Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-31
IErTER FROw TRTCnluOND.

LETTER FROH RICHMOND.
Special Correspondence Of the Memphis Appeal
RIcHMoSD, March =, 1853.
A fan Of snow to the uniform depth Of ten inches
tie le and 20,h lnstanis has psrplsIed all military
calculations and again postponed the opening Of tAs
spring eamEsgn Yesterday and to-day, the ihaw has
been extremely rapid overhowing the streets and con-
vertng al The creeks in the neghborhood q 'hs city
inis rivera The tsmpsrsure ont Of doos at this mo-
nsnt is mild but the sky is oloudsd snd The weather
vet unsettled, The id OF March have and anlsEt
gone while the grand prograuams Of the enemy, which
looked to conquest and WELDING up Of the war by the
fr Of Nay remains to Be acted out from the very be-
ginning s suppo,ed that the passage OF the Kappa
hsnDock b. the enemys cavalry ast Wednesday, in tbs
neiehborhaod Of Cclpeper Court House, vas to have
been followed up Immediately BY She eoming Of Hook
srs whole force If So the movement was esctually
checked b, the brilliant rspuss they received in Jsmi-
sons woods at the points Of FitE Lees keen sasrsI
You have already been made acquainted with the par
seuar Of this splendid engagement in which the dash
ne courars snd iepresble enthusasm Of cur cavalry
were 50 strikiuEy nsnlfsstsd The loss Of the enemy
We shall probably never know, but It was much greater
than our cvn numerically, and wn have its effect IN
doubtsdly in s further depressing the spirits q the
doomed aArmy Of The Potomac
speak Of the auieai 5isproportion In the uades
because cannot think that the enemy could sustsin
sueh loss in ;hs death Of the laInsnted
Pelham Aias how often have been called on to
weep over the bier Of the young, the brave and the
giftsd-tle tributary expressions Of sorrow have been
50 often ussd that they cold and mesnn glesI a
ne write them down sgin. 1 the body Of The
gsant Pelham Is it lay in the hail Of the capitol The
fsis young faos was psed IL in slumber. The sal
lant ocr dressed FOR ths grave in hs msior' uni
FORM and the Tag Of bis country his funeral pail
sweet Fgssth q flowers, sent by Mrs Gov. Letehsr,
rested ul,an the coffin early yioets aud lilies, At en-
blorns In ther purity also ia their transient bloom,
Of the life that had ended 90 soon but with the fragrance
Of hsrosn aud devotion To liberty und its eloss
Major Pelham was one Of she most efeen' Of the many
va liable officers serving in she eonnlnd Of General
Stuart SId bis noble services in the battle Of Fredsr-
ieksburg had won for him an imperishabs name.
The soddsu condition OF the country, produced by
Tire recent sncvrItorr, will probably delay operations
Ia tho direction Of Fredsnoksburg for two three
weeks longer but It s absolutely certain st greet
battle VIII be fought the lines somewhere Ist as soon
Is An army can bs put in motion Before the snow,
Hooker attempted to move q ihr.ytwo poundsF siege
gun BY Harvesting 50 ii hay horses bus the suimals,
though urged to their utmost sxsrtion Of strength,
could not start It an inch. This looks unpronising for
his advance bat be win probably not be waited for very
long after the roads are passsbls condition. If he
does not give battle be VII be attacked how, or in
what quarter or BY whose forsss should not say,
knew the whole plan as do not. But thoroughly
convinced thas be VIII ind work enough TO do bsfsrs
the sf day Of May hs last day Of srses given 30 the
Southern Consdsracy BY Lncoln) to hold his own ard
his ns Of msreh when he gets ready to take it up. viii
be mors probably toward Washington than toward
Riehnond.
