, 1862-05-22

BxcurAiops. Explorations and Recon.
TaoIkeance1-The Rebel Defense of
Rfchmond-A Trip up Pamunkey
RiVer-Bott0msN Bridge.

correspondence dated 18th, 18th and 1eth.1
The headquarters OF the army are to be per-
manent1y fixed at the White House. Ihem mall
in the morning. The army supplies are
brought to this point, and will continue to be
brought here for some time, as the water is
deep and good landing has been secured.
ed in wagons to our advancing forces. Col
Incals is here experimenting the establishing
of military depot whence stores can be
shipped to Richmond by railroad. The rolling
stock for operating the road will probably he !
on the ground as soon as required.
4 severe STERN has prevailed here Tor
tie I>sst two days and nights, rendering
the roads almost impossible for heavy art1- |
lery, and delaying the advance Of the army. |
Two divisions were all day yesterday IN NOV
ing subject to successive and drenchiug SHOW |
ers. But for the beautiful grassy meadow in
which nc are encaulped, We shonld be as bad
off as when before Williamsburg. The heavy
growth Of clover underneath our feet makes
an absorbing carpet, which Keeps us ont Of
and above the mud
Although yesterday WAS dull and drear In
camp, there WIS considerable activity on the
picket lines The enemy we're wide awake,
but did not seem disposed to provoke any sor-
ties OF ventures Of any kind But stoncman
stirred them up with 4 long pole several times,
| ha1zassed Their rear all DAY, and kept them
constantly in line Of battle This work was
mainly dore By Tue SIKH t. RegalaE Casaay,
now daily fed b5 the service which they per
| form so admirably. Stoncu1an is now very
strongly supported, and can afford to be per
| tllacious in touching up tue enemy vlgor~
| onsly.
| day, the army is now unusually quiet Thc
! prospect Of present camps being truken for
| several days is limited, and, in the meantime,
the resources of this state will be sorely tried
for the sustcnance Of men and animals; Com,
! cattle, and sheep abound, while fish arc
caught By the boat-:oad. The coutrabands
furnish eggs, chickens, milk, and fresh veyet~
! ables. Several fresh milch co~s have
betn purchased by the general officers,
who will have them driven along on the narch,
grazing on the road and giving fresh milk;
7This serves much to mitigate the asperitles OF
camp diet.
: The cpe1n,'s rickets are prowling in the
woods on the Opposite side Of the river, where
| they have an excellent opportunity to observe
E ali our movements. Ono Of the guuboats
r. | made d reconnaissance up the river this MORA
ing {16,h), and discovered the enemy's pick
q cts about four miles from here
/, This morning (l6th), it was discovered thai
!, thc enemy's pickets had EIien back two miles
= and that his main force had retired some dis
? taDce to the rear. 4 contraband, who can't
n in, stated that the rebel army had fallen baci
to the Chiekahomipy River. Our picket lin
r now includes St Peters Church on our left
= azd has been extended forward some distanc
on our right. The Sth Illinois cavalry made
l. reconnaissance this morning as far as Blacl
Il | Cretk The enemy was not discovered il
force. A bridge extending across the cree]
! hal been burnt by the gebels.
= a Court Of High Commission is now sitt1n
70 ut headquarters to co s:ccr charges Of ya1iou
~ degrees Of of5ense, in The way Of piltcrins
J brought against different persons, anon
whom are over fifty commissioned officer
from the commander OF 4 corps downward
Some Of the of1enses arc Of nature hereto
fore passed by without notice, and grcat di
N satisfaction Is expressed at the tender c:re t
s | ken Of rebel property. But for the presery
- | tion Of the army from demora1ization, not 1e:
~ -" than 70 prevent outrage, it IS determined
N ] this point to strict accountability. But ca
~ ! needs 10 be taken that rebels do not r.cei
~ more consideration than our own officers at
e, men, who arc enduring much and saczidcir
Of much in the good CAUSE
Is TRIP TT rA,1CyEEY RIVER.
1e- Correspondence dated 1sth) N. 7. Hcrald.1
ne Captun Ronlainc B. Ayres, Of the 5tA
,as ! tilcay, WHO fought Shernsan's battery
e.. spltndidly at Bull Run, now attached to Gt
fos Smiths division as chief Of artillery, has he
e: atsent to-day On guuhuat expedition
IVES accompanied " Ma;or Willard, will
squad Of regulars, and Capt James Steel
Of ecupsny OF sturg rgis {Chisago} rifles. 2
& 2ItINAIu iHOGCEAEA 4p AlL A1HAuhS1 Asl
ls in two large gunboats-the Seth Lowe a
II, Cursitnck~ Tue object OF this movement u
Elk. to ascertain the condition Of the river, aad
rb+ capacities for navigation, and also tho pe
nu- amount Of ordnance, military stores and
sly, age, which it WAS known he Ind collect
rf,s | Alter proceeding l. few miles up the river,
49, t eNpe dition encountered some obstacles in
'1ta shape Of large trees cut down on each side
ent the stream, their upper branches being in
a1s. Laced tosc1her III Inc middle ine eunoe {
.., pushed their way through these without
Eea' Guilty.
