Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-06-28

Gen. Butler and the PrISoners-Tho
Eighteenth CorPs again ON tho
move.
Special to the New York Times slg
H'DQ'Rs Army OF VA. AND N. c., IN FIELD, /
Tuesday, June al, 1864.
Has a newspaper correspondent right
to be sick2 Such a question have often
put to myself on meeting some military
friend whose features were twisted into q
woefnl shape, and whose voice was modes
rated to.a minor key in tone Iugu0rious
aRd pitifIl, as hetreplied, al am "a little
under the weather to-day" Ny answer
invariably has been-that no such luxury is
possible to those whom some have designR-
ted "the historians of the army" except
in the rare instance of a prolonged luliin
the battle storm. Such an era, has happsu-
ed, and avail myself 0f it to indulge in
state of mingled Illness and disgust
The usuSl camp test iof the reality of my
symptoms has been repeatedly tried-i. g.,
the production of the inevitable Spiritus lru.
monh--and my case is pronounced to be
utterly devoid of sham, requiring strict
quiet, some of the celebrated Mccormick
pills, and occasional doses of spiritus Vi1i
gdLLici. Under this treatment, sCrupulous-
ly followed, have survived the day, and
6nd myself fully able to night to write the
news brought involuntarily. by sympAthiz-
| ing friends, or else centerlpg towards me
through the efforts of "George,n" /" my feith-
ful attendant of Africant descent, who has
been vigilantly skirmishing in my behalf
for information all the afternoon.
There was one period about midday when
l was sorely tempted to start suddenly out
of my sybartlish state, put on again the
robes. of health and energy, and order my
lad trt In lad q To- kIh
purpose of riding madly to the extreme
right of our lines, whence the silence was
broken by the sound of heavy and delibe.
rate cannonading. "George," ever faithful,
applied gentle restraint; and, reluctantly
yielded to his power, worried and won.
Sdered, and wondered and worried, until
the explanation of the noise was brought
| in. After what seemed an uncommonly
long delay, my anxiety was at last reliev
ed by the army telegraph-a very excel
lent invention, which has superseded in
great measure, the system of signalling by
flags between the camps, although the flag
system is still indispensable on the field of
battle, where Generals must necessarily
be shifting their positions. The wires of
the army telegraph are insulated and may
be unrolled with great rapidity from
| winch in a wagon, constructed for the pur-
|
wire is left to trail on the ground, or is
placed upon light portable poles, with
pointed ends for thrusting into the the
soil, or is simply rested upon branches of
trees by the roadside, as il threads its way
though all the corps' headquarters, and
conYerges. from every direction to the po-
Itsition of the General commanding. When
the army moves, the wire is taken up by
the winch just as quickly as it was laid,
and is ready for use at the next stopping
place. 7' 5s.sa5 5...H.a 4. .ss.55
| But TO return to the heavy cauuouading,
which was the actively belligerent event of
the day From Major Ludlow, of Gen.
Butler's staff, Iiwas favored in getting the
details, he having been an eyewitness.
The firing was not on shore, but on the
water, and the enemy, was the aggressor.
Two rebel iron clads came down the James
River to Dutch Gap, where the stream
makes sweeping curve, and began to de-
liver deliberate fire across the Peninsula
known as Farrar's Island, on the lower
side Of which Admiral Lees squadron
was at anchor. The rebel.vessels psrticu-
ilarly aimed their guns upon the hsgship.
MGlvern, and another double-ender of the
same class as the MatUera, being unable,
Eby reason of the high banks of the river,
Ito injure the three monitors which were
at anchor still further up, or the half.
dozen picket boats which were stretched
in line below, two or three of which
were scarcely more than halta mile from
i the enemy, being separated only by the
4 narrow neck of the Peninsula. These
1picket boats, Of course, were perfectly shell
i tered by the heights from the Ere Of the
iron clRds, but experienced a little annoy
ance from sharpshooters, who had worked
In "a
WAS difficult from the guhboats to suppress
these nuisances effectively. The shots
thrown by the rebels were in excellent
line, the first striking on Farrar's Island
lin the mud, the second in the same line,
piuuging down much nearer the mark;
the third closer still, the fourth and fifth
still better, until at last one dropped into
the water, within few feet ofsthe Admi-
rails ship. The sdistance az which these
shots were thrown was not more than a
mile and quarter and as the double. endera
could make no proper resistance to this sort
of treatment, they slowly moved behind
the bluffs out of the1way. Meanwhile q
. two. gun battery of heavy guns belonging
TO the rebels posted on an eminence al
least eighty feet above the river, at HaW-
/ litts farm, developed itself. LIE Ere com
/, manded the reach where our feet lay, aud
the three monitors were the recipients oI
! its compliments. The monitors replied il
: kind, but the great elevation of the battery
. made their fire oflittIe effect. It is thoughl
. that no great injury was done on eithei
: : side. Late in the afternoon, two or more
: : iron-cladsr of the enemy, accompanied By
; tender, were observed steaming SLOWLY
: down toward the point occupied by theil
colleagues. andit is'likely that they vii
attempt to force their way further down il
: the morning, If they do it will not b.
, without overcoming serious obstacle il
the form ofstrong obstructions, which hav
been placed across the river by US at
short distance in advance Of our monitors
The object of the rebels is, doubtless, 7
+ tget down low enough TO throw an emilia
& ding ere upon our entrenehments acros
; the Rermnda Hnn6rad line II daYolYe