Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-24
- d &c mrLn.
Norsaern View ~ fse Situation Ia Mild
die Tennessee.
-4el4I co-respobdenoe II 10 Chlesro Times.

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sent yoa MY last letter, on Thursday, the pros
nsct Of q sueessslal eampaign in this depart
nisnt was encouraging ia the highest degree.
no an appearances there was no disaster in
store for this army. Having wasted nine weeks
10 mastery inactivity il was naturally to be ex-
Injected by the army, while every necessary
! preparation had been made for the resumption
Of active operations, there bad also been no
lsck Of caution. is is 81 very well TO secure
camnaunicad lions, to fortify q position, 30 wait
Tor endorsements aud the ike but the country
expects and demands hat 3 general shall not
halt his army 10 The face of an enemy, and neg
lect those precautions which will make the
| finale something besides q elimination and az
gregatien Of fatal errors. You know what has
been done here since the battle Of Stone river.
Nothing bat TeeuperGti0n. We have heard Of
no important offensive demonstrations on the
enemy's line Of defense with d view Of aseer-
Esini6g his position in force there has been
none.
Its true that 0ug small cavalry force has made
q few brilliant reconnaissance, and on one ocea-
sion Col. Minty led his brigade up to within six
miles of ~Shelbyvilie, driving in the enemy's in
fantry pickets. But, with these signal exesp-
tons, nothing Of a mGneuveTing character has
been undertaken. Aud thus Gen. Roseerans has
committed an inexeussble oversight He has
neglected the exercise Of the first principles of
modern WsTfsra, and has not even exhibited the
slightest knowledge thereof Consequently we
have been outgeu0raled. That viii sound Ike q
silly judgment, psThaps, in the ears of some
here ia this army who have been wont to cover
the general commanding with the highest kind
Of hlTo-Worship. But the lapse of time brings
every man, high or low. 70 his level, aud in this
country the rise and fall Of men are frequently
not very far apart
Tie affair al Frsnklin on Thursday was a Tu-
in0us faiiure You have already learned by
telegraph tho principal facts relating thereto.
Val Dorm, l. viii be remembered, crossed the
Tennessee river from Northern Mississippi sew
eral weeks ago. lie reached Columbia with
about ten thousand troops, mostly Texan and
4rkaRsisa eevalfys shortly afterwards, and
established hisheadquariers on the south side Of
DdeAtjver. His forces formed part of the enc
ny's lett wing, and were dslsehed to operate as
. separate column Nearly at the same time
ssveTal regiments latoly arrived from Kentucky
Ters ordered fTom NASHVILLE to Franklin. The
latter place WAS then held by a portion Of Gen
JEFF. G. Dsv.s' division, which returned 10 Muir.
f~reesa0ro' as soon as The pew garrison reached
tee Destination. General Gilbert was placed
"a command OF the post. Meanwhile Cen
5fai Van Dern Ws receiving Ieini0rce-
aents, and vas strengthening his position at
5olIubia- Af4irs remained thus until last FIJI
Gay or Saturday when the Fe0elcoiunn crossed
Duck river and advanced to Spring Hin, a small
sta ion On the raitaad to Nashville, eleven miles
L-9tn Coumbi ard thirteen miles from Frank
lin. Gone al R0sscEans heard of this movement,
sind on Wednesday morning dispatched Colonel
MlEty's 6ria als of cavalry together with Gen.
Slerdau's division of irfaudy and Eve batteries
of artillery, 20 TIE direction Of Columbia, with
The intention Of cutting eff the enemy's retreat,
while our ieree5 81 Franklin gave him battle in
H0ut. hsve already sppdsed you OF the de-
lnnTtwra ri rfTu rwWndsfran aud On fhuraTe g faH-
egrapaed what Prasresss had been accomplished
Ep to Wednesday night. Since then no co1r-
isTs hsve arrived At headquarters bringing re-
ports from fhs expedition, or, if they have,
The teaor If lac dispatcaes IS kept in profound
secrecy
Ga Maadsy, Tuesday, and the day following,
Geo 6lb-lt sent ont a reconnaissance, aad
slight sksmisheS ensHed, without say Boticea.
Die result o. Thursday, five infantry regi-
ments. an Ohio battery, and two regiments oil
cavaEy-ihs2 p Michigan and 94h PsnHsylya-
pia-sll uaier comns8d of Col Cobsrn, Of the
SD Indiana, advanced q few miles beyond
franklin where Trey encountered the enemy.
