New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-04-10

Notwithstanding my India-rubber overcoat. Then
rode to an adjseen, house put my horse into stable
partly occupedby soldiers, and entered the tenement
full also. Perhsps q score Of Uncle Sans boys
volunteers from New. Hampshire, Maine and New
York regiments, damp enough, snd surrounding st
respectful distance tho mistress Of the mansion, q
gsnnt, elderly woman, who knitted querulously.
Beside her was . white child, and . sstternly
negro girl, Of the Topsy order all whiie-eyed aston
sbmen, at the Eruption Of the devastating Yankees
into the premises. Only few sticks were smolder'
ing on tho hearth the courtesy or shyness Of the
soldiers bad prevented the request for more. made
il, offering payment and obtained them.
The woman professed limited Union sympathes-
Of course. Her husband was a preacher and q
farmer. "Our people"-ths Rebels-had drafted
him. her SOD, boy Of twelve, had gons to some
place Of safety, only baby remained. inquired
il we Yankees had proved tho depredators supposed
and if we had pillaged or inflicted ipjtry upon the
country folks. Keeping wary eye on the closed
door Of her " hennery," through side window, she
replied, No sho couldn't say they had" and pres
emily she started up in alarm, with cry that the
soldiers were trying the door, and have no doubt
they were.
She possessed sundry specimens Of Confederate
shnpasiers and chung fotdy to the hope that they'd
be worth something soue time. ! read upon ono Of
them the words, After the acknowledgment Of tie
Confederate States by the United States" and de-
cded that the day after never might have ex.
pressed the equivalent Of the date.
Onward again" forward TO Richmond" through
roads rendered horribly muddy by the rain-stor
which has just oyorblown itse6, by fields that are
mere quagInires or jungles Of rotting cons,alks,
along the open, through forest, thicket, stream
lie. and meadow-onwsrdI Bayonets, Flooding and
plasbing men, mules tugging at wagons and anlbu-
lsnces, body mred' in the intolersble road, cattle
for somo of ne take with beeyes train al
ter train Of srtlerya martial procession that seems
TO have no end anc no beginnng-such is tie aspect
o. the march 10 Yorktown. Gems. Mcclellan, Heiu;z-
Gilman. Porter, Hooker, and Hamilton are ahead,
and the booming " cannon tells us the attack la,
commenced.
THE FIRST DAYS FIGHT.
How shall describe the memorable hours that fol-
lowed until tired out SICK ana sad at heart, st the
sounds and sights of human agony presented by the
rooms beneath IL have ssid l slept in house occu-
pied az a hospital, and with al awed CONSEQUENCES
of the horrors involved in war, that found its only
fitting expression in ervept, involuntary prayer to
Almighty God that this one might be brief, very
brief-I retired to the sleep that of fatigue and
exhaustion. Then the boom Of cannon made the
easements rattle and the glare OF some distant con-
facra,on on the left lent al additional terror 10 the
dreary landscape. Now the sun 10 shining on as
beautiful "a Sunday as ever invited man abroad to
bless the Creator for existence, and my tack is TO
parrats tho first days dougs Of the attack on York
town.
An on-looker, Il mile or two behind the action
saw nothing but camps, marching men, distant
woods, rising grounds, and puiis Of smoke heard
nothing but the firing Of target rifles and the report
of cannon. What have since gathered is neoes-
srily imperfect; Gil accounts 1t this time Of writing
must be go.
The day, then, was devoted to sharI-ahooting and
artillery practice on both sides. TIE accompanying
plan, for which am indebted TO Lieut. w. Enen-
dorf of Col. Berdan's lst Regimen. will enable Won
TO understand the localities.
The Rebel entrenchments, il will be seen, extend
in the sbapo OF semcircle from York toward James
River They We high sar.bwOIks, mounted with