Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Iowa) 1861-1864, 1862-04-17
Virginia.

zen. McClCllan mas confinement HE
grand movement for the determination
Of the rebellion in Virginia. On the
It'll the enemy's works at Yorktown
were carefully examined by Genera
Mcclellan, and found to be very
strong, and the approaches diilicuu!t
Magruder is in command, and has
force of about $4,000 men. Genera
Mcclellan has probably about the
same number. 1t seemed plain thai
mortars and siege guns must be used
for assaulting. On the first days
march our forces advanced from Old
Point to Warwick Court House, four
teen miles, driving the rebel pickets
and skirmishers before il. The second
day the army marched to Howard's
Creek, where the Union troops rested
for the night, but Morrill's brigade
advanced three miles farther, to
Cocklesvillc, six miles from Yorktown.
There was sharp fighting all day be.
tween our flying artillery, aided by
Berdan's sharpshooters, and the rebel
vanguard. The third day Saturday
the whole army was in motion by
seven o'clock in the morning, and by
ten A. M. was in front of the cnemy's
works at Yorktown. No time was
lost in getting to work. The first
shot was fired by the rebels. The
cannonading was continued till dark
The loss on our side was slight.
Our forces were receiving supplies
from Ship Point, repairing roads, and
getting up long trains. A despatch
says Yorktown will fall, but not with
out a siege of several days, Ship
Point had been taken, the batteries
there being shclled out by our gun
boats. All the fortified places of i'm
portance before Yorktown had been
taken at every point.
The fleet can assist the army in
bombarding the rebels out of York
town. Having passed that point, the
army can march on Richmond. The
feet can go up the river to the mouth
of the Pamunkey river at West Point.
A railroad extends from the latter d.
rectly west to Richmond. The route
of the army lies along the turnpike
that runs equi-distant between the
York and James rivers. A look at a
map of Virginia will explain the loca-
tons.
A correspondent at Warrcnton, Va,
says our advanced forces are now
resting on the Rappahannock, our
pickets extending to that stream. The
is now in running order to
Cedar Run, within two miles of War
'enton Junction, l3 miles from the
river. 1t will take
several days to complete the bridge
over Cedar Run, inasmuch as the re-
cent storm has swollen all the streams
very much. Bull Run cannot be
fordcd at present, and no troops can
move except by railroad. The cavalry
pickets extend some distance south.
east Of Brentsvillc, and skirmishes
with the rebel scouts are Of daily &C.
currence.
Contrabands and refugees from Fau-
quier and Culpepper say that the
rebel army has dwindled greatly in
it's proportions, and that it is retreat
ing upon Richmond as rapidly as pos
sible, leaving nothing but scouts and
guerillas in its rear to watch our
movements. 1t would seem from this
that the rebels are not reinforcing
Magrudcr, and intend not to make a
stand this side of Richmond.
Rebel sympathizers say Generals
Lee, Magruder and Hnger are at York
town, and express the utmost conf
dencc in their ability to hold that po-
sition, but admit that if the rebels are
beaten there, the cause is desperate.