Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-06-03


Especial Correspondence Of the n. Y Evening Post.1
FREDERIcKsBuRG, Va, May II, 1864.
4 brief description Of some Of the localities
which .-e Just now mentioned in every desnatch
from the Virginia battlefield may help Your read
ers to amore perfect understanding IN The future.
OF events IN that quarter. First, then, as to-
BELLE PLAIN
Belle Plain is simply landing neas the month
OF Potomac Creek, within sight of tie Potomac
river, mproyised by the government for army
emergencies There Is not single house within
a rhIe OF the landing. and the wharf is q rude.
rough affair aHording onlv the poorest facilities
Tor m ianding troop or supplies. At this point all
6en: Grant' supplies are received by transports
from Washington, and are sent hence in wagons
20 The front: over twenty miles away Immediate
y back from the landing range OF hills stretches
away to the east IN abrupt precipituus angles with
deep rayInes rlbbing their sides, through which
roads have been constructed, along which the i'm
mense trains climb with difficult ascent. offen
oyerturnIng, sometimes breaking down utterly
Upon the summit of this range Of hills are thick
groWths OF low timber, while the slopes are streyn
with patches Of thicket-Inostly Of pines and
scrub oak. The place is inexpress;bly Wild and
desolate, and yet it was here We found few days
ago, ten thousand sick and wounded man living
helpless IN the mud, wish no shelter but such az
the thickets afforded. Since then tents have
been erected along the hills and on the table-land
beyond the ridge, III which the wounded are cared
for, both nurses and supplies now being adequate
TO the demand,
The scene in the ohing from Belle Plain is full
oi hfe and emotion; wheeling, putting tugs f0us-
der about the landing steamers and gunboats lie
at anchor half a mile sway, in the Potomac. re-
ceiying loads Of wounded OF unloading supplies
and hospital stores; now and Their a transport.
crowded to the water edge with fresh troops ali
cheering AID singing batte-songs or heavily laden
with horses and artillery, steams through the fleet
and glldes to the landing, while occasionally an
sron-clad thrust Its omfiiYeroaS, turtle-shaped
presence into the harbor, looking for torpedoes.
and keeping fatherly watch over the brood of
wooden craft Added to alllthis, YOU see fatboats
and dug-outs darling here and there smostly pro
peled by the strong arm of muscular negroes the
boats carrying officers and fro, or hurrying with
dispatches to the little vessels employed by the
government to carry Intelligence This is what
you see at Belle Plain-as busy bustling. popu-
lous place, considering it has neither houses,
streets nor citizens, as any you will find cut of
| Virginia.
FREDERICKSBURG.
! Fredericksburg lies on tie Rapahannock river,
nine miles from Belle Plain with which 1t is cen
nected BY two main roads, and Just now by score
/ or so of avenues constructed for existing emer-
| gencies. The country all the way between these
| points is stripped entirely bare of fences stock
/ and productsof whatever description and in the
! entire distance | do not remember 70 have seen
more than SIX houses. The country IS rolling and
uneven, with deep ravines and wooded heights
there is not anywhere in all that region space of
/ half mile Of level land. Between the Plain and
/ fredericksburg, breadth of half mile or so has
Il been swept entirely clear Of trees, and is now
pierced by roads-roads running in al manner OF.
sortIous winding angles. loklhg at distance Ike
SO many great white serpents winding in a reckless
tongle over the bald hills-r0ads with three and
four tracks running abreast, and roads so narrow
Steep and one sided as to be ALMOST impassablefo
a single team. 1t is over these roads our immense
trains make their way, and thousands Of wounded
aso at risk of life and limb, hate been principally
transported to Belle Plain. The main road is
strongly guarded with strong pickets at every I'M
portant point, but small gangs Of guerrilas have,
nevertheless managed to make one or tive success
ful daShes, capturing few mules and Tightening
some timid pedestrians.
The population of Fredericksburg was formerly
about SIX thousand; at this time there are only
two or three families remaining In the place I'M
! mediately back of the town are the celebrated
Heights which Burnside so calamity attacked over
year ago, and along which the fortiications ere
ated by the rebels still extend The railroad bridge
over the Rappahann6ek is still broken own, and
passage iseffected on pontoon bridge at the low
er end ofthe town. Last Sunday several addition
/ al pontoons passed through here; does that mean
that there are streams beyond present position
that Grant means to croSsi
THE WILDERNESS
The S'Wilderness, In which the first battle Of
/ the present campaign was fought. embraces fifteen
miles of timber land, tfickly studded with under
growth, making It at some points utterly impassa
| bic. During the battles our men we're often una
bic to any object twenty-five feet distant from
| them. Of course, operations under such eircum-
stances were attended with the greatest disadyan-
tage, especially ds the enemy knew every nook
and lurking g-place, while soldieTy in loading
and firing necessarily, exposed themselves above
| the underbrush 10 greater extent than would
have been necessary had they been acquainted
with the ground The Wilderness is flom twelve
1 to fifteen miles from Fredericksburg
The road from this point to General Grants
present position was formerly plank causeway,
but the panks having been broken by our artillery
the thoroughfare is now in worse condition, if pos
sible, than at.uniting fredericksburg and Belle
Plain
FRESH TROOPS.
| There have been fresh arrivals of troops since |
last wrote, aed Genaral Grant is stronger to-day,
/ BY at least twenty thousand men, than when he
crossed the Rapidan. Some Of the slightly wound
ed win be returned to the front Wit ain few days.
still further increasing his effective force All the
wounded who can safely be removed have been
sent from this place and Belle Plain TO Washing
/ ton, and the wants OF those who remain will now
be adequately supplied,
INCOME FROM ONE SHEEP