems that Gen. McClel.
Ian, &c with from 100000 TO 10000 men "--it Is
remarkable with what ease cur Federal friends
have learnt to toss about high numerals wEan
speaking Of men or dOllars-had at last come up
with Confederate amy. Advancing from his
point of debarlatOn he had reached the neigh
borhood OF Yorktown, on the mouth of the
York river, and he there discovered the Couf-d-
crates intrencbcd in strong position, extending
two miles III length, armed with heavy batteries,
and with low and swampy ground in their front.
The army OF the Potomac, instead c- aLTauciuE
upon Richmond by land, is now advancing upon
the seat of the Confederate government from the
coast aud If The army of Manassas IS still TO de-
fend their capital, we might expect that Il would
do 50 as far from the sea and tho uver as posi-
bic However, nothing decisive had been done.
The Federal general was stil bOmbsydiug the
Confederate position, and this event hangs IN
suspense.
The great fact of this mail Is, however, tho
battle which lasted two days, and which we arc
asked to believe has put $1,000 men k0ys du
combat. It is large che5sboard we are looking
down upon THIS battlefield is far away from
the island fort in the Mississippi, and from the
peninsula upOa which Gen. Mcclellan has plant
ed himself This third great achievement re
CARDS those German volunteers from the Western
States, who, deriving, perhaps q sup nor eff
cheney from the habits Of drill they had acquired
in their old country, first turned the face Of
victory toward the old stars and stripes. Tbs
capture Of Fort Henry and Fort Dou--sou haVe
been for some time advancing along that frontier
line which separates Tennessee from the cCuth-
eIa States of Mississippi aud Aiabama The
invaders have held chiefly TO the valley Of the
Tennessee, which is in those parts broad river
often spreading into lakes. In that country and
on the banks Of that nyor there 7ra many alyi-
tious little villages which affect .-a zJunding
classical names. There is a swampy fitle place
calling itself Athens, and another called Sparta
Carth8re is mot a great way Distant aud, al
thcdgn no map yet published contains i-- we are
20 ID t-
this classical neighborho0d Here lt s lhe gTs-t
battle was fought. The meaEer accounts we
have. coms s-Ciusl-slY from the F-ati8is. and
therefore 1t is rot uiImpOrtant 10 ind they admit
that the attack was made by the Contederat5s
under Gems. Bragg, Breckiuridce sgd jackson,
and that the generals had succeeded ir conceu-
lrating q superior force against the Federal posi-
ton.
This superior 1Orco numbered gse are -oli, Co.
600 men. The inferior army of the Faderals was
driven back, and the first day was one of victory
to the Confederate5. But during the night tn,
defeated army was reinforced, su1 gs day-hrask
it attacked the victorious Confederate, ana il
their turn drove them back to Corinth" Many
of the COnfedeTates were, it is said, cur UD by
the Federal cavalry, and we are assured that
Gen jackson was killed and Gen Beauregagd
wounded. IAis IS very strange story. ttwas
q Federal victory. and ye' The kedaTal Gen.
Prentis5 was captured. Tbs Confederate oan-
erals Bragg, Breckenridge and Jackg'n con-
manded the positions OF the Confederate and
yet Gen. Beauregard was wounded But the
number killed and wounded is the most sXt-aor-
binary OF all. Out Of an army of 10000 Con-
fedeTstes the estimated loss is 30 200 and out of
the victorious army Of Eederals, originally much
less than tho Confederate force, bat perhaps re
infOrced 10 IN equality the loss IS 20 coo These
are proportions uTheGrd Of ia any battle since
that Of Thermopylle It may be So These
American cOmbatants may have become sudden
" thus desperate and biOCdthirsty IN their en-
counters; our we oUld rather wal. for less
hszy details before we venture 10 speculate upon
the results OF such battle as tLi5. W have
seen 50 rlany great victories melt away like
morning mist tha. we learn 10 e5tima .s PI0oabil-
tiles before we accept them as historical
From the Times, Of the 2Ji
The great battle OF the tennessee seems 60
deserve the fame which has beeu claimed f.. It.
Divestu- it of It's spangles and blue Lgo, the
simple fact comes out Ia sufficient grandeur h.
There was two Gays confLo. Jet1.3su two vgry
considerable armies.
1t was a drawn battle, and the GrsL crcditabls
on either side which has taken place
dUung the wax. We have too muen blood reLa-
tionship with these men on boJh sides, atho-~I
the South are more purely Euglishthau the other,
ltOt " WISH lllt-sB IT tllty Wiz NllrD
fight well. Apart from the facilities which the
great navig2ble rivers give to powerful inyad-I
this would be great Confederate victory for !
to an invader, under the ordinary conditions of
invasion, check is defeat, and deisa Is ruin .
But all former rules OF warfare are set n0ught ,
iu this strange now world struggle. When ma ,
val supremacy eau be made available many /
huudred miles from the sea, and an army can /
be sustained 10 the midst of a great Continent 1
by supplies brous, IL by steamboats, from depots I
hundreds of miles distant; and when -uub0a,s .
can run up a1d down throughout that continent, /
and take part iu every battle thai happens with I
in cannon n-shOt of a river. the laws OF European
tactics do rot apply with such facilities IN the [
hands OF the Federal5, Gen. Grant may be able
to afford even such victories As those De claims
On the Tennessee. But we should be very much
if we thought that this affair IS cllcg-
ated to bring the war to an end OF o. tac9uraga
the southern people. Already it lsi .i1ou faJ