The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-06-29
Correspondence Of the Philadelphia Press.
The War correspondent of the Press,
at Camp Lincoln, before Richmond, gives
some items Of interests
A SIGHT FROM TIN BALLOON.

mites VI hlChhohu' ~ was IN the air
during the whole day, and in the few
hours it assembled, some thirty or forty
army officers observed the position Of the
enemy's troops from the elevated point Of
view IL afforded. The balloon is held 10
the ground by a strong cord a thousand
feet in length, and of course ascends to
that distance above the earth. A pulley
and tackle arrangement, worked by men
below, is the power used TO pull il down,
aud, being strongly fastened to the earth,
there is but very little danger Of the ma
chimes escape. The Colonel and his as
sisiants very seldom ascend, officers and
others, with authority for the ascension,
being sent up by twos and threes at
time, and, after a few minutes stay
hauled down.
When the balloon has assembled at this
point TO the end Of its tether, a grand
view of both armies is unfolded Within
q circle Of two miles in radius the sight
is very perfect; beyond that the angle Of
vision becomes 80 nearly horizontal that
woods, houses and hills materially inter-
fere with the view. The landscape has
three marked objects upon it, which are
the first to strike the eye. The Chicka-
hominy, almost beneath ones feet bor-
dered by its daTS-green swamps, runs like
a thread from where il rises on the hori-
zOn, away of to the north west to where
it blends with woods and hills in the
| south east, The James river in front,
though distant, runs in a deep. crooked
valley, and bears on its bosom hundreds
of craft that in the distance, looks like
white specks upon the blue waters -
Richmond, covering a large portion of the
western horizon, is, however, the princi-
pal sight Itaappears TO the balloonist
as a confused medley of red, white, and
black, and heavy brown Notifications
stretching from the right TO the left, with
thick walls, and plentifully sprtnkled
with cannon, surround it on all Sides
The Capitol Square can scarcely be dis
corned, being too thickly surrounded by
buildings.
The white Capitol, however, is quite
conspicuous, and, of course the stars and
bars flow over the roof. Three church
spires seemingly all in one spot, are the
! brightest part Of the town, and catch the
eye almost before the observer is aware
he is looking at Richmond But li;tle
else, however, can be distinguished, al
though, for a general view of the town,
nothing could be better than that from
the balloon. The space between the
Chickahominy and the Notifications
around Richmond is almost filed with
rebel camps. A thousand cavalry horses
were picketed in one field, and others
were plentifully sprinkled all about.
Wedge tents, used by the officers, and
little dog tents by the men, shone in
every direction as the suns rays struck
them. Entertainments and rifle pits lin
ed the front of their position, though
very few guns were mounted. Several
guns Of heavy calibre are sprinkled along
these earthwOrks. Rebel camps, however,
are the most prominent of all the sights.
They show in every direction, and the
southern and western horizon seems TO
be their only boundary.
OF our own position, as seen from the
balloon, / must be silent. One thing,
however, in the whole view is most re-
markable. Right through the centre of
the picture runs curved belt of dark
green and yellow about a mile wide Not
n man, gun, tent or wagon appears upon
it. II is the line between the two armies
Over il, cannon balls are thrown, and on
its surface scouts and pickets hide from
{ each other, but no military sign is 10 De
seen upon it. Everywhere else, stretch
ing as far as the eye can roach, are the
] thousand and one things incident TO war
+ but this broad, quiet, deserted belt oil
land, so lonely, 50 sombre, varying only
as it is swamp, or field, or stream, lies
! there 50 still that il almost inspires the
beholder. Jupiter's rings on Saturn S
bells never wore trander sight than this
belt of land on which nothing like tent
or gun appears.
HOWELL CoBB ON THEREBELLIoN
On one or two occasions, recently, flags
of truce have been borne iuto and from
the enemy for the transaction of some
. minor matters relating TO prisoners anC
clothing. At one Of these meeting,
Brigadier General Howell Cobb wat
present, pOrtly, pompOus and communi
cative as ever. In course of the oOnVer,
sation General Cobb said that, when thii
war first broke out its main support a
the South was derived from certain
class, but that the pride Of the Soutl
;, had been excited, and that fear Of en-
croachment upon the real rights of thu
people, and fear of subjugation had mad
the South a perfect unit He said Their
d was now no division in the public sen
timent that with them it was a war 70
10 independence or onHihilq5op, and if thel
/. could not secure the one they would suf
Il fer the other. He said that the COnfed
crate Government had entirely ceased 4
hope for foreign Intervention that the
did not expect il whatever; and place.
no reliance upon it they hope
soon 10 be masters Of their own situation
aud to be able TO dictate their own term
= TO other Governments. lie said that hi
brother and himself had heretofore cul
tivated cotton estates lying contiguOu
60 each other, and had realized froI
them an annual income of sixty thOusan
r. dollars, but that they had not planted
10 cotton seed this year; their lands Wer
sown with grain and that they wer
raising all they could 10 cat, and thE
this was generally the case with I'll
planters OF the South. Very little col
ton was being raised. His most impol
''' tant statement related 90 the disposition
!. Of the rebel army Gen. Cobb said tina
for himself he was entirely opposed
making a stand at Richmond lie though
b. the city should be abandoned, and u
entire army Withdrawn, protracting n
" campaign, without loss on their sid
through the summer and fall; but he ha
been oyerruled by his superior officer
and that they should defend the city
their utmost ability. Such was their d.
termination, and we could only emit
Richmond by passing through seas
blood. Gen. Cobb made some very al