The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-05-03

u :.
!. in which case oil the Forts on the Hiesissipp
and Memphis, would speedily fall into our hand
The Army Before Yorktown
THE RORTIRIOATuONS AND RORCI
I4l,s8s E OF THE ENEMY. ~ la
Correspondence Of the N. Y. Evening Post.I g
g.s.s In CAMP NEAR YoRKTowH, VAT
80 April %, 1862. a.
A visit to the extreme left of our lines on th
hores of the James river yesterday put me il
possession of some facts concerning tie forti6
cations of the enemy. Commencing upon tn
| shore of York river, opposite Gloucester Point
the rebel earthworks extend down the river 70
distance Of nearly half mile; then, turning
| at right angles, extend another half mile ant
connect with Q new line of works in the rear
Another line, nearly straight, extends in Z
southwesterly direction across the Peninsula I,
James river After leaving the principal wort
at Yorktown, which is mounted with nearly ont
hundred heavy guns, the rebel line is principal
" composed of simple breastworks, which bsv,
been thrown up to q height of four or Eve feet
and armed with pieces Of small calibre.
For the first half mile, there are several heavy
pieces, and for the next half mile none at all
the works being protected by rifle pits and bod
les of infantry, with low, swampy land outside
which will prevent approach. Afterwards the
works, guns, and rife pits occur at intervals
When within three miles Of James River, the
works are dug along the bank of creek, across
which the rebels have constructed dams, raising
d 'nds of various depths and widths, with earth.
the mouth oftha c,esL the -arIs .rs somar,h.,
stronoa, .nd a~tand ~, ,he, ,;no. shn.. A..
t.noa Np '"''' VIC
- nm, ,,n,, ,o,,,
-.
vi course our aorce occupies tne ehtire line,
s..l Iua meets 'ns enemy Iace 70 race IN ireqnent
na". .sn;. ane 'eoeis are IN 'orce AZ an poln.a
suns =. .."s' INV tner power "
an time on short notice They also have . ann.
ply of movable artillery, which they transfer
rapidly from one point to another. as occasion
requires. Their principal force of men and guns
occupies point Just outside of their heaviest
works, and, from the increase in the number of
tents and the camp fires, it is Judged that heavy
reinforcements must have been received during
the past week. do not, however, share in the
belief that. there is any thing like hundred
thousand men in the vicinity. doubt even
whether they have half that number
In artillery the enemy must be deficient, for
their guns are scarcely half as many as ours. At
q,
a skirmish has occurred, this supposed deficiency
in artillery and the superiority of our numbers,
as we'll as the courage of our men, give us de.
cided advantage. Our sharpsbooters follow the
retr eating foe up to the very edge of the works
and maintain the position, picking off their gun
ners at every attempt to load or fire heir pieces.
In this way the slaughter of the rebels has been
terrible, for there is no disputing the fact when
men are plainly seen to tumble over at their
posts. The aim of our riHemen has been uner-
ring The rebels are probably deficient in sharp.
shooters, as our gunners continue their work
unmolested; not one Of them having been killed
by rife ball as yet, although their daring con-
duct has exposed them to the severest fire.
FLAGS OF rRucE-wHAr TIE REBELS SAY
Flaps of truce from the enemy have baen 70.
ceiyed within our lines and dnrino the inter.
course of our men with the rebels yarious mat.
ters were talked of. One of the rebels, an Irish.
man. incurred if there were anv Irishmen in our
ranks. and said he wanted to get over tn ns but
could Get no chance to do so. Several eYnressed
their hatred of the war. and said thev wished Il
vas over While such ramarLs uaro m 40 in -
csnt;nns manner others eXnresssd n,sl;onnn.
hatred of the ITn;on case and of IIn;on troon.
Tho a,eoter nsr,~ ,breo hmndrod ~ Las, p,, sno,
nosr eba;, va,Ls uaro naarnas tn, roIa,, IA
anne f;ftv dcad hode. ~ taLe ..ra of ,nan, oc
whom ws,e also nagroes
Tho Aso or ,rmce ovor orr o,,s .,a, sh.
sboo,ars aos;n onanad and mt . rehoI nod ,.a.,
afta,wardo y;s;hie A. The t;na a norol L;nd &c
weanon Was brought into service T. CONSISTS Of ~
! large sized r;An With ! homer ana m.cb;nsrv
at the treacb which loads ana fres hv tnru;n1
4 crank one hundred and seventy times in . Ger
seconds In fact it is one continuous discharge
The balls flew thick and fast. and the Yankee
There are some half dozen of these guns in the
division on trial, and, if we may believe our eyes
while watching the effect, they are entitled to
consideration.
a NIGHT ATTACKS
During the night. and under cover of heavy
rain which had set in. the rebels began a slipht
skirmish which resulted in nothing hut a waste
Of ammunition on their aide The frat ind;ca.
ton was signal resembling the hoot of an owl
from a whistle in the hands Of their n;ckets fol.
lowed by rocket and a Simultaneous discharge
as if from force of several regiments. and con.
tinuing some minutes. 81
In returning from the visit to our left we took
the road whicn leads from Yorktown to w ar wick
and follows in close proximity to the rebel works,
in many instances quite near, and in full view
across the open field. But for the greater part
of the way the road crosses through dense for.
est In fact, two-thirds Of the country in the
centre of the Peninsula is forest, broken here
and there by small plantation, now deserted.
At intervals along the road our batteries we're in
actiVc play upon the repels, receiving, however,
OUT 1eeoie response, ss II they were waiting Tor
our nearer approach or were snort OIL ammuni'
.on. iney ev,oen''y ho'd US IN supreme con-
'emp!, alsnougn Iney may nave different I'M
press'oh Dy anu ny.
Aa7 PROSPECTS,.
1t is a matter of considerable speculation why
they should suffer works to have been thrown
up right under their eyes, and why they main
tain such prolonged silence. At q few points
they replied sharply for few minutes, and then
abandoned it. At no point have we allowed
them to construct a new fortifcation, and have
even grown saucy and overbearipg in our treat
ment of the rascals We have crowded them
up until they cannot work their guns, and taunt-
ed them in every possible manner.
= While We can give no indications Of what our
preparations are, it is sufficient to say that those
OF us here on the grounds, and in close daily
observation OF the works, are surprised both at
the developments OF Gen. McClellan's and Gen.
+. J. Porter's ingenuity and skill in taking ad-
vantage OF natural positions, and the rapidity