The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-12-08
The New Incendiary Shells---The I'm
pending Fate of Richmond---Sharpshoot
ing at Gen. Butler---Kershaw's Hun
cry Division.
Correspondence of the Tribune.

hS"ud uai 'Sts ATuly vi tue OduneS,a 4
Near Richmond, Va. Nov.,26, 1864. /
The day before yesterday some highly
interesting experiments were made from
Fort Brady, at the left Of our Iiaes On this
side of the James, with an iucendiary
she'll which | believe bears the name of
its inventor, Mr. A. Berney, of the Greek
fire notoriety. One hundred pound shells
were fired from our battery, under charge
of Capt. HI. H. Pierce of the first Conn.
Artillery: Five frame houses, distance
near mile, were successively fired and
burned to the ground. The cellar of one
OF these had, it appeared, been used as a
sort of magazine, as shells exploded e1-
tensively during its cpnfagration.
Today another trial was undertaken, or
rather was to have been undertaken had
not our parapets been all down and some
changes going on at the fort rendered it
undesirable to provoke too protraeted a
fire from the Rebel batteries across the
James upon Fort Brady. A few ordina-
ry shells were sent over to the "John-
nies" however, with the compliments of
Capt Pierce, and one of the incendiary
fellows was exploded in close proximity
to large house in the Rebel lines in full
view Of our battery, but not near enough
to it to accomplish its ignition. We sue
ceeded however in drawing the FIRE from
all of the batteries which the Rebels have
been so busily..engaged in planting across
the James for some weeks past, twelve
guns in all, and they poured the she'll We
ry lively for near two hours into Fort
Brady. We have elected this fact, that
they have and s inch Brooks guns, 10
inch columbiads and Whirworth guns
mounted over there, and that is about all,
except that we can fire any building or col
lection of buildings which is within range
of our guns. In this connection it is inter-
estingto state that every house in Peters
burg lies in easy reach of our works, and
that zee also possess guns rhich are able,
fron, oar ddcunced position, to reach the
rery heart Of the city Of Richmond. 1t
will thus be seen what we can do, and it
may be my province hereafter to
state either what we will do or have al
ready done toward causing the Rebels to
feel the hardships of war.
The Rebels have had number of their
most experienced sharpshooters perambu-
lating their lines for some time past, arm
ed with some captured guns of ours, for
the purpose Of discovering Gen. Butler
in one of his rides along the lines and at
some time shooting him-knowing this
from undoubted testimony. Gen. Lee
was yesterday seen on the parapet of Fort
Gilmor from our own Fort Burnham
{Harrison) and could have been treated
10 the same entertainment which he has
not only sanctioned but actually is pursu-
ing toward Gen. Butler, but no such cow
ardly act would be allowed by Gen. But
ler with reference to Gen. Lee. Will the
Richmond papers please determine which
is the Beast" and which is the "human
and Christian gentleman -
Persons who were eye witnesses to the
return Of Kershaw's Division of Early's
army the other day from the valley, de-
scribe their state to have been fearful in
the extreme They came in almost stary-
ed and rushed into the markets of Rich
mond like pack of hungry wolves, liter
ally cleaned them out of everything they
contained, causing the prices of family
supplies for the time being to advance a
hundred per cent to the citizens of their
city They were many of them barefoot
ed, all ragged and dirty, while large
norton had literally not enough clothing
to hide their nakedness.
The Richmond papers profess to have
cheering news from Georgia which they
withhold lest it convey information to US.
As no information if favorable to them
could benefit us it is very plain reasoning
to infer that the Georgia news does moi
delight them so much as they might be
glad to have us believe.
No casualties whatever occurred TO-
day from the shelling which the Rebels
gave us. }. Be.