The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-08-16
sHELLING OF PETERSBURG.

1he occasional shelnng OF the city has lately only
accumulated bricks and other building materials il
the streets, without seriously hurting any body
Now Shd then house is fred, and the light af
tording target for the guDners, shells are rained
In upon the fire to prevent its extinction, and tc
extend the confagration. The fire department has
worked nobly, Notwithstanding the danger to which
1t is exposed, and in instance has it failed 10 re-
strict the fire to comparatively ordinary limits
AS the position of the enemys right enables them
ITO command full view of nearly the whole city
and to judge with sufficient correctness the range
OF their shells, there be no impropriety in say
ing that they have done considerable damage to
the property Of the citizens Some two or THREE
hundred shells, of different calibres and characters,
have been sent whizzing through many a richly
decorated paror and tidily kept chamber, smash
ing into smlthereens stout cornices and fragile
naments, making of all furniture q mass of frag-
ments, and stripping the walls to the lattice and
joists OF their polished cement or plain plaster to
smother up the wreck aud complete the destruc-
ton. Pantries have been invaded, and unmerci-
full crashes sent breaking and ringing through niles
of crockery and rows Of jars, whose precious con-
tents still swim or stick in sweet ruin upon the in
dented floors and caved in shelves that mark the
scenes of the disaster Libraries, too, have shared
equal fate with smoke houses; aud while children
of the larger growth grow hungry from the lack of
intellectual pabulum, the lesser can cry about for
the more substantial meat, which, last seen, was in
the air, frying into a state of savory nothing
ness inside the tlazes of confagration. Owing to
these and similar events the city is become almost
deserted. To as great extent as possible it has
been the aim Of Gen Lee to move no troops
through it; kept in it at any time. They
all in the trenches where they may be found
by the enemy whenever 1t behooves the latter to
come out and look for them.
AS to the position of the enemy, nothing could
be more agreeable in military sense, to our gen
erals. Whether it is because there is no water to
the south of the city, whether it is necessary to
keep the army in petty status tie better to Sc
cure the protection Of Washington, or not, can
not confidently te but it is quite certain that the
enemy's line of battle before Petersburg is from
some necessity or o<her extremely short "Short"
is the word for it, for although the entire Federal
lines extend to Deep Bottom that part which
lies in front of Petersburg, instead of being the
main body in appearance, as it is in fact, is more
like bobtail Of the bushy kind. The Federal
lines commence on the Appomattox just about a
mile below the city, upon bluff, which is the To-
cation of Battery No. L, commanding partial
view of all the lower part Of the city. From this
point the city is shelled, of course, with perfect ia
cty. Nearly mile to the southeast of this posi-
ton, upon Jordans farm, is Battery No. 5, situa-
ted upon an eminence which affords more exten-
sive view of the city. From these two batteries
the principal sbelling of the city occurs. Now and
then battery upon Rives' farm, which lies off to
the South from Battery Number 5, and is about
two miles S. Z. by S of the city, opens upon the
suburbs aud occasionally throws shell still farther
in, among the women and children who have been
unable to leave. The line extending from Battery
Number l, crosses the eastern borders Of the New
Market farm, the old race course forming disputed
ground; stretches off to the South crossing Rives'
farm, continues southwardly, gradually bending in
to the west, and eliminates in outpost at. DR.
Gurleys House, about three miles from the Wei
don Railroad, and three and nalf from the South
eastern suburbs of the city The eptire line, from
the River to Dr. Gurleys will scarcely exceed four
and half miles, which is probably the shortest
our army has yet been confronted with A slen-
der picket line extends still further South, ceasng
somewhere in the neighborhood of Stony Greek,
twenty miles distant from the city. Out Of this
line the enemy have made no raids of late, although
our cavalry have made several dashes into 1t, bring
ing out prisoners, horses desirable information, and
so forth Stragetically considered, the enemy po-
siton is decidedly inferior one. The moral eff
feet of the capture of towns and villages has had its
day. Petersburg, however, might form an excep-
ton, but of temporary character The enemy
would have found, had they entered the city on
Saturday last, that they had yet the hardest work
to perform before :hey could hold it, as our posi-
tions would have enabled US to pour dead sure
fire from FIVE hundred guns right down into and all
over it. 1t is unnecessary, however, to speak on
this point For the present, Petersburg remains
point in the programme of the enemy, and 1t is to
be hoped that be will Fight it out on that liue," !"
and be as quick a, possible abo1t h-Richmond
Enquirer.