The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-06-03
The Scene of the Impending
Battle,

mics IN virginia Is sucu, At 'no i"'s w.
vices, that q battle may be considered
imminent. In view of this fact a brlei
Typographical descriptionloi the battle-f field
may not be uDinteresting. Both armies
ara now in Hanover county. with the North
Anna on the north and the Chlekahominy
on the south, LEES army, as is announced
in official dispatches from General GRANT
il on the Mechanicsville road south OF the
Tolopotonion river, one Of the tributaries
OF the Pamunkey, and between that stream
and Halves shop, with his right resting on
Shady Grove.
The surface of Hanover county is billy
and the soil sandy, but there are few nat
ural impediments to the operations of an
army. Hanover Court House, the county
seat is memorable as the scene of PATRICK
HENRY's early career, and as the birth place
of HENRY CLAY. The object of LEE will
be to preserve the rebel capital from the
advance of General GRANT, and for this
reason be has selected field which covers
all the highways leading into Richmond
General Grant seems inclined to give his
enemy no opportunity to move northWard,
and therefore has ordered the destruction
of the bridges over Little and the North
Anna rivers.
Lees left-assuming that he faces to the
south-is protected by the Chckahominy
The road from Hanovertown crosses this
stream at Mechanicsville, which ia on a
turnpike five miles northwest of Richmond
There is another road just in the rear OF
| this which also leads to the rebel capital.
In moving down these roads General Grant
will encounter the lines Of Lees army, and
the situation is 80 contracted that there is
little probability of another flank move
ment being successful. II the Chickshom
inv is intended by Lee as the last line Of
defense, the position has been we'll chosen.
The stream itself is peculiarly adapted to
the defensive warfare. The river is small
one, and flows sluggishly. 1t divides it,
self into half dozen streamlets, running
into and out of each othef at random
These water courses occupy space about
seventy Yards in width. Immense trees
grow up out of the water, and the entire
stream is covered by thick woods 1t is a
remarkable instance of river running
through and watering long strip of woods.
From each side of this woodland fiat sur
face extends for about half mile. This
| is nearly always overhowed, sand becomes
an impossible morass. 1t is only when the
water in the river is very low that men
can safely walk upon the ground bordering
liz. On these fat surfaces there is not o
solitary tree. They are bare, and anything
moving upon them can easily be discerned.
From the borders of these plains, huge
hills, in some cases two and three hundred
feet high, abruptly rise. They are covered
with thick woods, ard are SO steep that
wagons cannot be hauled directly up their
face. The few roads 60 down them diago-
nally to the bridges, across the swamp and
river. This Chckahominy valley one Of
the strongest in America, is the outer de-
tense of Richmond From the tops of the
hills on the one side, a cross the swamp to
the hill tops on the other side, the distance
varies from mile to mile and half
The ordinary twelve FOUNDER rihed Napo
leon gun can just about throw she'll from
one hilltop to the other From the Fred
ericksburg Railroad crossing down to New
Bridge, distance of eight miles, the con
federste works are all along the hills on
its southern border.