Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-04-16
Onr Army at Yorktown.
Correspondence of the Philadelphia Inc

NEAR Yorktown. April Ito day the sun
shines ont In al It's bTilIiancy, after being hid
from sight for four DAYS This morning there Yves
very heavy frost, and the soldiers felt the cold
night air severely, especially those on picket
duty. AS yet the roads are almost impossible,
although teams get through with food for the SOL
dieIs and fodder for the cattle All the fences In
the vicinity Of the camp have disappeared az II
by magic, and the sound o; the wosdman's axe
can be heard ech0iug through the forests, acting
In concert with the occasional! booming of the
enemys mortarsa and the riffs shots of our picket,
boy by the name of kellS, belon ing to the
Eth Michigan Reg iment, picked of a X. bel OH
Ger who was Standing in the esrthworks. The
distance was at least one half mile.
Fort Grafton was thrown up by the rebels some
six months ago, and garriIone1 by a company
calling themselves the Albemarle Artillery. This
fort, and an unfinished one about once uafter Of
mile below II, was b iilt to defend the river road
They were intended as the OUTSIDE Notifications
Of Yorktown, but were deserted some SIX w eks
ago.
Abont one half mile to the west of Fort Grafton
is deserted camp of log houses. This camp
during the winter, was occupied by the SD Vir.
ginia regiment Colonel Montague. TIE houses
are well built-the chinks filed with mud, and
In some instances mortar. The FIRE places are Of
brick. la fact, the camp bore the resemblance of
a Western city. II must have taken considerable
time and tro1ble to have built IL. The streets are
laid out at right angles
Outside the camp are extensive stables, erected
to shield the mules, team horses, &c, from the
weather. Two OF the houses have been on fire,
from appearances.
At present, the camp Is used az hospital The
enemy only left some three weeks ago.
General Magruder's reasons for leaving this part
OF the country were, that after every shower of
rain the roads became almost impossible, and IL
was almost all impossibility to supply tine troops
with ratiOns and the horses with forage And
again, several stated that Magruder wanted TO get
us away from the gunbo-ts, so as 10 entangle the
UnionistS within his line Of fort fic atoms He
has deserted all his Notifications from Great
Bethel, Howard's Mills, Fort Grafton, &c, to
orktown. All tie Notifications the enemy have
I left are immense.
1 The inhabitants OF the Peninsula, from the set.
l tieInent OF The coun.ry-some 300 years ago-up
| TO within few years, lived in old log houses. A
Baitimorean erected a saw mill, and since then
1 twO-storied houses have been built. The men
generally. are Of the long, gaunt stature and speak
l a language something similar to the lingo used by
the negroes. The women are not very attractive
| Most Of them " rub snuffn Their garb is Of the
| commonest sort. IL these are the nrst families,
| where are the seccrd' They all resemble what
| the negroes call ' poor white trash" .-0"
The roads through the woods were mere Birdie
paths until our teams cut them through. Now
| they are mud puddIes. A shower of rain sets the
| roads ahoat-a day Of ,unshine mikes them dusty.
The chief food used by tbs people 10 corn dod-
gers and bacon, and occasionally a few dried
apples. Chickens and eggs there are, but lin.
| tied supply can only be obtained.
soRT1E OF The ENEMY
| APRIL l1-44 O'Clock p. MAT this hour heavy
| ming from The enemy commenced, both on the
right and left Of the Ines. Our artillery soon
| limbered up and took an advanced position,
| Five regiments Of the enemy came on(1ide of
| their lines and advanced on our picket lines
| division advances somewhat en- the left and
| draws up in the line Of battle. The enemy send
a shot clean over this line; firing from the heavy
guns of the enemy inc reases shell burst all round
story-ard half white washed brick In the cenfe,
| Of open space near the Yorktown road. At this
point there 10 an open space giving the Unionists
| grand view Of the vastness OF the enemy,s
| works.
| The picke,s on the right kept up continued
| popping.
| O'CLOCK z. M.-Another shell clean over the
| line Of battle, humping the earth with a tkue.
Some Of these shell come from an ll-inch mortar.
| Their fuses are very bad, seldom bursting the
shell Heavy picket firing continues on the tight.
i The enemy appeared In force. General -
firing Union pickets, who were driven In by
| masses Of the enemy.
| large she'll passed over the heads OF the com.
manding officers and their stats. A vssy good
line shot from the enemy, but rather too tiose TO
the Unionists for comfort
The enemy seemed as though they wished to
get 10 the LEFT. General moved up with his
brigade, and maintained his position with ease,
/ the enemy all the while sending shell and round
| shot, with little no effect. The enemy reaches
building on the left, and set fire to II, causing
dense smoke.
| NMINuTEs PAST o'CLocK.-The enemy retire
to their works, being fully convinced that thew
could do nothing with the Union troops in the
/ open Held. Our troops went into the action at a
double quick-each and every one anxious TO
| meet the enemy face TO face.
| The Fifth were pici e,ed in the advance of
| GENERAL IS Division. fhey dug rife pits
and from these kept the enemy from using AZ,
pound rfed gun, throwing an elongated shell
| Of "a pounds.
| The Rebels kept up the are Of she'll from their
batteries until night set in, the shooters
| answering shot for shot
| Great activity in displayed In getting ready for
| the grand fight.
APRIL II, IL O'Clock All quiet, not even
| picket gun heard. The enemy got enough yes-
terday 70 last day or two. They had a large
number killed and wounded, and LEFT some or
them out all night.
ID We are indebted TO J shillington, odeon
Building, for an early copy Of Godey's Lsdy,s
Book, for May.