Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-05-03
THE SIEGE OF YORKTOWN.

INTERESTING DETAILS.

approach completion. To day, for the first
time, the rebels seem to have become aware
oi the gradual approaches our army is max
ing toward their position, and at intervals
duling both morning and afternoon they have
been vigorously Smelling, or trying 10 shell.
the men who were at work in the advanced
trench which runs along within Il thousand
yards of their line OF forts. Ii was only three
nights ago since the first earth was thrown
up, and before dawn our men had made
very comfortable shelter tor themselves from
the storm OF shell and shot that greeted the
revelation Ut the work to rebel eyes. This
trench runs from York river directly across
an open field to the woods. Behind it-per-
hals hundred rods-stands the old mansion
in which it is sad Washington and Corn
wallis signed the treaty Of surrender There |
is a large lawn in front, fine peach.orchard |
now in full blossom i'll the rear, and to the |
right the view extends over the York River |
and Gloucester Point
Last night a body of regulars quietly ran
zig gag from this first parallel some sixty or
seventy yards nearer the advance, in spite of
heavy firing which the rebels opened upon |
them This morning at about ten o'clock the
rebels opened with great vigor, and for over
an hour kept up very severe fire OF heavy
shells, most of them going beyond the
trenches, striking and bursting in the open
field beyond had, from the top OF a very
| high tree on a conspicuous point, Il splendid
| view Of the whole performance, and could see
! distinctly the discharge of the guns and the
| bursting OF the shells. Our men kept quietly
| at work, and not one who remained IN the
trenches was hurt. Three who strayed into
the open field were killed. One was named
Guernsey, and belonged TO the 44th New York
volunteers the names Of the others | did
not learn.
Ia An hour after the firing ceased I rode with
Gen Buttertied and half a dozen others to the
end OF the work, and then dismounting, walked
along tile trenches and visited the house al
ready referred 10. One tremendous shell had
struck the ground, bounded and passed thrO'
the foundation into the cellar and then up.
ward, through the floor, where it burst, shat
tering the whole establishment by its explo.
sion. Returning toward the trenches, we had,
at point projecting into the river, and par
tally shaded with trees, capital view of
sand bag battery, around which ten or fifteen
rebels were standing, apparently watching the
progress Of our work, but doing nothing to
interrupt it. They apparently discovered us
after time, and began TO train Il field piece
upon our posion,-b we disappointed them
! by retiring into the friendly protection of the
trenches. Our army is in splendid lighting
order, aud has not the slightest thought, under
any circumstances, of turning back.
a WEDNESDAY, A. M.-Eyery thing has bcel
y quiet during the night The rebels fired somt
i Shells but did little damage. A regiment O
S our troops was sent into the peach orchard, il
), advance of our first parallel, 10 clear ava.
is some rebel sharpsho0ters who have infested
p the place, and did it without difficulty or loss
e Within a day or two think the rebels vii
a wake up some mornings and find another para
d lei carried some five hundred feet nearer thei
Il guns.
r. From the New York Evening Post.
% CHEERFULNEsS OF THE SOLDIERS.
= One cannot have been here many day
:, without remarking the universal cheertulncs
i OF the soldiers. They bivouac under the opel
70 10 sky, when night winds are raw and chill, wit
y song ard JEST they march out in blindin
q storms of seet and rain, through swamp
. woods and tangled thickets, crouch under tn
70 enemys batteries in the gloom OF night, G0ln
IL 1-"-y VsSsYs5i 'sstn3 surprising. Uurmg III
re day the noise and hum OF camp are browne
of by the whizzlng OF shells through the all
" which drop in the midst of brigade, Will
III tue men scarcely heed the dangerous sito
m from their rebeous countrymen The en-,
as my appear to have the range OF every brigad
m OF the army here, and at different Intervals
tie oil one and two hours, send their compliment
a. to u.s. Very fen of the shells explode which az
lie counts Tor the rarity Of any casualty happier
st ing in consequence of them.
70 On Monday three large schooners cam
~ down the York river, loaded with flour, whic
D was unloaded at the Yorktown wharf I'll
" wharf was crowded with teams all day, hau
n ing it away-and such teams! We saw
q. Manassas, the morning after the evacuation
"a some fifty or a hundred wagons lett there, an
at thought they had merely left the worst
h. not stylish enough; but the train yesterda
m was even worse---nOt two alike - all oil
e. fashioned country wagons, mules and hors
a. geared side by side, oxen geared to covert
e. wagons, horses, and carts, all driven by n
Ill groes If we could only get glass In
s. would bring up the whole posse as near as GU
II appears to the eye, how convenient ii wou
e be for our sharpshooters
1. On the fort near Yorktown, on Monday,
ie large force OF slaves was at work in budn
,e round turrets to set mOrtars in they are mad
v some lily feet in diameter, and cOnstructe
4. with sand bags. They seemed to have II
20 fear and worked like beavers carving u
"a sand bags from the rear. The bags are whit
y and the turrets will, when done, make Il splei
:: did target. No attempt was made on our pa
" to prevent them from proceeding with the
II operations, although they were continual
ID nrlng their cannon on both sides of the wOrl
Ii. NOVEL INTRODUCTION
10 TUESDAY, April 29.-The rebels have b.
ct gun to show signs of uneasiness at the pr
as gress OF our operations during the last tw
n, days. Our parallels are now in full sight ,
Pr Tile enemy, and at an early hour yesterda
H. morning the heavy guns at Yorktown opene
re hre, but the shells flew harmlesslyIoyer III
Sc heads OF our men, During the first DAVIS el
eS gagement the sharpshooters pressed so closeI
lr upon The rebels in front of their works tha
'e some OF their wounded were taken prisoner,
" one OF them, Mlssissippian, was serions
ne nurt, ana has since remained in the hospila
ne one OF the woGnded sharpshooters occupies
ne COT close ny, and willie Colonel Berlan wa
OF on VISIT to his sharpshooIers, the Mississir
ne pan inquired "it that was Colonel Ber,lau
e. ana when he was informed OF the fact he'll
Ii out his left hand, with the salutatlon "Cnll
lie mel, how do you do shot at you trjce. tw
ce weeks ago to day, as did two hundred and fo,
Id lynne Others in our rifle pits" "Well," re
pied the colonel, ''you a poor shots m
r hleA fetch their mark every time
OF STRONG TEMPTATION.
III During the stay Of the Union army in IN
D. vicinity OF Washington, one of our captain
u, was Killed by rebel soldier, who was goo
III marksman, and well known to our sharns6oo
'd ers, and they determined to have him. s,
g one day, while Oh picket duty, lie was db
10 covered SEulkng along at some distance. an
I'll u was arranged that all our men but one
D; sharpshooter, named Strow, should retreo
Up slowly leaving him concealed behind ire,
10 AS they expected, the rebel marksman follow
IN ca, anu when good opportunity ocourre
70 Hreu upon the retreating force, at the same il
J; slant was shot through the heart by the cor
10 cealed sharpshooter.. This was in the bri.
~ d..