Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-06-06
Gen. Grants New LIne-An Article to
be read with . map before you,
Rrnm TIA phiIahnlnhEa Arn

Il
Prom the Philadelphia Age.
The portion of the Ohickahominy river
to which General Grant is advancing is the
same along which General Mcclellan ope.
rated in besieging Richmond In 1852, The
Ohickahominy river runs q course from
northwest to south east. The Fredericks-
burg Railroad crosses IL seven miles north.
west Of Richmond. The GordousVille Rail
road crosses 1.-two miles below, and the
crossing place known as Meadow bridge
10 Eve miles north of Richmond. One mile
below Meadow bridge is MechauicsviIle.
This towo is Eve miles northeast OF Rich
mOud aud a turnpike connects them. This
turnpike bridge is tour miles and quarter
from the capital. McClellan's pickets, who
stood on the river bank at its eastern end
we're the nearest Federal soldiers to Rich
mond. Five miles below MechAnicsviIle is
New Bridge; il is six east of Richmond.
Seven mites below New Bridge and twelve
east OF Richmond, Is Bottoms Bridge. The
Richmond aud York river Railroad, which
runs from the Capital past White House to
West Point. at the head of York river,
crosses the Chtckahominy mile above
Bottoms Bridge. -..r.- e.
Geoeral Grant is advancing. The road
Pamuukey. crosses the Chickahominy at
hechanicsville. Il is DOT probable that
the Confederates will oppose any serious
obstacle to the Federal advance until the
Chickahomiuy is reached. 10 1862, when
Mcclellan approached it, there were TWEEN
" huge forts at different points on the
southern bepk, commanding the roads and
bridges. The river Is a small one, aud
lows sluggisbly. 1t does not run like
other riVers in q simple bed. 1t divides
itself into half dozen streamlets, running
into and ont of each other at random
These water courses occupy q space about
seventy yards in width. Immense trees
grow up out of the water, and the entire
stresm is covered by thick wosds. The
luGuriant underground Of Virginia forest
6lls all the available space beneath the
branches. 1850.
It's remarkable instance of a river run.
ming through and watering a long strip OF
woods. From each side Of this woodland q
hat surface extends for about half q mile.
This is nearly always. Iavarfoued. and he
comes an tmpRssable morass. II is only
when the water in the river Is very low
that men can safely walk upon the ground
bordering Il. On these Fat surfaces there
is not solitary tree. They are bare, and
anything moving upon them can easily be
discerued. From the borders of these
plains huge bills: In some cases two and
three hundred feet high, abruptly rise.-
They are covered with thick woods, and
are so steep that wagons cannot be hauled
directly up their face. The few roads &c
down them diagonally to the bridges
across the swamp and river. On IhesG
hills, on the southern bank, the Confeder.
ate army will be found posted. Their pick
cts will be found in the swamp along the
border OF the stream.
This Chickahominy Valley, one of the
strongest 10 America, is the outer defense
OF Richmond. From the tops of the hillI
on the one side, across the swamp to th,
bill tops on the other side, the distance
varies from . mile to a mile and a half
The ordinary IL Founder rified Napoleon
quo, which is the Iincipal cannon used
in both armies, cAh just about throw g
shell from one hilltop to the other. From
the fredericksburg Railroad crossing dowr
to New Bridge, distance of eight miles
the Confederate works are all along The
bill on its southern border, a Fedora
crossing above New Bridge will have to be
a forced one. Below that point, at Bot.
toms Bridge, the Federal army can cross
unopposed, as the river there ruus directly
from Richmond, and ceases TO be a good
defensive line. South of Richmond, how.
ever, the Fair Oaks and White Oak Swamps
which are -bordered by huge hills on the
Richmond side, and are strongly fortified,
form the Confederate line OF defense.
| f.-.
A Card from Ihe CommIssIoner o1
.LmmigrRtIOn.
ST. CLARA Colony, DoDDRIDGE Co. WV