Tie scenery all along the Pamuakey, fl
its junction with the York river to tue pt
ong cent. Indeed, + have seldom, If ever, 5
=, of anything to equal it The oanss art usu
49,. high. In some places, quite frequently,
ah'} | these banks form bluffs from fifty to one
the dred feet high. In others they slope !:rs
600, ally down to the wa'cr'e edge; Ihe f1se
u'e' | deep enough for the passage Of any OF
lers ycsscls. Its banks arr bcautificd with IL
;orc, mc1'tble cottages and buildings Of more
the pluoas p5elenslo1s, Gacn oas su'Iounoeo le
each one, doubtless, Inhabited by peopl
comparative refinement, who must have ST
'onn enough to dep1orc the infatuation which
st at brought the scourge Of var to their doors
and Tie guuboats having asceaded the Pan
,.,rr key river twenty miles from here, to l p
' called Bassctt's Lending, within fifteen Il
r ar OF Richmond. without Seeing any siwus o
+ the enemy, landed the troops there: The II
then marched two miles toward Rich1n
the mounted rieksts OF the enemy, AS VIZ
~ ~ | tslsc with the other Reconnaissance, ret
before them.
neht, Ithould have stated that, on reaching
J fol- sets Landing, it was found that the q
lone1, mac already dcstroycd twenty sehooneFs
lpro~ Tcre Il l ing - short d;stsnce ahov, n
ascez.Alned that these vessels eont
twenty tbousand bushels Of corn aud
7islon stores, all Of which, with the vessels t
put in selves, the rebels burned aud abandoned
Con vessels were wrapped in flames when oul
" arrived
din IN All along the banks Of the river were
herds Of catue ard sheep, which had
collected By the rebels and driven thus
the in their retreat from Yorktown.
Ther suits Of these reconnaissance slo'
The road and water approaches to Rich
lal on are open to within twelve or fifteen mi
.uous, | that city, and that the enemy il In for
mon yond those points. The state of the TO
rothcr o,1nv 's ,,n IN those 1,n;nts Fvsr sins
S staff, Monday, now a week ago, the army has
4 Kxys moving iron tho neighborhood Of West
,v;dna1 to this place, . distance Of only about t
- n< miles. Yet steady progress has been
such TINT it Is found necessary to
crnraa I struct military roads nearly the enti1
tEe f,fh | taDee in order to transport the artille
I11lcck baggage wagons. This work has been
.s,3on6- ally performed by the engineer corps &
he wa Daniel P. Woodbury.. whose labors hav
mo m incessant. There are some spots il the
n7iefn- orer 6wa1nps and rarines, where mile
i'm At is considered good progress. Let thot
ns de- feel impatient at our slow progress II
- line | Richmond remember this and be conte
States Inc importance o1 HaVlnE tue iork
sieslppi ano Us ceatanaation, the Eamunkey,
Wh1c this means We have direct wafer conn
lionel Of ton from this point to Baltimore, whicl
sion to distant only twenty hours' sail, while
;tefn1 IN | Monroe can be reached from here il
srcsnect Ioure. Thus VIC can have everything
), on ac- brought to US very rapidly by water
$ OF his TIFF rrnr1.s rrFonE R1ru,,osn
: Gnaa"1 - ~. Correspondence Of the New York Tin
roouer. The Cont derates are reported to la
f.1t one | actively engaged strengthening their {
in +Iont Of Richmond for some wee
commencing the work ten days or a +;
,a+bar before circulating Yorktown. Their
cations extend from within half I
80 Richmond to poiut on the Chickahom
letter ,;ei.,;tr fe ,,ndn1,f;no cycent ahout
Sedalia, .ra,.ra l. ;s 1or and Soopv, cnm1,eif;ne
the mail ~ hrsdt~.s ~ eone;dcra6ie Inncth r.
,sMas stream, which Is no size III iteelf
tta.1s - believed that political cousid
~, aon will induce them to oppose to tho
naaes' .l 49, entrY into Richmond, though pofn
r, ~ away from. the water courses would E
!. g hI,.tT much stronger position, when th'
~ - 1 oiuts have nothing to fear from our gunbo: