, 1864-05-13

The Landing at Bermuda Hundreds
"A Shareholder and his AoEtu. Chat-


NEApa'ns GEN. pu111n's DErAurnzxr,
bI1zAGDA HuhpHEps, Va, Maj 6, 1854 { =
The work Of landing the troops, storesr
uncommon dispatch, consid ring .that the
necessary Ubarves lad first to ba construct
ed, The shallow Water near the banks Of the
James River at this point does not admit Of
the very close approach Of the transports,
and pontoon bridges and other temporary
having any thing At a1l to do with the de5ar-
cation, exhibited great energy and hesrtiness
in the work, and this morning there were
plenty of evidences That very feW persons
connected With the expedition had epassed
the night In sleep. On the river banks, and
In the fields some distance in1und, huge piles.
OF ordnance, commissary and quartefmaster
Itcres-all the bulky Rnd vast material naed-,
Ell fuf the effective working OF a grand army
-1carad themselves As monuments to the in
dustry Of the chiefs Of the Engineer and
Quartermaster's Departments.
On very large plantation, near here, ut a
delightfully."- located house on tile river bank,
I found nj old virginia gentleman named
Watkins. With stately courtesy he offered
me tho hospitalitics Of tis house, bnt could
not eonscientiously accept them, and pre-
oaks in his door yard He ackno Wledged
that the arrival OF the Union army here, just
at this time, Has the largest kind Of q sur
prise to every body. They expected us here
sometime, but IS lar a. they had been able to
learn of Gen. Batler's Intentions, this move
ment wgs destined to advance mp the Penin-
sula- The old mans manner showed him to
be very great coward, md miserable at the
expected loss OF his farm atock-negroes and
cattle. He said that he mas tnentro!," Z" and
hoped that Gen. Butter would protect him.
He hoped that would speak to the General
and havo guard placed over his house to
3r,%x -fn., Tia h<
trusted would not be carried oil: They low
cd him and he was sure would not leave him
unless We compelled them to. left the old
man and his three shrewis1 looking daugh-
trH who had come out of tho house to listen
to the conversation, and went do wn to the
respecting the happiness and contentment
Of their lot coincided with the statement of
their master. Not u bit Of it. Old and
young, they were busilJ packing up their
homtiy traps to follow the army OF liberia
tim. They had prayed the good Lord for
this day, they said, and seemed vaguely
happy because 1t had come. Their old ms
ter, instead Of being loved xs before, WAS
hated. They accused him OF cruelty, In
starving and oyerWorking them. His dsuyh-
tiers were worse than he. One old woman
who had borne thirteen child ren, some Of
whom had been sold to other plantations be-
yond her power Of seeing them, bJ this
Loa1y old rebel told me as she packed up
her rsgs In bundle, that all her life long
she hau slayed for her master, who still ex-
1ectea from her as much labor as when she
Nas young and strong, and ahe would lesvo
him If she had only year to live in freedom.
These negroes told me that the news of our
coming up the river reached them early yes
tefday morning, and as soon as he heard it
old Watkins gatheredl together the largest
part Of his slaves and carried them to Peters
burgh. He then visitad those whom he did
/ not lake away, and threatened all sorts OF
punishment ii they did not express to the
! s'Yankees" s. their satisfaction at being his
chattrls. He had endeayored to frighten
| them also, with horrible tales Of the bArbar-
| tty of the = Yankees'' toward those who had
| gone to them. 1t Ia needless, however, to
| say that these stories we're not believed. j
am assured that Gen. Butler will put spade
| into Mr. Watkins' hands, aud make him work
| in the ntrepchments, If These charges Of the
negroes can be proved against him He
! probably will be confronted with his &C.
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