Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-09-24

Special Correspondents Of the Daily Appealj
RICHMOND, September Il, 1862

military stores and eight thousand Yankee
troops that we're stationed there. The Dispatch
credits the Tumor-the other city papers distrust
it. The information is very like to be true, but
comes to us upon insufficient authority. It is
uadeuiable that e letter was received day before
yesterday by Adjutant-Ge General Cooper from
General Lee, giving intelligence that hehad in
strueted jackson to do exactly what the rumor
says he has accomplished, viz: to proceed as
rapidly as possible to Harper's Ferry and cut off
the Yankee force there, supposed to be about
eight thousand in number, but it was not
thought Jackson would be able to do this, as
the rumor states he did-without firing a gan.
We all know, indeed, that he is just the man to
carry out to the letter the instructions of his
commander-in-chie and as General Lee had
certainly ordered him to take Earper's Ferry and
its garrison, the chances are at the least three
to one that he has obeyed orders consequently
the rumor has a greater air Of probability than
most reports that are put in circulation. If it,
indeed, be true, a great point has been gained.
Harper's Ferry 10 our hands can be successfully
held by a comparatively small force as a base Of
operations, and thus the line Of communication
can be kept open between our invading army
and the Confederate capital, a%ftording them the
means of falling back in the event of a reverse
in font T~horoughfare Gap, on the line of the
railroad from Alexandra to Strasburg, is the
only pass by which Mcclellan could possibly
send troops to our rear, and this is a narrow de-
fle which a mail body of men, with a few
pieces Of artillery, can close against the entire
Yankee army. 1t is a Thermopyle, with q bet
ter promise to us of iuterminable slaughter of
the enemy than Leonidas had, because the use
of Parrot guns and twelve pound howitzers
was unknown to that Grecian patriot. So that
the clearing out of the Yankees from Harper's
Ferry will greatly facilitate movements beyond
the Potomac, besides furnishing eight thousand
stand Of arms to those brave Kentuckians who,
Kirby Smith tells us, are anxious to take the
field in our cause.
l saw g member Of the Virginia legislature
to-day who had just reached here from Fred
eriek, and I read, yesterday, a long letter from a
highly intelligent officer in General Lees ord
nance department, dated near that city, and
from both l learn that the people of Maryland
seem exceedingly well disposed toward our
army. In Frederick itself, the feeling seemed
pretty equally divided between the Union and
secession; the stars and stripes were flying from
one house, and the stars aud bars from another {;
but, in the country around, the farmers appeared
qaite willing to dispose of their forage, poultry,
fruits and vegetables, at very moderate prices
for Confederate money. General Lee had issued
a proclamation Of kindly greeting to the Mary
landers, inviting them to unite with our army
in driving the Northern invader from their soil,
aud orders of the s%trictest kind ~denouncing
severe penalties upon all Confederate soldiers
who should commit acts of pillage upon the
property of the citizens. Such a policy Of con-
ciliation and severity is both wise and just, but
it would seem to have been an excess Of lenity
which gave a permit to Columbus ODonneH to
return to Baltimore.
Columbus ODonnell is one of the wealthiest
men in Baltimore aud exercises a strong inAu-
enca upon public sentiment, which influence has
been wsrmly exercised against Us from the be-
girning of the war. He has denounced the
leading men of the Confederate States as rebels
deserving the halter, and not more than two
months ago was vice-Fresident of sn immense
meeting called to stimulate the enrolment of
new troops in LincoIn's armies. Surely such a
man, once in our hands, might have been re-
tanned as a hostage for the good treatment of one
Of the patriotic Baltimoreans-S. Teackle Wal
lis OF Frank Howard, for instance-now confined
in Fort Warren.
The House Of Representatives came TO a vote
to-day, upon the Consumption Bill, which was
passed by a decided majority. An amendment,
making the extreme limit forty instead of forty
five, had previously been voted down. This
bill differs from tho Senate bill in the manner cf
calling out the new cOnscripts-the latter simply
eonscribing them at thu discretion Of the Presi-
dent, and the former calling upon the governors
Of The several States as Intermediates to con-
scribe them whenever the President shall deem
it Indispensable to the safety Of the country.
Some delay will necessarily be oecasioned in
haTnonizing the views and wishes of the two
Houses upon this extension of the Conscription
law u LLAOlC ID ALLAo uyaDh tlHhb OAS u biAO
other bill will become statutory before tn lot Of
October.
Report says that martial law is to expire by
Limitation ia a few days and viii not be renewed.
So far as the police of the city IS concerned,
this might not be regretted, since it is not at all
safe for people to walk the S treets after 10 P. NJ,
"a gentleman was garotted and robbed last Sat
uTday night on a public thoroughfare a few
minutes past eleven o'clock9 but I must do
Gen. Winder the justice to say that he has done
a great service in the suppression Of the liquor
traffic. Winter is coming on, a new theater on
a large scale is about to be opened, and the de-
moralization of the city, with two thousand bar
rooms and grog shops offering lightning whisky
for sale to all corners, must be fearful in the
long dark nights after November.
The weather is fine and there is every prom
Use of a fine day for thanksgiving, tomorrow.
DIXIE.