Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-05-08
TEaaIs of ADvEarlslra.
Farewell, my comrades and may We all meet 10 q
better world" PERsoNNE
From YOrktown-Preps.ntions for the Siege Rapid
ly Progrcssing.-A hard Yarn.


HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE PoroMAc NEAR
YoRKTowN April 24-Fhe weather is again pleasant,
aud the roads hegnH1g TO improve. The prepara-
tons for carrying oG the plans OF the COmmaadern-
Chief are being rapidly push forward TO con2etitn.
Two desertels from tie Sixth Alabama regiment
came within our lines yesterday. They were originally
from Pennsy They represent the rebI fs-ces at
one hundred thousand and say they busy construct
ing works 10 the rear OF their present lines They had
no knowledge OF the arrival of JEFF Davis as renorted
Ga Tuesday the rebels came from their rlAe-pis
10 front of Lees Mills killing of pickets. Al or
he dead, about thirty OF them fired their pieces into
his head, completely rddling it with bullets. The f
Ger commanding reserve then ordered bis men 10
charge the rebels, which willingly responded to-
rsulting in several of the enemy being killed one
token prisoner Two men were killed on our side and
two mortaly wounded.
A correspondent of the Washington Star writing
from L" Camp before yorktown, April 3d." says:
| have barely time to write you that everything is
progressing satisfactorily here.
Yru have no id a of the immense labor of the cam.
gn at this point. 1t is however cheerfuly perform
ed day aud night by the whole army as all rest under
the conviction OF lis necessity to insure success aad that
it will so insure it.
Hourly our works approach those ofthe eremy. We
have already constructed we'll within range Of the
rebel forfcat0ns thanks to sbarpshooters, who
unerringly pick their men eff whenever attempting TO
work gun to stop the progress of our earthworks.
so fatal and constant is their fire that the reb lis
to have abandoned the idea Of opposing occupation
0! points from which to make the grand final alta k
The charge OF drunkenness 10 the late Lees Mil en-
gagement uttered against Gen w. F. Smith turns out
TO be entirely unfounded. 1t has been disprored by
many Of the first and most reliable officers in the amy
who were close by him throughout the whole affair
| Ga Monday last there firing between two rebel
| regiments, causing much commoton in Our camps. 1t
continued so long, aud severe that it was mis-
taken at first for regular assault on cur outposts
O0e of their regiments firing into another, which
returned the fire with equal spirit We could distinctly
see them carrying of the dead and wounded
The affair is believed to have been Glutny, and
measures taken to quell it.
The Virgnians now being conscripted-forced into
service at the point OF the bayonet resist far as they
can more especially being drafted and forced into reg-
mens from other States, to fill the latter tn their repec-
tive quotas 1t is supposed the mutiny grew out of
something of the sort.
From the best information we have here, the rebels
.are collecting as large force possible or near
GOrdonsvllle, to the end of sudden movement ell her
on the column Of Gen. Banks by the time that makes
ts appearance at 6taunton, or on that Of Gen Nc
powe if he crosses the Rappahannock at Fredericks-
burg.
They have railroad to both points, you will recol-
lect.
Their situation here is desperate, they know and
doubtless aim to strike such blow before the great
fight here can come off.