Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-11-24

locomotives built for the Government lNs upfuS"
which several are on this line
About mile and half this side of Petersburg the pia-
teau mentioned above terminates in that direction drop
ping down quite abruptly the southern side On the
round SUBMITS of that range Of heights the rebels had con-
structed their first line Of defensive works strengthening
them by telling the heavy timbers to form an abatts
That line besides being weak al its eastern end too
long to held by the small force in Petersburg when Gen.
Grant first made his appearance before the place After
resistance they therefore fell back to tho inner line,
which barely half mile this side Of Petersburg The
city approached by gradual but easy ascent The outer
forts were by our armies strengthened and enlarged and
new added to Them all being mounted with guns OF
heavy cabre 1t is just easy to shell Petersburg from
the heights this side it would be to treat New York
the same way from Hudson City on the Jersey shore
large mortar christened the Petersburg EIpress was
placed in one of the forts from which houses set
fire or tumbed into ruins. Among the buildings which
suffered one readily perceves which has
been crippled considerably.
THE IRISH LEGION.
worked my way across the valley stumbling across
Corcorans Irish Legion under the command OF Col
Michael Murphy The boys here as we'll as elsewhere,
have been engaged in excavang for themselves places OF
shelter in the front Of the clay banks by which they can
be protected from the mimic balls of shapshooters though
not against shells exploding overhead That Legion which
left New York three thousand six hundred strong last
spring is now reduced to six hundred and thirty actually
with their coors In the battles Of Cold Harbor and the
second assault upon Petersburg the fields we're covered
with their dead and wounded
THE FoRTITlcATIoNs BOTH ARMIES;
followed the line of works four miles to the south
ward in places approaching within half mile Of the enc
mys works. but more less projected by our own In
localities where there was danger found our boys always
q, o;u In hat A siDht
vast common for miles and miles, the only boundaries
being Union and Confederate army lines The fields now
bistered ali over with beastworks rifle pits bombproois,
(more or less Eomb-proof) and cellars, 10 which
eat and sleep best they The bomb proofs are
constructed of heavy hmbers, covered with one OF Two
fee of EARTH and low that peTsOn can hardly stand
mp within They open sde and It Is needless
to add that that not the toward Petersburg 80 it
goes on for miles and miles at stretch On the submits
Of the rising grounds stand forts heavy breastWorks
having bitches in front six to eight feet Deep The main
line Of works is constructed of sandbags heavy mbers
or wicksrwork filed with earth and covered oVer They
gag in every conceivable manner to take atEan-
tage Of the ground
An ARTILLERY DuEL-NIGHT SCENES.
II was Sunset when sn encounter with artillery
took place between Fort Rice above the Petersburg and
Norfolk rlroad and Confederate work. distant barely
mile Beyond the scene Of this strife the set
ting in purple and gold. with soft haze springns up
along the horizon All still, except the booming Of
the guns and the exploding Of the shells and these burst
many Of them within less than mile emitting their seve.
raj pufs Of white and black smoke, followed alter cou
pie o! seconds by crash the effect indeed sublime,
it, as Burke maintains be necessary ingredient OF
submty So it proceeded at the rate Of five shells per
minute on each sde for full hour until the haze rem
dered objects too ndistnct either side TO witness the
effect Of the " Rne sheling"
This was succeeded by music from hall dozen bands,
which struck up to right and left before and behind max
inc the hills vocal with delicious sounds My country,
tits Of thee was struck up by band, then caught up
BIZ another and another until it seemed impossible to i'm
soine that This was the termination Of cruel bloodhed the
accompaniment Of waste, want, misery. Ten thousand
fires were lighted the soldiers prepared to cooA
their evening repast In every direction the horizon was
sglow with light the armament had lately echoed with
the most ducet To this succeeded the intermna
BILE warfare Of the pckets, the muskery going OH Tor
hours together in constant pat pat patng until ones
ear became accustomed to the hailed SQUAD as to COM
pletey disregard it. Here, there every where arose that
cracking Of musket and rife probably not shot in
hundred SO much grazing the arksman whose fire has
elected tins reply Bstmes the discharge of single piece
!. tbs signal for half dozen others to go of all having
common aim The boys think it highly exciting fun.
prefer to be mere locker
/ MOVEMENT OF THE ARMY
movement of the army has at last begun Yesterday
l9lh) while among the Ninth Corps our extreme left
that orders had been issued to prepare eight days
ratons with hundred rounds of ammunition and be ready
TO march st any moment. The artillery Of that corps
(Which again under Burnsde set out the march and
by sunset encamped about eight miles nearer City Point
on the line of i've railroad The Infantry followed shortly
aterward and reached Hsneocks Station about ten miles
hence learned that similar orders issued in the
Second and part Of the Fifth Corps, the anticipating
a general pulling up Of stakes for some time.
Just i'll luck would have it, however it began to rain
ever ncs converting the country song line Of march
into continent Of mud The highways are simply dirt
roads, not macsdamzed 10 the valley that it would
impossible for artillery to move, except toward The
centre Of planet. The line Of march yesterday was
toward the Appomattox, which they would probably strike
two three miles below Petersburg if the design were
to cross over to Gen. Buffers department Gen. Grant
has been absent day two, but doubtless will soon re-
turn, il he be not here already Officers and have
been moving in shoals for time.
Vesuyus quiet nearly all day yesterday. 10 march
ing through the Ninth and Fifth Corps did not hear
much riHs fred against an enemy We could see the
rebel lines and the at work upon them, lees than
mile distant but the big guns and the pickes along
warrens and Burnsdes 'front.' have kept the peace
derfuly. Coming down, however to the Second Corps
kaa,I tko, 49,.