The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-07-11

y
ward, 50 to speak, as out-works to meet
the FIRST assaults Of an enemy. 3'Ae iolols
place seems 10 haze been planned with cypress
reference 10 is use as military position. All
these points have been taken advantage
Of and arc crowned with earthworks. We
no longer wonder that comparatively
insignificant rebel force has been able
here TO hold the Union army so long at
bay, A closer view shows that instead |
Of overrating the strength of the place,
we have been far from estimating its adj
vantages at their full value. It is a
natural fertilization on the most stupen-
dous scale, TO the perfecting of which
war has brought all the appliances of
military science and skill.
The sides ofthe mountains, thousands
Of acres "a extent, have been laid bare,
the heavy growth of timber with which
they were formerly covered having been
entirely cut away, and roads are seen
winding UP their precipitous sides fur
rowed by line after line Of entrench-
ments.
The only practicable direct appsoacht to
the Gap is by the old wagon road, which,
in many places, is hardly wide enough for
two wagons to pass each other, and, as
it winds along up the mountain, is ex-
posed to the fire Of succession of strong
works on both sides. IL would be no.
thing less than suicide for any army to
attempt to move up this narrow road in
the face Of determined enemy, even
though much inferior to itself in num-
bers.
Two or three brass field pieces placed
In position at the eliminating point of
The Gap are all the big guns which now
frown upon us as we approach. We OBJ
serve the pickets at several points along
the road but they mako no objection 10
our going on. shouIdw we attemptto pass
out however, their quick and peremptory
halt would soon bring us to a stand
From the highest point in the Gap
winding roads lead to the SUBMITS of
both mountains, and TO every important
point on their sides. II must have taken
the rebels months to have made these
roads alone.
! Ascending the mountain on either side,
we first come to the deserted encamp-
ments of the secesh. Here the ground
is thickly strewn with their dilapidated
camp furniture, clothing, shoes, broken
kettles, tin ware, barrels, boxes-in fact,
everything that a soldier could by any
stretch ofprobability be supposed to have
any use for, even TO feather beds, The
cabins are generally standing and the
fragments Of their tents, which they had
cut into narrow strips with their knives,
lie scattered all about These camps are
very extensive, as are those also in the
valley at the foot of the mountain, on the
ofhor side. tits believed that they would
have accommodated fifty thousand men,
II is not probable, however that the
rebels ever had more than half that num-
Der here at any one time. Every thing
goes to show that they considered this
an important position and intended TO
hold Il al all hazards. s, LanE
Our asionishment increases at every
step as we ascend either OF the noun
tains, both being covered from base to
summit by perfect network of trenches,
supported at every prominent point by
heavy batteries, one Of which crowns the
pinnacle on either hand On the eastern
I summit was mounted the big rebel gun,
along Tom," which they threw over the
precipice before leaving.
No adequate idea Of the number and
extent Of the works here can be gained
without visiting them all, which requires
two days diligent walking. It would
seem as il the rebellion, damned to ever
lasting ingamy, had here been compelled
TO engrae a record Of its wickedness
and folly on the eternal mountains, in
lines which the storms Of hundred cen.
turtles will not suffice 20 efacc.
/ The view from the summit Of the east
ern peak is magnificent in the extreme
AT our feet, on the south, lies q beautiful
litde valley, now almost covered by ca.
bins, tents, wagons, cavalry, horses, anC
the multidinous belongings Of an army
Three or four roads diyerge from this lit
! 1lo valley, and, passing between hhls o
considerable elevation, lead into otheI
valleys beyond Along these roads, anC
in the valleys, for three or four miles, W,
see, looking like as many villages an,
towns, the various camps Of the Uniol
army, AZ the foot Of the mountain, oil
I the north, are other camps, nearly hid
4 den BY intervening woods, on ovcrJ
side the view is bounded by a perfec
p circle OF forest-coyered mountains
) Within this ring Of hills the country 4
diversified by hin aud plain, field an,
forest rock aud river; Che whole making
picture worth the journey Of thousan'
miles to see.