Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-02-03
YIcEsHuRa. Fabruary 2. -.

~NICkSBURG, foDIuafy = 4OO@.
The arrival Of two d~eserters from the Fede-
raj army yesterday evening, vas the only &C.
c-urrence which excited he duh menotony Of
the day. The manner of their escape rem tie
camp was as follows: Thee blue-eoated
Yankees appeared on the opposite bank Of the
river about one O'Clock P. NJ, and hailed s0rae
Of our citizens to send a skiF and bring thom
over. The eowardly trick played upon our
skif on Saturday, while upca q similar errand,
first induced our citizens to pay no attention to
them, at least 50 far as sending a skhf was con
cerned. At last, however, Col Marks, who has
the military command Of the ciy, concluded to
send a small boat over, when a Mr.. Howard,
the same who made the trip OF Saturday, vol
untsered fog the service. Upon arriving on the
opposite shore, one of the three Yankees could
not screw up courage to desert, but the other
two got into the skif and were brought safely
over.
On their arrival an immszse crowd thronged
around them to learn the cause Of their deser-
ton, and everything else that could be obtained
about the Federal army. They were imme-
diately escorted to the headquarters Of General
Perzberton, and the crowd which wasso vora-
ciously hungry after news had to dispense with
ont being sa.isted. I~managed TO CLEAN the fol-
lowing from their report thst three Of them,
two of whom were brothers, and al three per
| fectly disguised with the Federal service, deter
mined to desert tho hateful cause and make
their way into cur lines. Upen the arrival Of
the skif one could not muster up sufficient
courage to make the trip, giving As treason
that be had a wife and children al home, and
by deserving, he would be forever deprived Of
seeing shem again.
The other two were determined either to cross
the lines or else never again return to the camp,
and declare that they woHld have suffered vol
untsry starvation Or endured any other p~rivation.
rather Than go back They all belonged to the
| 3lst Wisconsin regiment, and report an i'm
mense amount Of dissatisfaction among the
troops. On Saturday night q party Of twelve
were on the bank seeking some means Of CON-
ing over, but being unable to meet with sue
cess were compelled to return to the camp.
They give it as their conviction that if We had
the ferry boat or any other craft to bring them
across, there would be at least whole regiment
Of deserters on this side by the present time.
They report General Grants army as having
arrived, but Grant is not here in person, tbosgh
be is daily expected to arrive. The army is still
engaged at work on The canal, but the deserters
pronounce it q failure, and say thatit never viii
answer the purpose for which it was intended,
and that the transports viii never be able to get
through. I am afraid that in regard to This
matter these Wolverines are either mistaken OF
else are hying 10 deceive US. If the rise in the
river continues 9 little while at its present rate,
their nght-draft transports VIII be able to nayi-
gate anywhere over tho whole swamp. The
volume OF water which is now IN the canal pre-
vents them from working ct 1t, and they vii
have 10 let It take It's natuTsl course.
During the afternoon some heavy 6Iing was
heard below, which was By some supposed to
be an artillery duel between the Federals and
our batteries, and by others thstit vas from
the latter firing at tho ferry boat oa4hs opposite
side. Lieut. Meuyy, who disappeared mystic
fiously some days since, has not yet turned up.
A Gag Of truce sent to the enemy with inquiries
whether be had been taken prisoner, resulted in
no information concerning him.
I