The New York herald., 1862-11-15

~..- N-.ss"'' ,,runp
On the 10th OF Awil an attempt was - 49, Az mic
We hundred nc Tres !snout two hundred ~ .asce OF
rom the CoaiederaN n Satcries, & mnev ,a,5y ya' ,he'
nd the creek WIS then cro1ea ~ some COMPANY ,es of
nd carried fils pis but v e ammm,tn in their car
ouches hadheen wctted ~ es,nc Tho creeE ,hey were
os sappoed and consS gently compelled % retire,
hus hsgnn was Iabtless found TO present unforeseen
for u ans at oaee abandoned
CoHaENCEsEHT sH6uLAR s1HcR.
JAs hsN .peraton like thai Gloucester, not beieg
acbompliCied, nothing remained bat 70 begin
.egnar siege against Yorktown. All this wan
sumey much time and the siege Nself would consume
mu0I more although should be pushed with the great
ostenergy len Thousand aborers were increasingly en-
pbyed cutting through the wocds and forming roads,
srenenes and batteries. u curious spectacle.
straight arm she sea, ringed by thick and strong
entangled with wAes and moss approached In serpeA
tine form " the front Of The attack The first parallel
was made. The wsod which surrounded
mirablo rrotectson. This an Of the covered
with bridges Roads were cut along Its margin in the midst
q tulis, flowers OF Judea and azaleas IN full bloom,
prom this na.nral parallel others formed BY the
hands OF man, and rapidly approached the place.
The deicnders openes terrific nre on those works
that they could see as wei as upon those
which they supposed were IN progress Shells whstled
on every side through tho large trees, cutting down
branches, frghtenins horses but Otherwise doing very
little haym. Nobody cared about H. In the evening,
when oil the aborers returned good order with their
rifles their back and their shovcson their shoulders
edbo hour of tbcs- return We went 70 this cnnonade
az to show and when, On beautiful night spring
time, the troops ssyly marched along 70 this martial
m,sic through the towering woods when the balloon,
win which we made reconnoissances, floating in
the air. we seemed TO be spectators at fe and fer
moment were made 10 forget the mseres Of war.
PROGRESS or 1ss siS61,
The Siege, however, st.l went on. Powerful ar
ti!erH with great difficulty, had been brought mp;
one hundred and even tvo hundred FOUNDER rifed
cannon and thirteen iuch mcrtars were ready TO
batter the place. Fourteen batteries constructed
armed and appointed. II Cur 1re had not been yet
opened, IL was because was designed to open ali our
batteries together along the whole ne and for this
son son we wasa an'' Eo'nas was wanting 20 eope.e az
sire try the two hundred Founders These
pieces handled with iscredblc Four suf
Iced 10 load and aim themx without any difficulty
han in the working Of our cid twenty -four Founders M
distance Of three miles their fire admirably precise
One day Of these pieces had kind OF duel
with riicd piece Of somewhat smaller cabre In posi-
tion the bastions AT Yorktown. The curious
among MS mounted ON the psrapet 70 see
where the missiles might fal, and. while they
communicated their observations 10 another, the
try the lookout would announce when the enemy
about 10 rs in but the distance great that
between the discharge and the arrival OF the proecte
everybody had time descend without any hurry and
TO place himself under tho shelter OF the parapet.
Such, however the precision Of the fire that
sure 10 see the enormous proce passing the very
spot where the group Of observers had been standing but
moment before then h would bound along and tear up
the earth some fifty sixty yards OIL, and ite infam
mable composition would burst with loud explosion,
throwing into the air cloud OF dust as high as the water
jets Of ST. Cload.
YORKTOWN.
