The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1863-03-11
TERMS $3.50 PER AMNUM.

sured him were abandoned, it was dark
and rained hard. The General trusting
his guide still advanced, when a negro,
waiting on an officer, apprised them that
the works were manned in great strength
and that if it was light they were then in
sight of them. The General commanded
a halt. The men threw themselves by
the roadside for the night she white
guide was taken to a farmhouse in the
rear and guarded. In the morning hs
was brought to the head of the column,
where the General and Staff Stood
Morning broke and with it came heavy
shell from the enemies breastwerks right
over their heads, as the black had said
they were IN sight of them 81 thought
you told me those works were abandon.
ed Z" said the General turning to the
spy, at the same time drawing Il revolver
and shooting him dead The army then
moved up the road, 6led right and left
by regiments, and having left the road,
left flank movement brought them up
in line of battle at the edge of the woods
with the large slashiag between them aud
the enemy. Our artillery on the land
was by the road side with the gunboats
Oh the river, playing on the forts and
breastworks. The fort was knocked TO
pieces and blown up, some of the cannon
on the breastworks dismounted wheh d
charge was made and at the third trial
the works were carried and the enemy
commenced retreating. The remains of
tho battle show the violence of the oon-
test broken and shattered accoutrements
of cavalry, artillery and infantry thiokly
strew the ground, cannon balls, grape and
canister shot, bullets, &c , may be any.
where picked up. The timber, girdlsd,
shattered, broken and torn; large treoa
shot clear off, others with great holes
through them mark the effects of the en-.
eules fire. Our party sat down on fall.
en- gum tree near the graves of the fallen
which were filled with grape shot. We
dug out few as memsntoss of the bat
tie field. l visited the graves of the Mas.
sachusetts soldiers, (our guide was one of
them,) L Union farmer has fenced thcm
ali in with rails at his own expense. 1t
was no small task, for they lay singly and.
IN groups alloy the woods. am incliu.
ed to think the story of Burnside shooting
the spy apocryphal, vet it is told here as
as an incident of the war, and | mads
note of it accordingly. The fort, in ito
present condition, looks like series Of
large potatoes heaps, holes having been
plowed through sand bags and timber by
shot and shell one of the latter fell into
the magazine and must, from the looks
of things, created a small earthquake.-
Part of the chamber is still remaining id
which is clear spring of water, our par.
ty drank with relish from it. To the
West of the Railroad the hardest infant.
ry fighting was had. The ground 10 full
of ravlnes and swamps, strongly entrepch,
ed, aud must, from the appearance Of
things, have been hotly contested This
Rebels retreated to and through Newberp
burning the splendid new bridge across
the Trent River, by running down scow
against it loaded with turpentined cotton.
The loss Of this point has been severely
felt by the enemy, besides its being the
means Of their loosiDg great numbers Of
their slaves.
If there is any Union feeling in the
South have failed to see it. There 10
now and then Union man, and good
many protesting to be such; who would
cut your throat if they bad an epportu.
nifty. The men will say nothing, but the
women, taking the license of the sex,
cnrse the Yankees, as we are always Callsdt
to our faces, and breathe their anathemas
upon the North without stint.
The weather has been mild and dry
most Of the time, some of the time warm
like summer. There has been but few
this winter that | have no.
heard the robins and blue birds singing,
and often, as this morning, the peppers
IN the swamps are vocal, February 9th,
The evening Of the 4th set in windy and
rainy. In the morning the ground wa.
covered with snow, while the cold would
have done credit to morning in Porter
Last evening it commenced raining and
has kept it up until noon o,day. Itis
now as warm as any of our Apri! weather,
The men are occasionally fishing in tho
liver, catching eels and catfish. What
t will be here in warm weather can be-
imagined, when the malaria Of the swamps
'reeps into our blood and the ague plaques
get hold of US. f. O. AUSTIN,