Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-04
The Naval H4psai,loa on lho southern

Coast.
The Northern papers (says the Ezamiuer)
give us nothing positive OF the formidable naval
expedition gathering Of the Southern coast
Ihere ere abundant rumOrs and speculafious.
but the military Censorship of the North i'm
poses aremsrka5ie silence and seorscy on its
real oBoe. sud destination. Ia the absencs Of
any authentic infoJmstiou We give such stray
paragraphs concerning It as we have been able
70 sits from the Northern papers. A correspon-
dent writing from Nawbsrn, North Carolina. to
Boston paper, Of the sailing Of the expedition.
says;
The s8iliug Of the expeditiou-to operate
against CharestOn, I believe was one Of she
gTanda1t sights 1 ever witnessed The feet CON
sisted Of aoou5 one hundred and twenty-five
san vessels, steamers, transports, tugs and
sehdoner5, ai following in rapid succession. It
was magnificent sight, with the troops ebeer-
ing, band playing, and the coi0rs flying from
The NESTS. / c9Uated seventy eight sail vessels
and thirty-5wo steamers.
The Washington correspondent Of the New
York Times speaking 9a the point Of the des-
tinaiion Of The expedition, writes
There is m longer any necessity for conceal
ing the fact that the iron clads which mysteri-
ousiy disappeared some tim9 since. were dis
patched To Wilmington. North Curolins, with
The oblsct Of cussng the important line of rail-
ROAD which cOunec-s Charleston aud Richmond
Tbs done. it can do tbs rebels no good to iesrn
that Charleston viii soon be made the recipient
Of that tardy justice which has so long bsoD her
due, acd thus VIII be developed another Of these
voluminOus cooperative mOvemsnts, the success
or failure of which is likely to determine the re.
suit Of the war.
The New York Times intimatss that the move
ment was planned by Butler, and that he may
be given command Of the expedition. The
Times says: :.
The plan Of sending Gen. Butler t. Charles
Ton Is seriously debated, aud Is one Of tho pror-
nsiti0ns intended to hesd off the strong popular
demand for bis instament in the War Office as
chief Of that department. Gen. Butler has
given his views 70 the government in regard to
O system of operations from that city as a base,
and his pl7n is characteristic of his genius
The government has IS yet reached no conclu-
sion in the matter.
The New York World, speaking Of the expe-
didon aud its probable attack on Charleston,
believes that It win be weeks yet before any
thing is dons by it Tbs World says, in the
course Of lis editorial speeulations as to time Of
oitack:
The expedition against Charleston seems 10
have miscsrried for a season, and the attack, it
is now anneuncsd, may not be made for month
yet Thus Ell the tine spent in North Carolina
hes heaR lost The origiaal object was 20 make
the Eebels believe a march inland and en-
attack on Wilmington was designed, and then
to ssil suddenly fer Charleston and attack it
without delay
But the old story was repeated. The War
Department sent Major-General Foster with
uoops 60 Major General Hznsar's department
without designating who should command the
operations. Generai Foster declared he was the
man, bu' General Hunter was quite sure he was
Sic commanding general. So the troops whicb
were 90 have remained on board the transports
until 5isambarked for direct attack on Charles.
tor, have been landed at St Heena island
while General Foster comes home in the Agaeo
20 get things fixed at Washington. So golden
weeks have been lost the rebsls have been
given sbiindsnt tine 20 prepare for attack, and
another evidences is afforded Of the singular
want Of 'orecast and administrative ability OF
the War Department