The New York herald., 1862-04-22

madder than any critic has thought Of making him
The shell woke Just got in the middle Of my only
nap II this not impudenee, what isn
This morning it showed quito Justify for awhile An
idea OF tho temperature of the night for wintry
cold and many soldier suffered in snce may be
gathered from this fact Az write now the middle
OK the afternoon, the clouds clearing away spring
ike warmth porvades tine atmosphere and the eyes Of
soldiers who have been soaking the rain shverina
IN the cod Tor the past three days beam with delight al
the promised change in the weather The prevailing i'm
preston is that good generals every hing army
After seeing tho depressing eectof the past three days.
storm, am inclined to believe that good weather 10
everything, too While upon the subject oi
the weather. cannot help alluding to a fact.
which, in its connection with it a seeming
bright augury OF brilliant success to our army in
tho future AS the news reached US OF the taking OF
Island No TO- and the defeat Of Gen Beauregard by Gen
Grant, 1t was impaired to the regiments from no less
broke away and the looked down smingly upon u.s.
carrying cheerfuness and hope in its bright beams The
coincidence to say the least furnishes theme poet
might spurge lofty about. state the simple fact
In my camp peregrnatons to-day came across an in
dividua who lives at Cockletown, and until recently
Kept store there. He was in Yorktown the morn
ing OF the day our army reached hore. AT that
time there wore fully $4,000 troops there. 10
Was expected, and had been for some time. tnat
our army would attempt 70 take tho place; but il
advent in this direction not looked fer Tha
military man hs had not noticed the fort ordinations per
ticnlary or their pieces extent and strsngth 7hs
whn ssizsd nu1to coent the number Of guns gusIdhs
tbs river ana he found they just twenty and ~
very large General Magruder he understood, was in
command Beyond this fact and that more troops is
emergency would bc sent on from RchWond, and that
they would fight with the desperation Of tigers he only
knew that the town was full Of soldiers, shabbly
music and worse rioting Tho statement, as far as 10
goes a. will be sesn corroboates the statements OF de-
About nine O'Clock this evening two signal rockets
were thrown up behind the enemy's wOrks-the first
showed red lights, the second blue
large unfinished dwelling house, about mile
back of division hospital, was appropriated TO.
day as surgical hospital for this corps. 1t will
be supplied at once with the needed requisites
such establishment. Aside from this and the large
hospital given TO wounded soldiers there are two
other division hospitals in this corps They about
two hundred patients Tho best attendance prevails at
each hospital Our wounded men rapidly improving.
The rebel deserter who was shot through the lung will
get WELL The young man Of the Rhode Island battery,
who struck dumb from shell grazing him, Is
erng his voice. He able to whisper. This case In
medical point Of view, is most novel and Interesting
There has been cannonading oday. Some sho.s
were exchanged between tho opposing skrmishers bus
~ far as known no one was killed.
MA In FRONT OF YORKTOWN April Is, 1862
Camp Life in Eonsof Yorktown NidnigM Aaack-Salsss
NsNN By Moonlight, dc. AN
The usual routine Of duty the neld varied in this
place by occasional adventure OF rather romantia
The other night men lay under their tar
geant came round and awoke U.S. saying that
qured to get up and harness instantly. few minutes
every was At his post and, under the eommaaA a
excellent and accomplished officer Lieutenant Kin-
bury, we started away ON some unknown ex-
petition. Ths- moon shone brightly; the stars
shed their benign influence from the skies, Wills
hero and there the tented field the lonely sentn
could be Pac9s his rounds absorbed doubt IN tAs
solitude OF his own reflections Earth, air and sly wsss
STILL An this in singular contrast to the character
OF the expedition in which engaged. The day
previous Of engineer ocsru had noticed thaes
large body Of hs rebels coagrsgated 1t poine
about mile the eft OF position The distance q
this point from the brow Of hill nearly opposite
found to be 800 yards and with this data 10 60 upsa.
resolved to crafty our friends Of the South With
midnight surprise "Firs four with psroussia
shell at them from each OF the was the command
from our immediate superior, ''and then retire."
On reaching station, near the remains Of an old
fence, now entirely removed, we noticed column q
SHs se or
little the right OF the smoke. and give the pece
an elevation OF four degrees, or little more" In
few seconds were "in battery" and each pieos
loaded All this performed In the nosslsss
manner for in the dead dry sands Of this region the
distance Of thirty rods. Snow, fire." was the next
command Of Lieutenant Kingsbury. Sergeant Doyle's
iralones and all tho others followed in quick success
sion. The cfest was startng-nay, almost sublime Al
each missile reached its destination 1t instantly
poded, scattering death and destruction around II in
every direction Some OF them appeared 70
strike the trunks OF the trees by which the
place was surrounded; for thought we could
distinguish their naked by tho glare Of the she'll
while bursting and then all dark. One OF
even asserted could the pckets Of the enemy
running away in every direction; but far that 10
concerned must honestly confess that his eyes were
sharper than mine, for saw nothing OF the kind; but
then must always make decent allowance for good
naturcd exaggeration. However, IL Is hardly possible
that all of the enemy should have escaped for their posi-
ton and the range vi guns were well known. At any
they extugushed their light almost immediately
after our first shot
Today good deal Of firing is going on, principally 70
the left Of position but with what object not ex
acty known in this camp. Our battery Is out almoss
daily, and, did unfortunately lose some OF our guns
Bull run, are determined II possible TO retrieve our
lost honors in the coming battle. One or our men,
Sergeant MurThy-has been in every engagement in the
vicinity OF Washington the breaking out Of this
o is currently reported be the crack shot Of divi
on back the rebels with shell whom they
attempted to cross the Potomac at Edwards Ferry in
June last killing twenty five or thirty OF them.
Murphy Irishman, native Of the county Tipperary,
and whs pretty fair sort of fellow at least as the
world goes - .
In FRONT YORKTOWN, Va, April IL, 1882.
slirrnishing Along Tie Line-7As CasuonesCdre Of As
Wounded, dc.
Yesterday and last night were exciting, 10 say tho
least the regiments Of OF our divisions Tho con-
tnued cannonadng heard our left gave assurance OF
some vigorous work. which all were eagcr 10 partci-
nate All the batteries OF the division were placed in
front and regiments kept in waiting to be on hand for
any emergency They did not have occasion. however,
10 lire single shot neither they fired upon by the
enemy.
During the day the firing from our gunboats in York
river continued the past three days. the shots
heretofore being directed towards the enemy's in.
trenchrnents being built across the river The enemy
responded from behind their intrenchments their
left but none their shots took effect II Is not known,
of course what the result OF the gunboat firing bat
he mischief must have considerable most OF the
shells exploded inside Of their works.
New York regiment, who wero on picket on our ex-
treme right six o'clock were entertained by sorno
rebel visitors in style not exactly Chester
feldian A section OF artillery, two regiments of
Infantry and two squadrons of cavalry came
ont In front Of their works. From the guns an nccssant
airing OF canister and sho kept up for half hour
Our lay low cool and still not yenturng TO shoot.
AZ their orders were not to fire except hoty pressed.
the shots either fell short or passed over the
iniir q una lie rahA int ntrN