Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-04-18

Epeoial ccrroapanasnce Of the Aleaphis AppesLl
FICKsBUBG, April Ia; 1853.

- FaliiDg cause o. excitement here, ana tne OIlin-
ion is gaining strength that the enemy is eg2in
coming upon US. Whothsr these apprehensions
are wei founded or not win probably iranspiTe
: in few days From all that IS to be Cleaned
in regard TO their movements we are led to In
fer Tat the frat repors received from Memphis,
to the eject that Grant would make q direct as
saalt on Vieksburg, seems to be nesser The truth
than anything else We hare heard Of ls.e. But
Mtlle is known here. and our calculations have
70 be based upon what comes from the Yankees
up the river.
The only part of ts5 movement shat appears
at present fncompuehsnsible is tha breaking up
Of part Of ths camp aad removing ihe troops
M stream. What great strategy there IS in
moving an army away from the plsce which It
lis to capture remains to bs explained; and is
would not be surprising if the explanation were
forthcoming in s short time. As IS is, we are
again threatened BY his spproacb, and. IS tbe
! ground upon which ho was eucsmped IS new
under water, his stay with Us win necessarilg
be short-aad if be doas come, he vil have to
confront our fortifeatio1s, take q GOOD Whaling
aud return 70 where he came from.
In common with the generality Of the people
here hsd been misled ia some Of my former
communications into the belief that the greater
pagt Of the army, accompanied b. the gunboass,
had gone up to Memphis. Reports from above
informed us Of this, and the evacuation and in
undztion Of the camp on tho peninsula con.
frmed 1t. Besides this the feet Of transports
had nearly altogether disappeared, and basing
my convictions upon my own observations znd
the most reliable reports Of his movements in /
other guarless, could draw no other inference
than that Grants sruy was to Be taken Nd the {
Cumberland river This would have been q
virtual abandonment Of The siege, even If
guard had been retsiaed to watch the move
ments here.
From 81 thst Is knoRn now fha1e seems TO
be smother effort on foot aud that heavy ship
ments Of troops have been made from Memphis,
and that the attack is 10 be ns5e shortly. am
satisfied that tie assault canaot be delayed
long;i if TIE enemy is spProaehiag. Il will
either haTo to be made soon or is. over until
fall, as the hot summer aoason Is not g good
time for e Yankee army 70 be laying siege to
Yiclwburg. Last year demonstrated tha2tact,
and the necessity viii in future be avoided If
possible; for this reason time IS pressing hard
upon them, and the effort VII be made soon or +
not at all.
a disputed matter in regard to ihs enemy
erecting batteries en- fac levee opposite, seems
10 be a question hard 70 be settled. The first ;
known Of 1t was by tho Yankee accounts in tho
Memphis papers, and observations since m2de
lere have brought to view parties Of the enemy 3
apparently engaged at work IN thss vicinity but (
he nature Of their labor IS not Jet discovered
Yesterday afternoon nambar Of them were I
ieen at work, and in oEder to relieve the monot-
my Of their occupation some Of our guns open
d on them, and kept peppering away right
lively until they sledaddIed," as they would .
all #. Some suspicion existed that The nature
( the work they were engaged at were not in
,uilding a batteTy. but in buryiUg their dead C
companions.
Not more than Eve transports WeIe IN sight q
yesterday. and bat cue guuboat could be seen. 2
shs has taken her quarters some distance beioW ii
he former, and occupies sboat the same position p
hey formerly did. Above Young 1oint, there
we're indicsGons Of large fleet, and cOnBidera- G
lie activity seen. il Is now a mooied question }
whether ihe late withdrawal was feint, and
whether they are again coming upon us. Should i
his be the case, they viii have gained nothing 1
lnless some unknown advantage should here S
.aer be developed, while we hava lost nothing, a
IS the preparations and watehfulness here have
zen unabaled. q
About half past eleven last night lhe alarm {
vas sounded, and It was soon discovered that a Q
number Of gunboals were on the run by our !
latteries. A vigorous FIRE was Immediately c
,pened snd the opposite bank Of .he river illu- q
minated for Tie benefit Of cur gunners. Some
even OF eight of the boats came within rsnge &
+ cur upper batteries, and received very Sc j
-ere handling One Of them was set on fire by S
ur shells and totally destroyed She was sup
,osed TO be transport temporzed into bomb =
roof By cotton bales. Some Of the Yankees s.
.ad come down to the shore opposite, and as the ?
,oas was burning they were heard TO cail TO the :
rev to throw tie cotton overheard. The fate p
f the crew Is not known. Another boat is re- 8
.orted sunk, but this is not certain. s
One transport, ulea WIN cotion anu iA5Asa e
o the of-sids of gunboas got by, and is nov o
below tie mouth Of the canal. The feet O
hsllsd The city as they went By, but have
card Of no casualties. a number Of Buildings s
we're riddIed with their shot. The eannouading il
vas terrific, and lasted about one hour The p
.bjscs Of their passage is not fully known, and Z
5 supposed to be with a view Of operating in h
conjunction with Fauagut against Port Had ],
on. The darkness prevented any observations q
bout The amount of damage sustained as tsioy Il
vent by. AEeAOh.
LRTEER FE0EE RECuHE0ND.
yoeeisl Corres3ondeucs Of the Memphis Appeal iu
RICHMOND, April II, 1863. f
We have beautiful weather, which, with q
cheering news, gives q pleasing expression to
svsrybody's faca to-day. The telegram Of Van Z
Dom, announcing The capture Of four gunboats e
N the Cumberland nvar, comes opportuneiy 7
upon the discontinue Of the Yankee Aest al
to encourage rs in the opening Of Z
the spring camPaign.
The postponement BY the house Of represen-
.sti7ss Of she bills for the Organization Of tha
supreme court snd the court Of claims until :
next year, puts an end to iheicanvassing Of the c