New-York daily tribune., 1862-05-02
THE SIEGE OF YORKTOWN.
PROGRESS OF THE SIEGE.
TOUCHING INCIDENT.
IL EnEL PRISON RS.
From Our Special Correspondent

sultry toward the afternoon. You will 6nd il difR-
cult to imagine how much that simple statement
conveys to US Of the Army Of The Peninsula. Had
you existed for the past week In condition more
BETTING primeval reptile than human being
nero mud and water-you might form realizing
sense Of it, such ss We have. Wet weather here
meaDs privaliop, misery, disease, death lin - sad
forms as any directly refsrabe TO war fine weather,
the absence or mitigation Of al those evils. We
hardly hope for ouch an improvement 10 this abOm.
inable climate as to suppo,e we have endured our
last from atmospheric influences. The night 10 dsnk |
and clouding up omiDously-but, like the Cornish |
Knight who buTst into tears Of gratitude being
told by Queen Elisabeth to keep his hat during
rain-storm, we are ",bankful for small mereies."
How s the siege Of Yorktown prOgres'ipsi you
are asking. Well we are making haste slowly, after
the German axiom. All working, with the occasion
al intcrlude Of bkrmsb resuDg in nothing except
the killing Of few men on either side and the es-
,ablisbment of the fact that the Rebels usually ex-
hibi, le1 pluck confidence in their cause than our
men DO. The former 10, only run at the termination
OF each fight, but their defenses are evidently con-
s,ructed with an eye to that contingency damaging
admission on the part OF Secessie. think they pro-
pore to themselves the holding Of Yorktown ~ long
ss they shall be able 10 retain it, then the falling
back with their artillery 10 another position IN the
rear and 30 on thus defending the soil of D,ie inch
by inch doubt If Gen. Mcclellan iMonds leuipg
them do this.
What bis plans are, i cannot inform you, Or the
simplest and most obvious Of reasons Like most
persons exercise The Natiora privilege Of guessing
/ but for the present must abstain from putting my
guess on paper.
We arc al working, each after his degrees the
general with bis plans, and the engineer in Nis IN
irenchments and parallels the soldier In carrying
them out the commissary in feeding the soldier Ia
little more regularly than during the continuance Of
foul weather. the quartermaster IN clothing him. the
surgeon alas in preparing for the inevitable suffer
ines attendant on wsr and their alienation. The
dramatis persona, complete In their parts ihey have
had long rehe arfa and pearly all Ct their posts
await the uprising Of what we hope will prove the
last act Of the great American Rebellion. And
without committing myself to any expression ofeser-
confidence "a 10 the result begin to think that they
will NO. have to wal, % very long, after oil.
The sooner il can be done effectively the better
vs ALI feel that For some Of the regiments are en-
csmped Il think unnecessarily in proximity to hor-
rble ,wsmps; places a. like 10 the thriving city OF
Eden as il appeared in fact" in Martin Chuzzlewi
"a could well be imagined. In such, the creeks, de
bayous, the stsgnant pools, all rife with vegetable
decomposition stretch everywhere; you have but to
diq TO the depth Of foot below the surface OF the
muddy earth TO discover water. Above 1t The pesii-
leutsl exhslations rise of IN evening, net like
black mist low.creepng," though as baieiui az thst
into which Satan resolved .llsef in hiltons Paw
disc but white, and toll. like shroud-,he only one
many poor fellow finds on this accused peninsula.
Those whom experience has tangbt caution, con.
,ruct floors TO their tents elevate themselves sont
how, from the slways damp ground, nocturnally,
build Gre.places Of mud or timber; the needless aud
weak contract disease and death.
I have seen many forms Of humsn suffering orly
this afternoon visited the hospital of Gen. Porers
division, in an upper room OF which were msD
,ound.d with shot she'll, and fife.builes -one
through the body, Just above the heart, but have
h.e, seldopa more affected than by what behold
this morning, not six yards from where write.
private of tie lo5th Pepnsy lvsnia-his name Sweet
zer, from Irdiana--was brought in puseless dying
He had been very imprudent, bathing in the stream
adjacent TO Lis camp only yesterday, on dull cold
morning, thinking, with bis youth aud health he
might venture anything. It's hard, Captain, he
said, as be lay bis rough bed of hay, 10 the kind
officer who with tears in his eyes, knet beside him
" TO have to die like THE, when one came 10 fight for
ones courtry." And then, seain-" Tell mother
died before yorktown. l should like to have my
body sent to her; wish, if could be done, you'd
promise ne that" couldn't bear to the end OF
it. Reader happily away from such scenes, think
of what a life soldiers ie, and let the name move
your pity and rcspect, your love, honor, and graft
tude.
Here sre few items, gathered promiscuously:
There came within our lines tlEs morning, a de-
serter from lie 9Th Alabama Regiment named james
Jones, rather intelligent young follow, about y
wears old. lie was dressed In a. brown homespun
,uit, ornalnented with U. S. A. buttons, white and
green flannel shirt, slouched felt hat, and stout
shoes lie had left Lis nusket behind. He possefs
ed $50 in Confederate notes. given to lin ss bounty
on his enlistment six weeks sgo and some little Bill
yer which lie seemed to prize more than the former,
willingly Opposing Of tie Secesh shinplasters to our
eoldiers for Uncle Sans currency. With round,
boneu.lookinQ, simple fac, he told coherent story.
His mother, lie sad, lad advised him 10 desest On
the first opportunity he would have been drafted
lad be not enlisted, and 30 oht the bounty lie pro-
fessed himself glad to have escaped. he could read
and write. His late comrades were well armed, well
clad aad we'll fed, only they had no coffee.
When cup of it was offered to him. lie exhibited
surprieo at tho presence OF sugar; like most Of the
Rebels, he had supposed us to be entirely destitute
Of it, CThcr picke,s make banteriDg remarks to
ours On this subject, as think have Tecorded) In
secessia it Is cold for two cents per pound. The