The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1862-04-15
CANT DLronE YouKrowy, Va


CAMr BEFoEE YoRKrowS, va
April 9TH, lsGl.
Now that the telegraph from Fortress Monroe
ha- relieved US from the necessity of.lrct socrc-
cy in regard TO the now direction taken 10y Gen.
Mcclellan in his march on Richmond, some de-
scriptior Of the locality which has become th,
seat of active operations may interest the readers
Of tie Sus.
Yorktown, about which our army is now en-
campcd, Is situated twcl,emilcs from the Chc-a-
p"nkc Bay, up the York river, 20 well known 20
New Workers 10y thc delicious ovs'r,s with which
it .Lallow are covered. III aY',cr NJ two or
thr.o u,ou,'ui inhabitants, hoastne lmlfa hUn-
dr,l or moro timc-vum AMI wca.hcr.st,God
woolcn buildings, most OF which have Le'u
standing s.rrr the er,,uluG ~. IuoNil.n.o was
originally usv oi thr WtIi d iuuu. ul tlr u.lu
tlm'r, hut the n~I tru.D, ui IA, uinsg iliii..l-
tur- relied upon i|r r.u'c,iiuu ur'u.. tr IuII-
ANS disappeared 80 long fiucc th0' scarcely tl ir
mruurl l- left. some If the cirlhwoghs tm1HN
up uy !. ri tumwhlII-, s,Ili rem. Boz, to mark
uu lu..uty ui tua' tuu'lt,t 30 U.I,nI..'uu Iu
Nm rc.u history. A." rebel, re s4il l1 D,pupy
Oh. s.u' lno OF a"nr.s, though ,h.- om lc
'n.t o. snail ,Nttu', "a, t,HN mu.l hc ,...l,
extended, stretching, as ,lcy nov l', alu.,, "a
distance uI ilvo or six miles.
Yorktown is u dc,,rlcd looking place. with D.,
moultr.ug houses and Other signs OF d..rI'-
tu' anil decay. Il b. we'll -ilu.irI o.. a. p'r
p.r.iculul, oI the water l,, p. ,..1.as it.,.,,
some lrndr"d feet above tho level of tie river
at point where the stream rapidly ntiruWs nv
u rum, between the two projecting cJIos uf
lUlhlu"n ou the one side, aYi Gloucester Point
On tie other. ll"Io ti. ,h.runlrGp iivlrnrr.-.
uj3 ing twelve to fifteen ttl1m, ci..r up 10
. f..s o. Q ID tI tl. o.
mile, Heavy guns a. Yorktown ard 'puc'..irr
Point dispute the passage Of tln riy.r 0t this
narrow IlIc', where Our guuhoate viii ind album
liant opi "rtauiy Tor distinguishing thoms Ives
u they uudur.sk" 10 open way Tor our tr.us-
port ~ Nc river
iE',r as Yorktown the riycris na,i,d!s for
thr largest YES 'l~ in the world, the slllowrst
spot hNin, not less than i've ilthom, Of water.
lwouiy-iNC m les ahuyc, 81 West Point. the
head ul ray igitiuu, the river is uuuut the same
width ss the mItow- at York .owu hut the
channel narrow with twelve feet o. wutrr.-
Hero the river divides into two smaller streams,
IN" PamIMkry outLc iishi. pil t., N..ltpurV
ou th" l'f 10th running In nearly a. ,smt d.
rcctnn--'o the north is Richmond. N..t Point
Is si,ua 'd ON triangle hrtW. tho twl
Streams, the Land rising high abplo the river
Tho place l- suupD-yi tU be -ruugiy d.lvuGcd,
though q Yorktown fills lrlOrr our arms We
shan hardly stop al West Point, raau, Ibis
place the IHmwk"y /, uuNiythlc for yu..,.s ul
twelve feet drtlt as far aG NiithouH", thirty
miles from Richmond, ON the railroad from that
place to West Point. Thus, with the York River
once opened, We shall be ahlc To- convey sup.l.,s
Tor an army 10 within Thirty mile. ui ~. il.uui
instead oi dragging them overland for murr thlu
one hundred m.lo.. as "" shoDlI have lonn CONE
prllpi 10 du had tho amy ~ the Potomac aI- .
ymcol uir"' from Washington.
The country between th.- and Richmond is
-nAT.u|l populated, utuugII..r Iu our Northern