Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-05-10
IIro.n ite New York Evening Post
THE EvACutTION OF YORK
TOWN.
BALTIMoRE, MAY 8.

Yorktown WAS craceated entirely by the
Rebels at half-pasttwo o'clock on the morn
ing of the 4th puring all the preceding
day and night tlcy kept up heavy firing
on our battericsall along our lines to cover
their retreat. Our pickets pressed their
position on tn, morning OF the 4th, and
entered their abandoned entrcnchments.
We captures a Rebel gunner in the act of
firing his pice He said he was the last
inhabitant of Yorktown. Hehad been firing
the gun all night. l entered the rebel works
at A. VI Not white man, woman or
child was to be seen. Articles of clothing,
stores, old officers camp furniture, lay
scattered everywhere None Of the tents or
houses we're destroyed.
Theretreat of the Rebels appears to have
been precipitatc. They commenced dis
mounting and carrying their works back to
Williamsburg four days ago. Wagons have
Ieen engaged in transporting their ammuni-
tion provisions and camp equipagc for over
week past Their sick and wounded,
numbering over two thousand five hundred,
were sent to Richmond ten days ago.
The Rebel soldiers and negroes were at
work on. their entrcnchments until two
o'clock this morning, when their rear guard
ordered them to cease, and take up the
march to Williamsburg. In the house OF
Mrs Nelson, where General Magruder had
slept the night before the evacuation, found
several open letters lying unfoldcd on table
Two were addressed to General Mcclellan,
one to "the First Yankee who comes and
one to "Abe Lincoln" The following are
the contents of one addressed to General
Mcclellan:
General Mcclellan You will be surpri-
sed to hear of our departure at this stage of
the game, leaving you in possession Of this
worthless town but the fact is, Mcclellan,
we have other engagements To attend TO,
and we can't wait any longer. Our boys are
getting sick of this id place, and the
hospital likewise, so goodbye for little
while.
"Adiutant TERRY, c. 8. A. NJ"
Tents were left standing, with bedding
and articles of luxury in them. On the
canvass and sides of the huts were caricaturcs
of the Yankee soldiers Many of the tents
were cut in different places -Four large
trucks for carrying heavy guns stood near
the dock, with an immense quantity of
| lumber
In the inside cntrcncllmCnts were wooden
guns projecting from the embrasures. Fort
Magruder which we built strong works to
reduce, was found to be a weak place. Its
inside works were sand-bags piled up with
! logs of wood painted black on the end.
On the parapets northeast of Yorktown
| six guns were left. On the south side two
smooth borcs were found spiked. Portions
of Yorktown was undermined. The maga
zine doors are forbidden TO be opened, for
fear of. explosion. Torpedoes and shells,
with fuse fastened to small wires, lie in the
roads, redOubts, &c
The Fifth Regiment New York duryea's
| Zouaves) had five men killed and several
wounded by the explosion of a torpedo
The Thirty-eighth New York Volunteers
Colonel Hobart Ward, had two men killed
and four wounded by the bursting of a
prepared shell. His regiment was among
the first to enter the Rebel works. The
| Forticth New York Volunteers lost ono man
| killed and two wounded. The Seventeen
| Regiment New York Volunteers lost two
men killed. Other casualties have occurred
but cannot send you particulars at present
As soon as the evacuation of Yorktown
became known in the camps, the bands OF
the different regiments commenced playing
amidst cheering of the soldiers. The follow
ing order was sent to divisions and brigadcs
at A. NJ, from Gen. Mcclellan -
''Commandants of regiments will prepar,
to march, with two days rations with thu
! About A. NJ the troops began to march
the First Regular Cavalry and four batterie:
of artillery leading Tents were struck
knapsacks strapped, and, within an houl
after the order was given, the troops were
marching on beyond Yorktown. The gun
boats assembled the river to cut off the retreat
of the enemy. They will go to West Point
Ten thousand of the Rebels were sent from
| Winnie's Mill to reinforce an army sent from
Richmond to oppose MCDowclls advance
last Thursday week
A number of guns, some of them spiked
were left at Gloucester Point, but the precise
number am unable to state. The fortiica
tiOnS at Gloucester consisted only of Outsid,
earthworks, and could easily have beer
taken. The main body of the Rebels ar,
encampcd three miles from Williamsburg
on the james river.
On the night of the Sd terrific firing wa
kept up until twelve o'clock within the rebc
works. One of our Generals of the trcnche
reported that it was volleys of musketry anC
heavy cannonading against our lines, whicl
proved a mistake One of the Rebel maGa
zines had burst, and the fire scattered L
where large number of boxes filed Will
cartridges were piled up, AS each bo!
caught the fire the report was similar 10
! regiment NllSCHuISlnE NolltN. Nlnclttf
Rebels were killed and over sixty wounded
The works at Yorktown are nothing like n
formidable as we had been led to believe
The total force of the Rebels, according t,
reports was less than serenity thousand. y,
great battle is expected at Williamsburg, a
the Rebel troops, particularly those unde
Magruder, have mutinied on several occa
sions within two weeks. Five thousand O
his men threatened to lay down their arm
unless they received food and clothing
Three Rebel Lieutenants, two Sergeants an,
twenty men were captured the other side c
Yorktown and brought in Since the third
over seventy deserters have come in, an
they report their army as thoroughly di:
heartcned and demOralized
,, The Rebel council II wa was held in Mr.,
; Nelson's house at Yorktown, on Tuesda
last. jeff. Davis and two members of hi
, cabinet, Generals Lee, Magruder, and min
other Generals were present. The debate
! were warm and exciting but finally it wa
{ resolved to evacuate. The Generals entrus
! ed with the order of evacuation kept il
profound secret from the officers and mel
The honor of first entering the enemy
main works belongs to the Seventy-Thir
regiment Of New York Volunteers, as wi
be seen by the following sent in TO heac
uunrtpra