Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-12
RaTrs OF ApsERTIsIae c
NASG1FELEE.

square for each and every insertion.
---z---------
NASHVILLE
4 Reulin5sceacs Of the Seigc azd Cap
tlfre Of Fort D0nc}s0l-7he EnGoUa
ton and S5sreHder Of Agshrjle. az
rls Herc1t Of the CoRfederufss, f-0l
az Interior Point Of TIelg.
During fhs sei=e OF DOBeIson.
On Saturday, the fifteenth Of Febru
arg, eightetu hundred and sIXty-two
about dusk, l received from the Hon
Cave johnson dispatch, in these words
90 Onr --latest information indicates tn,
repulze both Of the land attack and ths
guuboats. sul IL Is believed that we sha.
hold the Fort.H This came from Ciarks
vile, where the guns st Donels0n
booming al day long. could be plainly
heard and. posted upon a bulletin
board. inspired Nashville with renewed
couhdenee. For 3 week we hSd been
kept in a state Of anxiety. An advance
up the Cumberland river was hardly eX-
pected by the people. whose eyes were
fixed upon Buell., not upou Grant.
Flank movements ia those days, like
masked batteries, were among the mys-
rerieS Of var and men could realize but
fudiEereu-ly, the generalship Of Albert
Sydney Johnston. Il Is, indeed dou1t-
fUl how far the abilities Of tnat com
mRnier might have reached bad he
Lived 10 execute plans, Of which We can
only. conjecture, and which seems 10 have
been frustrated by his death; but il Is
quite certain thaT a. the time he was 50
hardly beset by fire OF words IN his
rear, he was making good use OF Lls re-
sources, and doing 81 that human skill
could DO TO stay the tide which pressed
upon front and flank. The doom Of
Nashville was already sealed. The com
moa laws Of force against force settled
the point, and lie realized the situation.
Few, however. besides himself, were
single day in advance Of events, and
therefore the assault and capture OF Fort
Henry on the Tennessee river, and the
rapid and vigorous advance upon Dom
els0u. on the Cumberland. took the com
mUuity Dy surprise, which would have
been greater siIl but for the
excitement snd grief over the dis
sster Al Fishing Creek and the
death Of Z5lIico1fsr. Companies for
local defense were at once organized the
war spirit which had been allowed 70
dwin61e, revived aud the city wss
quickly converted, by apprehension,
from 3 sium berous capital 70 an armed
camp. Pixies were ia great demand; and
] remember very well how gentleman
nov high IA the C0u6deI1CG Of the dOmi-
nant party, declared Jlat ." he wanted
no better wall than the breasts Of his
fellow citizens mounted by pixies
Drums best necessarily. The Meek
ing Bird" wss chirped By every grade
OF wind instruments from a hfe to
trombone. Flags waved from every pub
lie place. The mourning weeds were
cast aside, and Nashville stripped FOR the
conflict. A great majority Of the heroes
imagined that they meant al they said,
Rnd that there was really 3 prospect u
successful defense.
The Confidence.
I confess that I was with this majority.
I ioi1ed a cOmpsuy OF pikemen, went
through the drill every morning AT nine
O'Clock, and every evening AZ rve, wrote
leaders the most defiant and sincere, and
nad no idea that the Yankees held Us 90
completely in their power. That there
vas danger 10 one could doubt. II was
indicated by the excitement. ana or re-
ferrinz 10 the old files discover that q
very keen appreciation Of what followed
WIS entertained. But the crisis was
nearer than anybody supposed Ihepop-
ular impression placed il further ahead,
and looked for the real tiger leap about
the first Of May. Tie dispatch Of the
X-POstmasIer-GeueTA ran over the
city Ike q pleasant magnetic shock.
Il was expected ana it realized the eX-
pectati0n: yet 10 sXhilarated. The
streets were fun OF pe0ple. Al the gas
lanps were lighted and seemed 70 glitter
70 the rapid vibration Of the noisy and
motley groups they disclosed. The old
quarrel between Buckner and Pillow was
forgotten In the Epplause which coupled
them. Nor was Floyd neglected, among
the tributes paid to heroes nearer home
and more familiar TO the popular tongue.