These artillery experiments, 20 new and curious in
themselves no, the only interesting features Of the
siege In lSl Yorktown Was besieged by the combined
armies Of France end America, under Washington and
Rochambeau, and these military operations
cued by the celebrated captulat,on which secured the
Independence OF the United States Al every step we
met with traces Of the first siege Here, in that old un
lafayette had established his headquarters here the
French trenches co,nnence6 there encamped the
regiment Of Bourbon and that of Santonge. In some
places there could s be the inrsnchments thrown
o huchaneeal, however,
The rank and almost tropical vegetation OF that
try had rsasserted its empire. Further on we were
shown the house which was occupied by the two com
manders II was behind these same fortcaiions ~ York
town that CORVALLIS and the English 20 long resisted the
assaults OF the allied troops. IL those rappars
that alliance sealed with the blood OF soldiers
which has been asiBed up the present timean
alliance 10 which the United ssIes owed their prosperity
and their greatness Apart from the emotion with which
these far distant memories o national glory thus
discovered apart from The interest with which found
traces o military soenes-some Of the actors which
have known-I asked myself whether. by strange
price OF fate, these raparts should the destruc
iion OF the work Of ISL and whether from the delays OF
the siege OF Yorktown would arise the ruin Of the
great republic aud the overthrow Of the FrenchAmercau
alliance The fate of re JHoa in tie hands Of the
GOD Of b1rtes. No could foresee HIS dcrees; but
NE FaIco AD.ericcn al.onceKhG ALLIANCE hitherto so ia
Iorobc b all generous ideaso,s more dpssirv A,nssn
rfH Certainty TIE struggle tchica took place before Iork
o'ss oirl sdr, snd, 'ohue ,csTs f0hing the
fGrol yop for ae 1ao @ Of c7ltses, nothing could otge
n Face is fe far and near, and the Noyth Americans
oad hare been pleased 10 etr former dlss making
their influence fess on ne side ofJasiice o''d Liberty
CAPTURE of YORKTOWN Cl3T4ix
IL was evideB that with the powerful means at our dis
,osa the capture o. yorktown was hut work OF time
shattered beneath the tremendous fire which about
soldiers. without any other defence than outworks
sud paiisadss, TIE place Aad not eCsa ns chance
was ready for the 1nal bow. Not only "a terrific
mbarsmcn about &c be opened upon the city not only
were the most select troops set TO follow up this
bombardment b. grand assault but the trans
ports only awaited sign push Immediately up the
York river and 10 land irankims troops at the upper
part Of the stream, on the line Of retreat Of the
army part OF these troops
main on board the transports. They would have taken
bat tew hours 20 traverse by water the distance
would have taken the enemys army two days W
march by and. Driven from the lines OF Yorktown by
powerful attack pursued sword in hand Intercepted on
the by ftesh troops tna ny would have been In
most critical position and the icderas would have ob.
tanned wi they SO much desircd-an astonishing mill.
taTy Success
DvsrRsx TERMINATING rHs WAR
There lot only desires TO terminate the strife
consequences OF the serious rsss with which the campaign
to be prolonged political insrests por
hape even more pressing than military interests vic
tory decisive victory, could alone insure the reostao
shaent o the Upon, that wish ardently desired by
ar patriotic Americans. when placed beyone the pas
Of parties aud the greatness and Of
tesr country hull ey hnmiliatnr u the
bad Cor time closed The door Az chanoe
ei an arrangement As soon a. the lawful government OF
the country could enforce retaliation by force Of arns II
world become possible " open negotiations and "
css5Nh, by common accord the traernal bond OF tbe
Onion t0 this reSsco Il was necessary 70 hasten its
and enbittered; interest, persona: ambition aud
foreign intrigue were being actively nterpsed between
Tie two camfs and every Gay rendered the Of
noncation more difcut great success OF ne federal
Army before Yorktown therefore OF vital mportanc
10 the goye{pment at Washington Unfortunately, the
rosieTatelcaders and generals Of ee opinion
,ud able and resolne men, they took the beS
" render y impossible.
svACUATos YORKTOWN.
Between the nights sf the sd and 4th S MY Yorktown
md the lines Of the Warwick river evacuated This
must have comnenced severH days before
Assrfa. "A. aL~fw
)u the Sd the hrc OF the enemys batteries redsubed
q severity. Shells thrown from rihed cannon Few
round all sides with range which supposed
hey could attain The precision Of their Are compelled TIE
OF all the signal posts which had been
bshed the tops Of high frees The balloon itself
sppearedn the air TO make its customary oh
ervaions, was sauted with shower of procctilcs,
shish however, did no harm. All this done with
he dssgu q masking their retreat and succeeded per
ssily
Early on the morning OF the 4th the soldiers In the ride
N on the advanced p0sis did not see anything before
bem, whcreupen some or them cautiously advanced
be onemys lines The silence OF death prevailed Very