February 20, 1863, The
The correspondent of the Jackson Appeal, writing from
From present appearances one is led to infer that the enemy near this city is about perfecting his arrangements for an offensive move, and that the shock of battle cannot be much longer delayed. For several days past his movements have been of a character indicating some attempt at throwing a force across the peninsula to a point below, with a view of crossing the river, to approach the city from below. These movements have not yet been sufficiently developed to apprise us of their real purpose, and the programme may yet be changed, so that he will turn up in quite a different quarter from what is at present expected.
By deserters from the Yankee camp, who arrived here day before yesterday, we are informed that it was in contemplation by the enemy on Monday night last to run two or more of the gunboats by the batteries to get below town. The affair was pretty generally known among the troops, several of whom managed to escape from the camp and crossed the river on a log. When they arrived here they imparted this information to the proper authorities, upon which full and perfect arrangements were made on the part of our batteries to frustrate the success of such an attempt, if it should be made. It is believed that the fear of the batteries having knowledge of the affair and that they had well prepared for it, kept them from undertaking the voyage.
Nothing definite could be made out of the work the enemy had been engaged at since Saturday up to Tuesday evening. By some it is argued that they are building a levee to keep from being washed out, while others insist that batteries are being erected by them with the view of shelling the town. It appears almost certain now that a battery is being planted in the timber at a point a little below the city, so as to be within good range of our lower batteries. A work of this kind of course would be intended more for the purpose of annoyance than assistance in an assault upon the city, while it might operate as an auxiliary to the fleet.
Several gunboats were in sight yesterday, and the whole fleet appeared to be remarkably quiet all day. No new move was apparent, and everything looked very much like a weather bound fleet, unable to move either way. Upon what business the transports were engaged for the past few days in carrying troops up the river, has not yet transpired; but the supposition that they were in search of higher land for a camping ground, has as yet found no contradiction. The only evidence of the presence of the vandals up the river, so far, was a conflagration on Sunday night, which reminded one very painfully of the fact that the incendiaries were engaged at their work.
A rumor prevails here that a large portion of the troops had been placed on transports and taken up to Greenville to attack a force of Confederates, in that vicinity, but this report requires confirmation, and is not likely to be correct, as most of the boats have been in sight every day since Saturday. The probabilities are that an effort will be made to get across the river by the troops stationed below the mouth of the canal, and that the ferry boat, and such of the captured steamers as they may have on hand will be used for this purpose. If such a move was being made I would not blame the Yankee troops much for being disaffected at the prospect of being marched into a slaughter pen.
It will be nothing less than willful murder on the part of the Yankee General to attempt to land his troops anywhere on this side of the river. The gallant Confederate soldiers are anxiously awaiting for him to do this, but it will be the most unheard of recklessness of human life, and the