Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-11-03

Fer g long tine, remarks the Richmond En-
amissr, the importance Of East Tennessee to
the Confedsracy, seemed to be unsppreciated.
Not until that country fell into possession Of the
enemy was its incalculable vslue realized. Ex
eeps what was iurtiveIy obtained rom Ken
lucky, the whole army supply OF pork came
rom East Tennessee and the contiguous coun-
ties Of adjoining States. The product of corn
ia that region was very heavy, snd no portion
Of The Conisderaey, equal in extent afforded as
'aTge a supply Of forage and winter pssturage.
TAs occupation Of East Tennessee BY our own
armies was not OILY important in itself, bui ii
was Important, also, ia respect 20 the contiguous
eoHniry which it prOsscted. Agrsst line of rail
way was secured, continental ia its dimensions
and in It's value. TIE sshnes and lead mines Of
Virginia, which produce al the salt and lead
used in the Confederscy, were protected 50 long
as East Tennessee Was ours.
But the evacuation of that region, and is
surrender without 3 SINGLE battle TO the enemy,
has lost al these advantages. The railway is
broken up, and there can be no communication
between General JONES, at Bristol, and General
BRAGG, Ct Chieksmsugs, who ara less than one
hundred and fifty miles spart, except BY q cir
cut Of twelve hundred miles, through Peters
burg, the Carolinas and Augusta. The hogs Of
East Tennessee, sfording twenty-five millions
Of pounds Of pork, are now being slaughtered
for the Yankee armies. The vast corn crops
and forage supplies of shat department, sufh-
Gent to winter al the live stock Of the Coined
crate srniss, are being fed to The fifty thousand
horses and mules belonging to the forces Of
GRANT. The salt and lead works Of the Con
6~ieracy, and the numberless caves Of South
western Virginia, from which immense supplies
Of sslspetsr are obtained for the ordnance de.
partment, are now i~mminenily threstsnsd BY the
close presence of hostile armies, requiring The
presence Of heavy forces of our own for then
protection.
The task imposed BY the loss Of East Tsnnes-
see uPoa General SAMUEL jews, command
ing 10 Southwest Virginia, is ouerous. Between
he Yankee Generals AvERmL, in the direction
Of Cheat mountain, and BURNSIDE, threatening
from Knoxville, be has 3 line Of more than six
Agudrod miles to guard. The task is rendered
dou5ly srduous through the thorough ~disorgani-
cation of The Ksutucky and Tennessee cavalry,
who have been carousing, pifsring and skuIking
in Southwestern Virginia, under the nsn-disci-
pine Of the Kentucky generals, 70 whose tender
merciss the people Of that country have been
turned over ever since the war begun.
Though the Kentucky generals, who were en-
trusted with the protection Of that important
country, gave it up to the Yankees without & bat
lie, and although Cumberland gap was suran-
deTsd without a shot by : Mississippi bigadier,
Of West Point training, the country, we are glad
to believer is not lost. Al he last moment the
Government seems to hsve awakened 10 some
sense eff the importance Of East Tennessee not.
merely As the &" bsck-door,' il Yankee phrase,
Of the Coafsderscy, but IS the only adequate
source of supply for meat, and IS g very import
ant oae for grain and forage. We believe that
In afsw weeks more the enemy viii have been
driven cut Of East Tennessee. Indeed, it IS
highly probable that the work would have been
accomplished by the present time if the move
nents Of cur armies bsd not been retarded by
the want Of shoes. While our brave troops sre
as late IS October, for shoes, the enemy
Is consuming ten times the value Of these ne
sssssry articles in corn, peIk and forage but
HAYS reason to believe that East TenBesseo
soon be recovered, even although this should
be aftsT al its supplies are exhausted by The
Yankees.