The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1862-04-23
From the New York Post.
Topography Of virginia-The Field of
War in Eastern Virginia.

topography OF virglnla-The Field o
War in Eastern Virginia.
| The part Of Eastern Virginia which maj
be properly called the field OF war. embrace
nearly the whole OF the ,ide.waler ami Pied
mont regions-bounded on the East by tn,
Atlantic and the Chesapeake Bay, on III,
South by North Carolina. on the West B,
the Blue Ridge. Harpers Ferry and Win
chester are beyond the Blue Ridge. in whaI
10 called the Valley. This 10 the depart
ment Of Gen. Banks. that o: the Shenan
doah, and comprises belt Of country abou,
fifty miles vide, and running the depth Of the
whole State Ia . southwesterly direction.
between the Blue Ridge and the AIleghs-
nies. Beyond Banks, on the west, is Gen
Fremont's department.
Eastern Virginia has been divided BY the
President into two departments; that ofthe
Rappahannock under Gen. McDowell, CON-
prises. besides part Of Maryland, the Dis.
trict Of Columbia and that part Of Virginia
between the Blue Ridge on the west. and
the Fredericksburg and Richmond railroad
on the east. Gen. McClelian's department
consists Of all east Of the Fredericksburg
railroad. Il 10 probable that Mcclellan ex.
tends as far as he chooses TO operate to the
south. ia Virginia, snd that Gen. Wool's de.
parlment. ct and about Fortress Monroe, is
within command Of the superior 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 the Holston, in the southern part
Of the Stale. Leaving out OF view the Po-
tomsc. the James s the principal river Of
Virginia. !, meets the tide At Richmond
one hundred miles from ils mouth, and 10
nsvigable to that place BY vessels cf one
hundred and forty tons. The only consider
able tributary Of the james, below the Blue
Ridge. 10 the Appomattox, which flows into
IL ., City Point. and carries seven feet water
TO Petersburg, capitol Of Dinwiddie county,
ten miles from City Point and twenty two
miles south from RicLmond. The james
10 navigsbls to City Point, nineteen miles
southeast Of Richmond, for large vessels.
and 10 Jamestown Island II has water
enough for friga.e. On Harrison's Bar.
. few miles below City Point, there are ff.
teen feet Of water st low tide. II flows In
TO Hampton Roads near the mouth OF the
ChessPeake Bay, and i,s entrance is closed
BY Fortress Monroe. Newport News and our
cruisers in the neighborhood.
Vessels drawing ten or twelve feet can
reach Richmond, but those drawing fifteen
feet can get within three miles Of that city.
THE YORK RIVER.
The York river. on which lies yorktown,
is formed BY the junction Of the Msltspony
and Pamunky, and falls into The Chesapeake
Bay above the mouth Of the James. It's
appearance is rather that Of an estuary than
; river. AT ils mouth il 10 about three miles
wide, and II IL forty miles long. 1t is navi.
gable FOR large vessels, and Is one mile wide
q Yorktown. On the peninsula formed By
the near approach Of the James and York,
in their course, are situated Yorktown and
Hamp ton; its southern extremity 10 New.
port News. and the southeastern point Is
Fortress Monroe; Yorktowd is seventy miles
east southeast Of Richmond. and the latter
city 10 ono hundred and fifty miles from the
ses BY waite.
From Yorktown, up the river. TO Wes,
Peint some thirty or forty miles. the river
is navigabIe for large vessels. and from
West Point there is railroad to Richmond
; distance Of about thirty miles. West
Point 10 the nearest point BY which vessels
BY the York river can reach Richmond.
YoRKrowN.
Yorktown is situated on the right bank Of
The York river. seventy miles from Richmond.
Il 10 and old town, settled in 1705. and now
hss about ffsy houses. Il was the theatre OIL
ons Of the most important events in Amer-
can hstory-lhe surrender Of Lord Corn
wallis to General Washington, which oc
surrsd on the 10Th Of October, 1881. The
rebels are reported to have erected strong
publications along the river banks; the
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