Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-02-21
LFTrrss PRam vrCRsBURe.


Special Correspondsncs Of the Memphis Appeal
vIcKsBuko. February II, 1888.
People in these parts have about made up their minds
that the rainy seasoa has set 10, and, furthermore, it h
predicted by the lVeather-wias that We are going to
have a long rainy season and high water in abnnaancs
rhese pred csions, , presume, are founded upon facts az
tbey exist q the present time. rather than fro anaiysis
x compared with former years. Bni it is evident that
q very high stage Of water May be expected from the
great abundance Of rain ] presume the profouhdest
philosopher would net attempt 70 c%ontrovers this self
evident proposition. Bnt & is also evident that We may
look for ga unprecedented flood in the Mississippi this
spring already have the waters reached an altitude 70
within I'VE feet q the high watsemaTk Of last year.
The people along the river occupy a position this
wear different from any they ever experienced before
Instead Of building levees, repairing orevasses and ex-
ertine al their might to prevent an overflow, they are
now either entirely Indifferent to The Consequences Of
such a disaster, OF are perfectly wiling that the old His
stssippi should follow the bent Of its natural inclination.
Ne crops Of cotton or corn can be destroyed BY The over
aow this season. and many Of he antilles residing on
its banks are driven frsm their homes BY q worse enemy,
and compened to seek ssfety further in the interior, not
rom the encroaehing waters. but from the ruthless foe
who comes to Invade, dsvastate aud destroy tbs oenn.
sv. Comparatively trivial viii be the loss sustained by
the food this season by our planters, who otherwise
would have suffered inmensely.
Another great o~onsiierst on for the overlooking, ia Its
effect upon the Federal army. When this expedition
was organized in the West last fall, It was announced
with q great flourish that asHoon as there was sufficient
water on the bars 10 aoat the ~gunboats Com Poriers
fleet would attack YicksbuTg. Well, the water came
in sufficient volume 10 allow the whole feet to come,
and there is more OF the aqueous fluid than the Yam
KEGS had bargained for, and, instead Of being any as
sistauce TO them, it ii a positive disadvantsgs snd may
eventually compelthem TO abandon the siege altogether.
while il is doing US no harm, for the reason that We
have no crops to be destroyed. it is an iuasleulable ad-
vantage to US IN DESIGNATING the enemy it will treat
the Federal army to a worse fate than event. Confed-
crate soldiers would
The camp on the peninsula viii soon have to be eyac
us,ed; there is no hope for 1.-THE water will reach it
and drive them out in spite of fate. If even the Fede
raj Congress should pass q bill for the relief Of the
army Of the Mississippi" it could not get them oat Of
the unpleasant q~usndsry. General McCernsnd is now
getting himsely into = pretty bad hx-he dare not ad'
vance with any hope Of success he cannot remain
where be is mach longer, and he cannot retreat other
wise than IN disgrace. Instead Of water the search now
Is after dry land, and tbs s an article that is very
scarce in this part Of Dixie, aud extremely hard TO get
at So difficult is the task Of obtaining a foot Of land
on the Walnut hills, that he wiz have to bring his whole
army into requisiion 20 ngnt Tor ~ ana Il Is douOuUi
whether he could then obtain enough to bury his dead
soldiers.
Nothing is known Of the present movements Of the
enemy. Within the past tive days several transports
have arrived a the rendezvous with immense numbers
of troops aboard. They could be seen crowded on ali
parts, from the deck to the hurricane roof. Several
la-ge transports laden with supplies have also lately
arrived, but these did net seem to have any troops Bat
very little motion is observed amoag the boats. and he
operations on shore are entirely suspended BY the rains
Oae Of two things viii now have to be done, AID that
very shortly, either an ~attemptto capture this place, or
an evacuation Of the swamp. The water will drive
HIN out Of the latter, and also defeat his project of ac-
complaining successfully the former. But 5 move Of
some kind viii be forced cut of him before many days
elapse.
The continuous rains viii pat a quistus upon any
offensive demonstrations for the present, and when
operations are sgain resumedt they viii, no doubt, turn
up in some new quarter. At present the enemy will
have enough on hand to provide for his own comfort in
the mud and water, and, no doubt, e new camping
ground viii have to be looked up first The river has
the Yankees in his power this tine, and be does not
seem inclined TO show much mercy, and it Is to be hoped
that the last oae Of them viii be drowned out
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