Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-09
Eronl RasE Teuzesses-CoIsneE Aston sap
posed ts be Captured.


C0usspondsnce Of the Atlanta Inssligsneer
IF the mcst reliable accounts which ~ hsrs
here are at al reliable, G5nsral Smith VII enter
Lexington, Ky, on tomorrow, OF in day OF
two afterwards. He left Bsrb0ursTille Kv, last
Tuesday, with q portion Of bis army and is is
expected he VII make the trip % Lexington il
week OF ten days His soldiers started with fre
days cooked Tations which viii take thenn 70 ths
deuSely pOpulsted part Of she State without tar
rying on their march to prepare provisions. It
WIS no doubt his intention 20 max. the march az
rapidly IS possible. If thu accounts given bJ
those who come from BsTboursvills be true, Gan
Smith has taken q much larger f0rcs with him
than had supposed he had altogether on the
other side of Cumberland Gap. And be muse
have left enough men on the west side Of the Gap
70 Tepuise the enemy If they should leave Their
foThhcstiOns. If We are 70 credit the accounts
o. those who were At BsTboursvilis day OF two
before he leff, he has taken with him a VsrT con
siderable force, and have under estimGted his
army a. least one-half
These accounts come rom those engaged in
the service as well as outsiders. Bus / cannot
credit their account, and must think they have
been mistaken as to bis numbers. I have no
doubt, however, he viii be reinforced at LeLiuE-
ton, by the command Of John f. Morgan, which
viii be a host Of itself and if Humphrey Mar
shall moves from the direction Of Pond GsD ss
rapidly as ne should do, he nay be reinforced By
has command before the forces Of the ensm,
arrive from Indiana Ohio, and Virginia, TO
oppose MIN Should he be Joined By these rein
foTcsments, he viii Be able n all probability, 30
hold his position permanently in the center Cf
Kentucky, bus should he not, believe he VIII
have to retire back 30 the Gap OF lis nsigh5oF-
hood in 8 fsT days. Oar friends here feel a good
deal Of s0iicituds about the entire success Of bis
expedition. We fear he has not q large enough
force to inspire our friends in Kentucky with
c5zhdeEcs and bring Ous the Whole q or
strength in that State.
fear the investment Of Cumberland Gap IS
not IS complete as is should Be. 4 few days
/ ago Il is sail two or three companies Of she
enemy's infantry marched along the top Of lno
mountain ts the nsighb0rh00d Of Baptist Gap
and fell N with one company Of our moGutsd
men, with the colonel of the regiment, Colonel
Aston, in command, and captured the colonel
and several Of his men Baptist Gap by tha top
Of the mountain is i've miles below Cumberland
Gap, but By the valley road is ten miles. Col.
Aston was cut accommodating, it is said. Our
forces at the gap are being raiaforced daily. and
it Is hoped they viii be able 20 make the invest
msnt more compets.
think there is no doubt but that the armies
Of Bragg, Price and Smith are TO SCI in concert
and ultimately Concsnrate their forces st
given point Smith is now in Kentucky
Bragg is on his way there, while Price Is b
march to -- If Buell. has returned On sho
Memphis and Charleston road 20 reuaits bis
/ forces with those Of Grant, IS is reported, and
has let Bragg pass By him, what is to engage
the attention. Of the combined forces Of Buell.
and Grant A few days must develope the
plans both Of our friends and enemies IN the
Southwest, which at present, TO an outsider. are
decidedly .foggy.