Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-04-23

~. ,he lmmense number Of troops mat
,,r.. ~ concentrated there, and the formidao'e
u,eparatIons that have been made Tor ATTACK W
~. .laa and for defense on the other all eyes
are tu.ned upon Yorktown, ss they we've "nen
Il vas invested In l7sl by the combined frencn
and American forces before the surrender q
the B,itish army under Lord coRnwALLis'
Ia that dA, q was called Old yorktown, iO'
awaa settled in l7O5. II was once flourish
Ing village, but lie now said to contain on'y
.h,u, lo,t, bouses. Il ls the capital OF YORK
eounty, Virginia, and is situated on 'ne r'en'
hank Of York river, eleven miles from I've
mouth. sis seventy miles southeastern rom
Richmond. N, ~ :,
York county Is situated at the entrance %
Yotk river into Chesapeake Bay, which 'ose'1'
., firm the northeastern boundary.
YORK river is formed BY the junction OF sne
Pamnpky and, MsttapOny rivera Of the sou'n-
..st.,n extremity Of King William county
y,rriDis, Il aows in sOutheasterly direction
ana f.lla into the Chesapeake, nearly opposite
Cane Cbarles. Its length from the Junction 70
n, mouth is about forty miles. IL divides me
ooun,Ie, of New Kent, James City and YORK,
an the right, from thOee Of King oaeen sno
elouoes,er ON the left. 1t is three miles wide
!. Ia mouth, and very broad through its whole
course, resembling more an arm Of the sea 'nan
Q river
e,ouces,er is small village In Gloucester
county, Immediately OppOsite YOlksoWni In the
hand Of the river. This bend causes the river
"a be much narrower at THE point than is DE-
Low, or for a long distance above. rhe snO'0
ouposlte Yorktown 10 sometimes called eiou'
oss,er Point. Il vas to this shore that CohN
vAL.is attempted to transport his troops, In or
der that they might make their way through
Msrylsad 70 Philadelphia. Bot the plan was
d.fe.,sd bv violent storm and the vigilance oil
tbe French and American commanders
The peninsula between the York and James
r;v.,s ineludes The counties Of York, New
Kent, James City and Warwick williams
burx, the oldest incorporated town In VrginiA'
and the former capital Of the State, Is the coun-
,y seat Of James City, and is famous in historic
ASSOCIATIONS. II Is sixty miles easterly nom
Riehmond, and is absut eqni-distantl from tne
York and James rivers, being six miles from
each The county Of James City Is bounded
ON the northeast BY the York river, on the
south by the James, and on the west Dy tn'
chickakOminy river. Warwick county the
cspi,al Of which Ia Warwick, is situated on the
peniusuIA between Chesapeake Bay and the
mouth OF James river, the latter being on ID
western border. The town of Warwick is said
to be the headquarters Of one Of the rebel Gen.
ersls. '-
Tie peninsula between the York and James
rivsrs has been, since the hrst settlement oil the
country, the theatre Of important events and'
especially. since the commencement OF the
ptsssnt war. But most of our readers are
doubtless familiar With those, as well as with
the important places on the peninsula and In its
immediate vicinity, which the war has brought
into prominence. In fact. the whole OF that
portion Of Eastern Virginia is becoming one
great area Of camps and battle fields, of which
yorktown may be considered the focus. There
We look for decisive blow to be struck--a
blow that shall rssOund through the continent
and through the world, as did that which was
at,uck at the aame place eighty years ago.