Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1862-04-23
TOPOGRAPHY OF VIRGINIA.
Tar FIRM or WAR " E,srrry vnaruA.

:, may be properly called tho field Of war
embraces nearly the whole OF the tide-wa.
ter and Piedmont rccion- bounded on
tho east'by tho Atlantic and Chesapcakc
Bay, on the south by North Carolina on
. the North and northeast hy the Potomac
, and on the west by the Blue Ridge in
, what is called the Valley. This is the
; deparimer, Of Gen. Banks, that Of the
Shenandoah, and comprises belt Of
. country about so miles wide and running
the depth of the whole State in n south
westerly direction, between the Blue
r Ridge and the AlloGhcrics Beyond
. Banks, on The west, Is Gen. Fremont's de,
pawmcnt
Eastern Virginia has been divided by
TIE President into two departments: that
of the RuppahannoCk, under Gen. Nc
Doweil. comprises, besides part Of Ma.
ryIaud, the District of Columbia and tha.
part o' Virginia between tho Blue Ridge
on the west and the fredericksburg and
, Richmond Railroad on the east. General
Nc CIeiIas's department consists Of all
the area east Of the fredericksburg Rail
road. It is probable that Gen. Mcclellan
extends as far as he chooses to operate 10
the south, IN Virginia, and that General
Wool's department, at and about Fortress
Monroe is within the command Of the suS
perior general.
JAMES RIVER.
The rivers Of Eastern Virginia nearly all
empty their waters into the Chesapeake
Bay, the only exceptions being the New
River and Hoston, in the southern part
Of the State Leaving cut OF view the
Potomac the James is the principal river
OF Virginia. II meets the tide at Rich
mond, 100 miles from its mouth. and is
navigable to that place 10y vessels Of l4O
tons. The only considerable tributary to
the James, below the Blue Ridge, is The
! Appommattox, which flows into it at CITY
Point, and carries seven feet of water to
. Petersburg, capitol of Dnwiddie count
, 10 miles from City Point, and - miles
! south from Richmond. The James is nav
igable TO City Point. 10 miles southeast of
? Richmond, for large vessels, and to James.
town Island it has water enough for a
lrigat'. On Harrisou's Bar, few miles
below City Point, there are - feet oil wa
ter at low tide. II flows into Hampton
Hoads near the mouth Of the Chesapeake
Bay and its entrance is closed by Fortress
Monroe, Newport News, and our cruisers
in that neghborhood.
THE YORK RIVER.
Tho York river, on which lies York
town, is formed by the junction of the
? MattapoDy and Pamunky, and falls into
the Chesapeake Buy, above the mouth of
the James Its appearance is that Of an
estuary rather thar river. Atits mouth !
/ it is about three mil.s wide, and i is forty |
miles long. 1t is nayigaLio for large yes- /
sells, and is one mile wide nj yorktown. 80
On the peninsula formed by the pear ap- |
proach ol the James and York rivers, IN !
their course, are situated Yorktown and !
Hampton; its southern extremity is New
port Ne : :, and al the southeastern point /
is Fe?tross Monroe Yorktown is seventy
miles cast>soutLeast Of Richmond and |
the lutter city is $50 miles from the
sea By water
yORKTC WV.
Yorktown is situated on the righ, bank
Of the York river seventy miles from
Richmond. II Is an old town, settled in
l1Oj, and now has about fifty houses. 1t
was The theal,o Of ore Of the most mpor%
tant events in American hstc?v the
surrender OF Lord Cornwalls to General
Washington, which occurred on the 10Th !
Ol NJtlObGl. .I'l. ] lie lfbtlS az Z ItllpIlCN
70 have erected strong Notifications along
the river banks; the works a Gloucester
Point, opposite Yorktown, are represent
cd particularly to he very formidable.
THE RAPTAHANNoCK.
The RappohaAnoc'l enters the Chosa-
peake Bay, twenty five miles south Of the
mouth Of the Potomac, and is navigable
for vessels, carrying ten feet Of water up
to Fredericksburg, ,where,lt is supposed the
enemy is strongly pos ted. This place is
forty miles from the rivers mouth.
TIE ELIZABETH RIVER.
The Elizabeth river, on which lies Nor.
'oll, rises in Norfolk county, and flows |
in;o Hampton Roads. 1t il connected |
with Albemarlo Sound 10y the Dismal !
swamp canal and Pasquetank river. On
It's right or north bank is Norfolk. This |
city is eight miles from Hampton Roads,
and I06 miles by land from Richmond,
with which place it is connected by rail
road. At Portsmouth, opposite Norfolk,
is the navy yard. The approaches to
Norfolk are defended by fort on Craney
Island, at the mouth of the river, which
mounted some months ago thirty iou:
guns; by Fort Norfolk, few miles below
tho city 10y battery Of twenty guns on
SewllIS Point, opposite Fortress Monroe
and in all probability by several other
works Of which we know nothing.
THE YANSEMoND.
The Nanscmond river rises in tho Dis.
nal Swamp and is nayigable from Suffolk,
on the Ne'lolk and Richmond railroad, TO
its entrance into Hampton Roads, for 1,
vessels OF one hundred tons. Suffolk is
seventy>two miles southeast by south from
Richmond, and is village of about 800
inhabitants. From Suffolk it would be
practical to make demonstration in the
rear OF Norfolk and Portsmouth. 1t was
once thought that Burnside would do
this. The Pig Point and Fishing Point
batteries were erected by the rebels to de.
fend the entrance TO the Nansemond. .- |
The first named has recently been streng-
thened, it is said, and a rebel encampment I