The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1862-07-23
McCIelIan's New Base.

McClelan'S New Base.
lis Topography and Geography Interesting
Rsminiscenees-W Wig il is called q Ciossio
| Ground aud Sac, ed SoI'-the posseesors
of land once rich uosc poor, sc.
| Directly opposite the old Harrison Man
sion lives or did live, Edmund Ruffiin, Jr.,
son of the old Ruffin who fred the frs, gan
at Fort Sumter. Rufin junior had beau
! tiful place when ] was there some years
ago. surrounded by belt of forest trees
upon the bluff, which is eighty or hun.
dred feet above the river, which is here
about mile wide. The view from the top
of the house was beautiful one, over
looking the river and the old Harrison plan
ia,ion, and several others. From the same
spot there must now be panoramic view
OF McCle!an's camp; and il the rebels are
allowed the opportunity to erect batteries
upon Ruffin's farm-eniirely masked as
they would be-shels could be easily
cropped upon The lower ground on the east
side.
The Rufin farm is very large one, hav-
ing some 700 acres in cultivation. The
wheat crop, when knew the place, aver
aged 230 acres year, and produced from
10 to 20 bushels an acre The crop ranged
from 1900 TO 400 bushels. There were
so slaves on the place. whose labor and the
application of mari had raised the place
from its condition of an old worn out cot
4 -. q Frs1-t i'll
ness If its stores OF corn and wheat, meat,
vegetables and fruit are applied 10 me use
of our army, one rebel will have to pay
fair proportion of his var tax.
There are many other large farms along
Ihe west side OF James river from City Point
though generally hidden from The river by
high bluffs and forests, which will undoubt-
edly be infested by guerlIlas who can ar
noy vessels as they did las, year along the
Potomac.
Thirty miles below City Point there are
immense plantations, owned by The Harri-
son family, for more than 200 years. rode
six or seven miles through cultivated fields
all in one enclosure.
Below the Harrison plantation lies the
Orgain estate, Inherited some years ago By
Vim. Allen, who then became The greatest
lando~ ner IN Virginia. There ere $4,000
acres in the home farm, and 26,000 acres
beside, including James Island and old
jamestown, and Berkly, The Gen. Harrison
place where the army is now encamPed--
he ook with the land some seven or eight
hundred slaves, but as they could not work
a quarter of The land II has grown up 10
forest
The object OF his ancestor was 10 drive of
all white population 10 accomplish which
he bought ali the small farms surrounding
hun, and made a desert OF item. That Is
real s!avehodIn policy, Republican pol
icy wound be honestly applied 10 using me
crops ct thls place ior present needs, and IN
recon yerting The land 10 the use o! men IN
stead OF wild beasts.
Directly opposite lies the great Sandy
Point estate, formerly owned by Robert n.
Eoihug, OF Peiersburg-a very wealthy, IN
telhgeni good man. He sold 1t 10 Richard
Baylor, a very large STAKEHOLDER on the
Rappahaunock, below fredericksburg
The SANDY Point plantation embraces the
point between the James and Chlckahomi-
ny, and contains 900 acres, and when
owned b, Bolliug, had 2,70O acres under
cultivation, OF which 1000 acres were an
nually 10 wheat, about $50 in corn, % IN
oals, and lhe remainder IN clover, and
there were 1876 slaves on me place.
THIS place was the home OF the Ll9hl-
loot family in The ancient days OF Virginia
spiendor, aud II mas eight miles oil nasig-
abe shore line, and would be better loca-
lion tor a large camp than the ground now
occupied by the army. II Is 10 miles, by
wafer, below Richmond, and 45 by land
Ten miles towards Richmond, nearly all
the way through thick woods, pine and
oak, along a narrow, unworked road,
came 10 the maus,on OF Ex-President Tyler
long irregular wooden house; standing on
high ground. mile and half back from
The river, which is nearly hidden by forests
which abounds in all this part OF the State
IN its primitive con dition. The soil here
on the upland is stiff clay, and travelling in
a wet time is not done Tor pleasure.
President Tyler had good wheat farm
OF eleven hundred acfes--six hundred and
ffly cIeared-bul il was in wilderness,
without a near neighbor except overseers
and sspoor white trash" The road toward