Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-05-10
Topography Of the Field Of Operations in
virginia.

how that not less than SIX points hap been
by DE State authori les at whi2h
troops are 10 be ~conceutFaied, IN
dependent OF Richmond and Norfolk. These
,lsees are AlsxandFis CnlpspeE Court House
Dumfries, Lynchburg, Fredericksburg and
8arpers Ferry, The e~ontsaitI Of these
places to Washington and Baltimore is SO
close as to render each and every of them
the utmost integesf } o the distant reader.
Below win be 6dad such Typographical and
geographical descriptions as wAlaeRahlot the
reader in judge at onoao The importance of
each point.
Alexandra is one Of the three corporate
towns that make up the totarof the District
Of Oolumbia-Washington aud Georgetown
forming by far the most important part Of
the one hundred square miles of the federal
domain on the Potomac. Tho city is located
on the southwest or Virginia bank Of the
Potomac, seven miles below the Capitol at
Washington. It is the county seat Of ALI
exandria county, and contains a population
Of about 5000 or 10000. The towns widely
scattered over an extent of territory, which,
# built up after the manner Of Northern
cities would afford residence for at least
$4,000 people. The land upon which the
town is built is undulating, not TO say hiuy,
presenting many eminences upon which
batteries and Notifications could be speedily
erected, which would tell severely upon an
attacking force. Above the city, and nearly
opposite Washington, the %undulations assume.
a more bold, PERCEPTIONS form end altitude,
and are deneminated Arlington Heights,
where, we read, a few days ago, the Virgin
ians were throwing up earthworks and erect
ing batteries tor the purpose of bombarding
the Capitol and White House, distant re-
spectively in a northeast direction, three and
a quarter and two and three quarter miles
Reliable reports now inform us, however,
that no Notifications of any kind have been
erected by the Virginians, and it is probable
that General Scott will shortly proceed to
take ard occupy the city with federal troops,
as It's occupancy by q sufficient force would
efectually nreveHt an attack upoa the Capital
from the South. The town is connected with
Washington by a bridge of one mile in length,
in which are two draws of sufficient
capacity to afford passage for such vessels as
can make the haIbor. Il is come TED with
GEORGETOWN by a branch of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal, AID TO the south and west
it has land communication via Orange and
Alexandra, and Manassas Gap railways,
with the interior o. Virginia and the South.
By the recent blockade, its water comment
ton with Norfolk and other Potomac and
Chesapeake ports by which its business is
mostly furnished, is effectually stopped.
CuLPEPPER COURT HoUsE- There seems to
be much misunderstanding with regard to
! this locality, as the proper name of the place
| is Fairfax, and there is another locality OF
the sans RAILROADS. mere railroad station
also called Fairfax, which is only twenty
two miles west Of Washington. Culpepper
Court House (Fsirfnx) the county seat of
CulpeDper county, is located on the Orange
and Alexandria railroad, sixty-two miles
southwest fIom Alexandria, eighty-three
miles northwest Of Richmond and twenty
six miles northeast of GOrdonsville, where
the Orange and Alexandria road connects with
the RichmondI fredericksburg and Potomac
railway, and the Virginia and Tennessee
railway for the South and West. The county
of Culpepper contains only a population OF
about Is ,000-the village perhaps 1900
OF this population over one-half are slaves
The section of country of which Culpepper
Court House maybe called the center, is the
finest part Of the State for agricultural pur-
poses, cereals and live stock being raised
there in great abundance. Its productiveness
in these respects was the probable cause of
this place being selected as a rendezvous for
tfODpS, MW a. II was Within three huns tide,
by rail. of Washington, over q route not
easily interrupted near the Capital by oppos-
ing forces, the foresight of the military su-
thorities who are planning the campaign on
the part of the s-ecessionists becomes apparent.
However, it must be remembered that twelve
miles northeast Of C~ulpepper towards Al
exandria), at Rsppahannock, the road has to
cross the York river on a long wooden
bridge, the destruction of which by fire
(vhiehi is neither impossible nor fmpf6bable)
would prevent troops from advancing from
the South for some days by that route. 1t
will be remembered that ab0ut 1000 Tenn
essee and Kentucky troops were reported to
be at Culpepper on Saturday last and more
were expected.
Byhehburg, where another large force is
now reported to be concentrating, Is situated
on the south bank of the James riVersat the
junction of the Petersburg and Lynchburg,
and the Virginia and Tennessee railroads.
1t is l25 miles west of Richmond by the
R~ichmond'and Danville, and Petersburg and
L~ynchburg railroads and aab0ut0the same
distance south, via charlottesville, from Gull
pepper Court House. The great Kanswha
canal runs through the town direct to Rich
mond, Zone hundred and forty-seven miles, J
aff0rding cheap and expeditions means of
supplying Richmond from the South and
West. TIE population of the placed about
twelve thousand. The country about lynch
burg is m-ountGneOus, but like that in the
vicinity Of CuipePeF, is very productive in
agricultural produce, though tobacco has
taken the place of grain to a great degree
among the products of the soil As i, is not
probable this place viii be fortified in any
manner, It is unnecessary 10 give more than
its general topography.
Fredericksburg is fast assuming an impor-
lance in military consideration of no mean
dimensions. The news reaches US that heavy
ordnance and small arms are being carried
there in large amounts and it Is Aid that
eartHWoFks are being raised with al possible
Dispatch. These may be only fomQsHprob-
ably are nothing more-stn from thelOcality
it would seem to- be highly important that
the Yirginfans should, if possible, bepreFent
ed from occupying it in susng l6tces. lIt3is
situated 60 miles south Of Alexandria and
sixty miles north Of Richmond on the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad,
is the principal town Of old Spottsylyania
county, at the head o~fnavigation on the Rap
~5shannock river, and i, in, the very heart Of
one Of the finest valleys on the eastern SLOPE.
North Of The town . fne tFidgecrosses tie
river, aboFei which and back of tHe town
there is a risel 9f A9d, friifcatons upon
which would command the bridge And pro-
tect the town without su6jecting troops to
danger, except from assaulting parties, which
might approach from the westward rise of
Fbe-cenol and rivur -Fiftaaum mi1as north "a