The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-07-12

l.
oeen lndustrious!y trying to ascertain the situa.
non learn that % miles of wagon trains
were moving last night, and that not a single
disaster occurred to them. The entire siere
train' one only Of the heavy guns excepted, ia
brought safely of. The rear guard hold wife
Oak Swamp, with prospect of teamwork TO- day.
A word as to the destruction Of stores during
the last two days. .
Porter's entire train was brought over the
Chickshominy before the battle of Friday.
oence nothing was lost there. At Ssvsge's.
when that place was abandoned, l,7Oo cubic
feet OF ammunition, and immense heaps of
quartermaster's and suffers stores, officers
baggage and soldiers knapsacks, were DESTROYED,
ana at every halting place since, the faggot has
oeen busy with whatever could be transported
no further. l can form no estimate of the an.
tire value, but it is immense. One thing is Ger.
tain, but little has fallen into the enemys hands
close to ride back to the resr-nov our
front. G. AP
The Change of Base-A Night Nareh 7zro,oh
the Voods-ll6 Regiments March out of Rich
mond
Correspondence o. the N. Y Tribune
HAxALLs, ON JAMES R1vER,1
Monday, June SO-S P. NJ.
keyess corps marched through the White
Oak Swamp, by the bridge of that name. Peck's
vision arrived at the Twin Oaks farm house at
sunset. Struggling began to manifest its evil
omen from the moment the command "Forward"
was given at the Seven Pines.
We spread our blankets not With cheerfuness
on Saturday night. The change of our army's
base is an exceedingly delicate operation, whose
success must necessarily depend on celebrity.
Why was this division ordered to halt here?
We can march by night as we'll as by dsy-aye,
and better. Why do we halt?
Sunday morning came, and soon brought With
it q strange stampede Of hundreds of mule teams
with their wagons attached, parked in the furth-
er side of vast wheat field. The terror that
inpelled the mass into frsntic motion was elec.
trio from one end of the lire to the other. At
the same instant, and with the square front of
cavalry brigade, these obstinate animals, coupled
by SKIES, charged forward, scattering drivers,
soldiers, and officers. The thunder of the wagons
and the cries of the teamsters, misunderstood
by the camped soldiers in advance of the scene,
shook the nerves of the timid, and it was but a
moment before the demoralzing cry of The
Rebels are coming" thrilled through the regi-
ments. Had list of the names of the officers
who ran under its whipping and spurring, GER
tsinly would publish it.
Musketry firing and the near report Of can
non, about 81 o'clock of Sunday forenoon Sad
dies went on to excited horses in double quick.
The sounds ceased with the thorough excitation
Of the troops within hearing Of it. North
Carolina regiment, coming iu, unconscious of
our presence, from side road to the line of our
advance, was fred upon and charged upon be-
fore it could get out Of the way. One Of the
Ruffians Of North Carolina was among the 23
prisoners brought in-the Major of the regiment
shot through the lungs, and the hand of death
upon his brow % he was carried to heaCQuar.
ters.
The hours of suspense and of torment 20 by
and the order to march does not come l. is
the continuous gate like swing from right to left
which shall make this change of base successful
Why do are not march, Four o'clock. Hurrah {!
An orderly, dismounting from horse whose
fanks heave with the haste with which he has
been ridden, brings message to Gen. Peck to
the effect that his division will march precisely
at p.x. kissed my steed as tightened his
saddle girth. But was there ever punctuslity in
the movement of an army? At six, the column
of Abercrombie having filed passt, We came
out from the shade Of the Twin Oaks, and went
into the shade of the forest. A guide led u.s.
We we're to march by . side road toward the
Turkey Bottom Bridge. The distance to the
base upon James river, which we sought to es-
tablish, was reckoned, upon our imperfect maps,
to be only eight miles
We brought up the rear of the column. It's
head was miles away from us. The path was an
| ancient road for planters use, overhung with
trees, and cut deep by time and rains. Darkness
came soon within it's shades, and from the mo-
ment that it grew dark, the immense line of
| wagons and troops began to catch, and hitch,
and halt. A night march Of our army, through
forest was a new experience to me. Fifteen
| feet-ffty feet, was 9 considerable advance,
when my horse stopped; at the instant the cap
tain's ahead Of me stopped-and his stopped,
when wagon half mile ahead stopped. There
the hub of an ambulance was locked into pine,
and the sleeping driver of the succeeding car
rage had unconscously choked the narrow road
by allowing his horses to try to pass the disabled
vehicle. All night long, these stoppages and
delays occurred-occurIed from bad driving,
from the miry depths of the streams which
! crossed the highway-from the narrowness OF
the road, and the intrusion upon it of the forest
trees. And as often as these delays took place,
the footballs of the stragglere upon the DRIED
bran ches in the woods on either side could oe
continuously heard, and when forced to the
road, their stealthy march could be seen, fittin
by in the faint starligh: which stole through the
tree tops.
A breaking short off of the tongue Of cais'
son wagon imposed a long halt. Water became
an object Of passionate and savage search
Where there are lights there are farm houses
and FIVE of US rode toward the candles beams
With snort and recoil, my horse kept shyine
objects on the deld which could not dlstin'
guish.
Hating and marching, waiting and moving
silent and listening, the great corps d'armee
crept through the dark woods. To light match
TO FIRE the tobacco in the pipe was crime
1 N nj h>A o1,,Ao
avoid alarm from their ever tuneful throats.-
Conversation, save in whispers, WAS interdictsd
l. The armed Thousands, and the batteries Of can