Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-07-30
Correspondence of the New York Tribune.l
McClellan's New Base.

Its Topography and Geography-Interesting Rem:
inisces-Mhy it is called Classic Ground" and
Rich now Poor. 3e. l'.s ..- ---H-.i.-
Directly opposite "the old Harrison
Mansion" lives, or did live, Edward Ruff
I'm, jr., son of the old Ruffin who ''fired
the first gun at Fort Sumter. Ruffin
Junior had a beautiful place when | was
there, some years ago, surrounded by a
belt of forest trees upon the bluff, which
is eighty or hundred feet above the river,
which is here about a mile wide. The
view from the top of the house was beau
tiful one, overlooking the river and the
old Harrison plantation, and several 9TH
ers. From the same spot there must be
panoramic view of Gen. McClellan's
camp; and if the rebels are allowed the
opportunity to erect batteries upon Ruff
fms farm-entirely masked as they would
be-shells could be easily dropped upon
the lower ground on the east side.
The Rutfin farm is very large one,
having some 700 acres in cultivation
The wheat crop, when j knew the place,
averaged go acres year, and produced
from 10 to 20 bushels an acre; corn from
500 to 5000 bushels. There were sixty
slaves on the place, whose labor and the
application of mari had raised the place
from its condition of an old worn-out cot
ton plantation to this condition of fruit
fulness. If its stores of corn and wheat,
meat, vegetables and fruit are applied to
the uses of our army, one rebel will have
to pay a fair proportion of his "war tax"
There are many other large farms along
the west side of James river, from City
Point, though generally hidden from the
river by high bluffs and forests, which will
undoubtedly be infested by guerrillas who
can annoy vessels as they did last year on
the Potomac. go IKE
Thirty miles below City Point there are
immense plantations, owned by the Har-
rison family for more than two hundred
years. rode six or seven miles through
cultivated fields all in one inclosure.
Below the Harrison plantation lies the
''0rgain estate" inherited some years ago
by William Allen, who then became the
greatest landowner in Virginia. There |
were ii 900 acres in the home farm, and
26, 900 acres beside, including James Is
land and " old Jamestown" and Berk- |
lev" the General Harrison place, where |
the army is now encamped. He took
with the land some seven or eight hun |
dred slaves, but as they could not work |
quarter of the land, it has grown up to
forest. ..-
The object of his ancestor was to drive
off all white population; 10 accomplish !
which he bought all the small farms sur
him, and made desert of them. |
That is real slaveholding policy Repub-
lican policy would be honestly applied in
using the crops of this place for present
needs, and in reconverting the land to the
use of men instead of wild beasts.
Directly opposite lies the great % Sandy
Point estate" formerly owned by Robert
III. Boiling, of Petersburg, a very wealthy,
good man. He sold it to Rich
ard Baylor, a very large STAKEHOLDER on
the Rappahannock, below Fredericks
burg.
The Sandy Point plantation embraces
the point between the James and Chicka-
nominy, and contains 1000 acres, and
when owned by Mr.. Boiling, had 200
lcres under cultivation, of which 1000
acres were annually in wheat, about $50
n corn, so in oats. and the remainder in
clover, and there were $50 slaves on the
place. We venture to say that these peo-
Die did not rejoice at the change of own
,rship, nor would they weep to see their
present masters great crops devoted to
he use Of Union army. r.-. ....-...-
This place was the home of the Light
DOT family" in the ancient days of Vir- /
,!nia splendor, and it has eight miles of
lavigable shore line, and would be bet
,er location for a large camp than the
ground now occupied by the army. 1t is lj
% miles, by water, below Richmond, and
Is by land. |,
Ten miles toward Richmond, nearly all Z
he way through thick woods of pine and
Yak, along narrow. unworked road,