Congress has walked up work Of late, and there Is
even tax cf ajournment early the 9th 10Th
Of April The houis Of representatives. fhis morning
IN secret session. passed the tax BILL It is said by very
large malorty, and sent mp At to the ssnsts
where it vyT probably pass without unreasonable de-
lay. Ihsar thas the burdens under very heavy,
and that tie subjects Of taxation are nutfurious al.
most literally faiaIng the wen-known summary Of
sidney Smith" taxes upon every article which enterz
into the mouth or covers the back or il placed under
the foo,-taxes upon everything which it Is pleasant
to see hear, feel, smell, OF taste etc, etc. Bat
heavy burdens are necessity, and viii be cheer
fully boue by She people. The impressmsnt quss-
ton was disposed OF this morning By the adoption OF
bin in both houses, agreed upon 4 he committee Of
conference, VII partakes Of the nai- 4 the two
bills previously passed by the senate and hon Of rep
ressnistiy.s, respectively. Where impresrmshis Of
stock provisions or other property in the hands Of the
producer are made the apprassment Is 70 be rendered
By ctzsnitof the vcHage sworn FOR that purpose but
where the property s impressed ii tho hands Of Fpe-u-
st0rs th, Iast compensation is be fixed accord
ing TO Nf. Wigfans plsn, by the appraisers in each
State whD shall be appointed by the President Il win
be the duty OF the commissary department, under The
OF tbs set to aoeuHuists large supplies Of meat
and grain Ter the army, by impfessng thsse articles
wherever found and 20 be paid Tor according to the
award Of the regularly cons i.uted appraisers The
smption bill now alone remains to be be GOES dered in
the houss Of representatives whore substitute FOR the
ssnate bin has been oersd by which the whole matter
OF exemption viii be transferred to the Pres dent.
A gent eman direct from South Csrous tells me that
It is now considered ss at least doubtful matter
whether the Fedsrals VIII make any attack upon
Charleston with their immense naval armament The
ships arc built as indies trucbIe and they claim that tso
attempts upon Fort MoAster have provez them to be
sich, and yet Admiral DupOn; has sslutEry fear Of
getting within the range Of Beauregard's batteries.
We have had large arrivals Of Yankee prisoners in the
city three or four days past Saturday morning the
Danville train brought In six hundred and foryone,
and yesterday morning, By ihe same route, seven hun
dred end thirteen others TO town. sll esPtured BY
Van Dom, at Thompson's station, IN Tennessee. Be-
sides thess constant accesons have been made to our
military prisons by General FtE Lee's horEemsn who
are ever gaoping after the enemy in Stafford and Cul
psper counties. There are now In Richmond not less
than one hundred and eighty Federal officers larger
number han have had at any other time since the
battles s,f last summer.
Governor Lsteher ordered az mpressment Of meal on
Saturday under the following most justihable eircum-
stances The meal was wanted for the 81 ats prisoners
taken BY Gen Floyd The officer In ehargs bought it
a. the moderate price Of $3.50 bushsl, b0t the eEtor
h,rF ff ~F-s.4 20 re.efyna
the iStsts treasury, and demanded cash payment be-
fore delivery. The Governor on hearing the facts
ordered the meal be impressed pries to be xsa
By dEierasie3 third persons Served the eztorioner
right
The State has lost zaost vsluabls son Ia tie death
Of Lewis Minor Coleman late professor Of the Latin
language and literature the Univeray Of Virginia
When the war broke out, Professor Coleman left his
chair sud went into tie army, where he served as
captain AZ artillery Wounded severely in The battle Of
Fredericksburg he fingered in gneat sgony untl I've
SIX days ago. when bis brave gentle spirit passed
sternir, man Of the rpest scholarship, be was the
model of Christian gentleman and type Of the lof
est patriotism.
DR.. George ". Bagby has become associated With
the ed torial department Of the Richmond HAig He
is well known the aoeOmp shed editor Of the ssnfA
en- LisEs'y Ass'eag~. Dixie.
The Razso Pass Expedition Abandoned
STEAMBOATS, sunk
TIE steamboat J c. Swon, which has been
lying opposite the Yazoo pass, arrived here this
morning. We learn from persons aboard her
that the expedition had returned, since the op-
Bositi1n made By the ConfedeIates at Greenwood, /
in which The gUnboat Chilieothe was much IN /
iured When the returning boats arrived, on /
their way bsek, Within fifty miles of the Missis-