SEirmisb55s were depl0yed, and the Infantry
were col iHto line Of battle but, before the
movement was completed, the rebels began fall
ing back. making q SHOW Of confusion, in Or
der to deceive our tcoops. Col. CoburD ad-
vanead bis forces On the double quick and pro-
81 E~ta1A As 4at rs AA8llG1tlL $ b.1tf9af EIkdG miles
nom SpriGg Hill. Here the rebels had prepared
q tran for u, and, as soon as our forces
reached the station, opened ere from three
masked batteries while, as the same time, sew
oral regiments (. Infantry appeared on each
9ank. Desperate fighting eBsued but the
lreb8iS constantly received reinf0reements, and
Finally surrounded cur forces. Many Of them
eat their way through, but the enemy captured
iarge numbers OF mon and q great proportion of
commissioned officers, belonging to the 331 aud
5Jth Iaaiana, l9a Michigan and 22d Wiseon-
sin- Our cavalry aud artillery escsped, and
reached Franklin in safety. We have no fur
tier deals, and tha conntIy from franklin,
as well as between Franklin and Nashville, is
infested with g%uerillas, SO that several days may
elspse before the full particulars are ascertained.
The expedition which lett here on Wednesday
mustbave encountered Van Dorn's forces by
this time, although nothing has been heard from
it, as 1 hsye already stated.
Gen. Gilbert is blamed by officers here for
falling 20 reinforce Col. C0burn, though il is
said that Gen Rosecrans is as much to blame as
any ono else, for allowing Van Dorm to proceed
so far OF 20 eross the Daek river at all. Let the
fault be his to whom it properly belongs.
"A small portion only Of the truth Of tho fight
ct FTa1kliu is yet known. The disaster itself
was one of the most severe of the war; but the
consequences of the defeat are inpumerable.
. AtEenlHt 10 Is HelaENeNs t4tc DUlh or me T6Del
army lately at Tallshoma has crossed Duck river
at Columbi., and is now marching to the sup
port Of Van Dorm atSpring Hill Gen RosscTaHs
and his army, therefore, are hanked. Bragg oc-
eupies 9 position no farther south than before
the battle Of Stone river. He will possibly take
possession of Franklin and will then hastily
threaten Nashvilis. thus necessitating, of course,
he withdrawal of troops from Hnrfreesboro' for
the protection Of the post Meanwhile, John
Morgan ss nearly 10000 cavalry at AcMlnn-
vile sud Woodbury. within easy striking dis
lance from here. His csvalTy viii separate ia-
to 8 dozen independent organizations, assume
the fOotiug of g~aerillas and rsysge the country,
making forced marches, destroying the railroads,
burning supply trains, and annoying us geneT-
/ alg. It's impossible to euumerate the misf0r-
Fumes which viii result from this flank move
meni Of Bragg's forces Our army will p~erforce
be separated, end fhe history Of the war in this
section for the next thTes months may be a Sc
RES Of defeats aud disasters. Last year Bragg
accomplished this very same achievement He
ou5geneHsled Buell by 2 hank movement, and
made his Waydnto Kentucky, which be has evil
Gently undertaken 20 do q second timeMThe
only difference is, that now he has more forces
un4er bis command. At the same time. a large
lnumhet Of rebels arapourng into Kentucky from
East Tennessee. This emergency need be dis
Dused 10 longer. The fact that R3soerans has
0etaIie0 8 Yetai fR ineht5 IOM tue army or the
CBmSerlshd, aud sent them into central Ken
tucky, within The pass week, proves the invasion
nose coacl1sively ihAu anything else. And to
aav two regiments raised aud recruited in Ten
n~essee, ambsfng more fhsn any two regiments
En- .he service, lest l9r tao eamedsssinstion We
hssr eady t6at 8 force Of rebel csvahy has
made is appearance or tbs west bank Of the
! Cnubsrls6d, and in a few days informa-
! hem wql pf0bably come that it has attacked
a
A gl5omy prospect, indeed Is ibis which seemed
10 fiE bot q f8w days ago. The cloud of de
cepfien SO eleverly thrown around as by the
lrsbala has c'esred away, and we msy nov con-
fempiaie 81 ouF leisure me ruins Of the magnif-
fceat fabric Of orr hopes
ia another AID scarcely less significant aspect
s sorry business l0ll Of lsmanlabls .eonse-
queaces. Il wa discourage and dishearien
sur soldiers. Il VIII break their confidence in
RI success Of The cause, j. will make them