The most exaggerated stores were told
OF each Of the trio. Pillow had charged
8 column Of the enemy snd driven II
info the river. Floyd had cut of ali Of
Grants reini0rcements, and Buckner,
with q few land batteries, had siienced
the guns Of a whole fleet. War was SO
new % Us that we believed these wild fu-
rnors. and rej9iced accordingly. How
sadly now The scene passes before me
how many happy faces were liz with en-
thusiasm how earnest We We're. We
may have been rebels, but We were nom
80 rebels. We believed that life and
q
doubt IN my mind that had VIC posses
sed arms and organization, the disgrace
mi manic Of the next day would not have
converted 50 much genuine courage into
the appearance CE -vRinglorious display
and mere bravadO. We were as Ignorant
OF martial arts a. lambs. We had no
weapons Of defense. We were without
leaders. A week Of crude and tumultu-
ous urenaration cannot save . defenseless
sitv from powerful armies; and 10 only
consnired 70 precipltata, iu this Instance
confusion and terror, auC 70 deprive the
ps,ople OF that calm resignation Wnicn
watts upon conscious insecurity and GER
tain capture.
TEe Popular Sentiment
On casting up the news from Fort
Donaldson. which indicated nothing but
victory, and concluding the weeks worE
I resolved 10 take the morning train and
run out 20 the mountains, 10 return the
next afternoon. P, al artillery Ot1ceri
stationed upon the river just belsw the
citv. bad no difficulty in obtaining .
leave Of sbscenee, 20 little was the situs-
don realized and agreed 20 bear me
company. We supped at Rlcd eoerger,
OF ovstsrs and brown stout Snd aoo2J
nine O'Clock proceeded 70 nay quarters
jgst ever the restaurant. To our sur
prise OF. reaching the door We found that
it had been violently entered. ne
crossed the threshold, but no one was to
be seen A watch Jay Undlsturbed upon
the table, and there was nothing % iudi-
caLe the presence Of burglar OF me N
uertio1 Of robbery. The circUmstanee
was rather singular and still remains
unexplained. Al the moment we
took it 20 b the work OF some
Besksr s,tsr information Is the
cs7 wss known 70 be infested
by Fpiss. But II did not altar or purpose,
and after mailing up the efrac-ure, we went
% bed zlept soundly, rose a. si1 o. clock,
and left az seven by the Chattanooga
railway. At every station along the
route, the people gathered asout the
train % hear the latest intsLigeuce. Il
bore but one signldcstion I'VE hold
DOnelson, have repulsed the Yankees
and are safe. The satisfaction was uni
verssl and profound. There were no
Union men then. Every one tossed his
cap 4 the air and was a. good 3 rebel a.
vss 70 be found. We might dispute
about tssues. Some were for one absfrac-
tiou and so=le for another. But there
yvss one point upon which all Of us were
deolded. Since we had gotten into the
syar, We did not want 70 come ont second
bsst. and desired heartily % whip the
nebt. I know ] felt 50 myself, and my
r.Siiticsl faith Wss ultra conservative (;
nd 20 did ninsty-nine OHt Of every
hundred Of the population 1t y
easv now that the lawyers olu
hss rored ths farmers OK, to
refine upon positions. But the
fact L. that at this time there was mol
enough loyalty. as they cali r. IN Zen
nessee for seed and, had the result OF
the war turned out differently, numbers
Of tie men, who now claim line of un-
broken Unionism, would have been
equally clamorous 70 establish an unim-
psacbsbIe record OF secession. No one
Of reading or reelection VIII be surprised
% this, Of course and / merely aliude
70 the fact IN passing ss q matter Of
reference.
The News OF the Surrender.
Monday was drenched with rain. We
were upon branch railway, thirty miles
OFF the main line, In a quiet mountain
village. Contrary TO orr original purpose,
we did not set out upon our return- AZ
three O'Clock that afternoon the train
from below failed 70 arrive. By i've We
began 70 grow uneasy. Darkness came
on and we felt sure that something was