Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-02-06
Highly Important If True.

Highly Important IL True.
We copy this Memphis letter to the st.
Louis Republican-not rs sensation article,
but because we believe its disclosures. Gen.
Carter has on file, in his office here, a cor
respondcnce confirming the truth of it. in
which letter from the rebel Secretary of
War favorS the sale Of cotton to the Federal
authorities, The rebel leaders know the
rebellion is on its last legs, and they are
fixing to sell out the Confederacy and make
their escape.
THE REBELS PREPARING To ABANDON MIssls-
sIPPI AND ARKANSAS.
The Mississippi Cotton CroD to be s5H for Green
6ftES-hT5y Smith anil his Officers 10 90 10 Nrr-
ico-His Proposition Sad 10 hare been Fo7traygJ.f
to Hash1tgto'-DcmorGii-a Of tie Rebel Iy-
ing.
/ The following extract from the Memphis CORES
Pondencc Of the st. Louis Republican are thus edi-
torally indorsed by that paper "Of the correctness
OF this information we have doubt for it comes
from sources likely to have the best means of infor
nation; this would involve the complete dsband-
men Of the rebel forces in Arkansas. Mississippi
Louisiana and Texas and the immediate return Of
these States to the Union"
REBEL OFFICER
learn from good authority that a Ouarterma.tcr
III the Confederate army. at IIcruando. acting by
authority of Richmond officials has offered 10 Gen
erl Huriburt To sell 20 him the United States all
the cotton now remaining within a certain district
IN Mississippi now outside of the Federal lines The
quantity embraced in this offer Is about fifteen thnI
t.I y INK iz..11 = .
cotton The OTTER Is to sell and take pay in green
backs 1 am Crcdlbly informed that Gen Hurhut
t@vors the purchase and has already communicated
to Washington the offer that has been made with
his recommendation that the cotton be bought In
deed, l understand that Gen. Hurlbut, commanding
this department would favor the purchase by the
United States of all the cotton in Mississippi He
Is sand 10 favor it for several reasons First it would
put stop to the operations of rscally Spectators
and the corruption and bribery 80 common now
Then it would be a heavy blow to British holders of
Confederate securities, based on cotton and would
remove of the strongest motives for contributing
aid to the Contcd;racy. Then. payment being made
in grcenback, the receivers of such funds would be-
come stockholders in the Federal Government. and
interested in its success.
But the offer of the Confederate officer 70 se the
fifteen thousand bales Is very conclusive evidence
that the rebels forece very clearly that the portion of
Mississippi IN which this cotton Is must very soon
pass out of their control The Who'll. Of Ni,,is,iuri
whole Of it carly in the spring
\ STARTLING OFFER
am credbly Informed that the rebels yva., Of the
Mssisslppl-all of them, leaders and led military
men and cIvlliaHS-considcr the secession e.tmc
played out that arkansas. Louisiana and Texas
must inevitably pass out Of their control and all
struggle to hold those States i, vain They percei,
two things l. That the Federal poweri fully adc-
quate to di-po~,c-s then-that they cannot maintain
an army In those States, for the very cnrent reason
that their soldiers tired and hopeless and that
every new con~crpt runs away the first opportunity
>. That the people Of those Sta:cS-the nas-e>-are
determined to get back INTO the Union and that the
war shall end. Rebel officer, and rebel soldier,
speak out plainly their thoughts and convictions ON
the subject and the whole country may be certain Of
a speedy and complete rcUt~-.--iUu Of the entire.
trall7-M l~>s>lppi region by tn Federal power No
one could be here q week, and meet a- | have done
citizens OF Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas who for
two years and more. have lived within tn. rebel
lines, in constant intercourse with rebel generals
subordinate officers and soldiers Of the rebel army.
and citizens o those State and hear their statements
about the prevailing hopes and fears Of the ueopa
among whom they have lived and for one moment
doubt that the rebellion j. practically dead in that
region. ana any vigorous or prOtractcd fighting on
the part of the rebels impossible
and IN this connection, VIII state q somewhat
startling statement which / heard last night II Is
affirmed here that recently Gan Kirby Smith sent
an authorized messenger to Washington to propose
10 the Federal authorities to furnish every requisite
facility to get out all the cotton in the portion of the
Red River and Wa>hita district within rebel con-
troll the money for the same 10 be paid 10 the class
If officers excepted from the amnesty offered bv
President Lincoln they to retire from the rebel army
and 20 into Mexico. (
/ should hesitate to make this statement If had :
not received 1t from "a very high source here with
he assurance that there were good reasons for be
IcvIng IL To be- true. The fact i. the rebellion Is
'oapsinE; and as rats instinctveIv desert sink
ne ship the rebels feel the sinking of the ouuda
ions Of their fabric Of treason and hasten already
o escape the tumbing of the walls q
OFFERS TO DESERT. l
Within the past ten day., Gen. Hurbat sent on;
nag OF truce on some business Gen. Forrest 4
IN going out the party met flag Of truce from Gen =
.orrest. After an exchange Of greeting, and the =
artIculaF business transacted the rebels who /
ad come out from Forrest proposed 20 return with o.
ne F1dcraS {" their camp and Join h Federal ar =,
ny. H"ing under flag IF truce, the Fedcral- de-
lined the proposal not wishing 20 abuse the sl"rrd u
llcs Of flag Of truce to any such purpose. They
orcver reported the fact to headquarters on their t
turn. Descrtons from the rebel ranks and entry
ito the Federal lin = are 20 common. occurring .
very day and night that ;hay case To BE- talsed /
bout though they are pru rptiv ported daily. The -
sses to the rebels by dsertioT- ar. enormous They "
av enforce their con-cript law. They may take 90
between the ages Of sixteen and sixty. They may i
'rfdiousy take those who. in good faith paid large p
ms OF money for substitutes, the rebel Govern }
ent now threatens 10 do; but with All such efforts -
neither fair .ou there good reason for SAYING -
at they cannot materially increase their army. be- Il
use they cannot retain their c0n-cript beyond the -
st hour offering an opportunity TO escape. These r
ScTon~ not matters Of occurrence in Arkan-a- D
erely- where there are now whole Federal regi- -
cutS made up Of former rebel soldiers. They DC -
r in Mississippi. Tennessee and Georgia. Within go
e present week q squad Of rebel soldier, from
.aggs army. de-crJer>. after wandering through Phi,
9 country. hiding by day and travelling by night.
ached the Federal lines. gave themselves ~ weary an
tn atered garments and feet almost bare and ar, IN
W enlisted in the Federal army at post miles in
Il Of here. I
The OUtFageS in the South. ri
W men tins war was brought about, we of