New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-09-12
PROM WARRINGTON
&Hrovsanoe Of she WeIaoa 4""c 10 s"e
Rebeis-How they ges Supplies
State Of Affairs - Eiehmono-A Gus-
pswS~r t'Ios-Ces. DushsS's Lssfer-
R.rIv mud sheridan.


The seizure and destruction by Gen. Grant OF a
portion Of the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad
vus heavier blow 20 the Rebels than Is generally
upposod A battle Immediately before the fortih-
cations of Richmond or Petersburg, resulting IN
Union victory and the capture Of fifteen thouhSn'
prisoners, would have contributed less for INC IT,
Auction of those cities than the breaking OF 'nis
fheir rnost i,nnortsnt line of communication VIM
The South.
Since the retreat Of Lee TO Richmond anu
burg, nearly half the supplies for ms army nave
been sent over this read The prssnce ana pro
visions Of the most fertile districts OF NORM 'afo
fns. after being gathered in at the chiei oepo'o'
wi,mington. Goldsboro and Weldon, together Elth
On, ,roductjons Of Brunswick, Greenyile, Sussex
And Southampton counties, Virginia, and OF tha'
section Of South Carolina drsined by the winning
Ton and Manchester Railroad, al have been carried
10 Petersburg end Richmond ever this thorough
fare.
Yesterday several refugees just from the South
called at our department for transportation inf'hef
North, it being the practice Of the military au'hon
Ties 70 furnish such Of this unfortunate class as are
without money, the necessary transportation al
Government expense. One 81 these persons, @
gentleman named Mason, has resided for the last
ffteen years near Stony Greek, en- the Petersburg
syd Weldon Railroad, about twelve niles from
Resms Station. A few days ago accompanied ny
Ns wife and daughter, he entered onr lines and was
forwarded 10 this place, with the request Of the
commanding General that they be furnished trans
Yortstion 20 Darien, Eev-York.
MrMason owns large farm, and was the pro-
prietor Of -four and saw-mill on Stony Creek The
second day after the breaking by Gen. Grant OF the
railroad tho Rebels seized his two horses, al bis
cattle and swine save two COWS and three hogs To-
sether with all the -four and grain in his MIL be-
longing to himself and neighbors, and at the same
time pressed all his male negroes, twelve in num-
Der, into the government service. His neighbon
were all treated in the same manner. On the night
Of this day several of the officers on inpressmeDt
DUTY took up quarters at his residence, and after
gambling and csrousing nearly all night, they SET
Ere TO his house, accidentally he believes, and
burned it with most Of its contents TO ashes.
In view of these misfortuRes Mr.. Mason con
Guided that he could not live in the Confederacy
during the approaching winter without great an
poyanee and suffering, and resolved 10 sell his ne
sroes in the service Of King jeff, his remaining
stock and unharvested crops, and, taking his two
female servants with his family, start, 10 use his
his own words, "for the happy land Of Canaan" He
received in payment for his chattls etc, the notes
Of the purchasers, TO mature six months after the
formal restoration Of peace payable in specie or It's
equivalent in bank notes or Treasury notes OF the
Confederate States" or United States. In speak
Ing of hs real estate, the old gentleman smliIgiy
remarked, there is no danger that they will Sc
suesterthst for my only son, the foolish scamp, is
neutenant in the army.
Mr.. Mason represents that the breaking Of the
Railroad referred to is the greatest disaster the Reb-
els have sustained for long time, and that they
must recover possession Of tho road OF soon eyscu-
ste both Richmond and Petersburg. He says that
Gen. Hampton in an address 10 his soldiers prior 10
their attack On Hancock, Oh the 18th 1t., told them
yhet they nps. aisF-eSvse d4O S-rhsvo nVn 'hoii
position on the road at al hazards or that their a.
ready reduced rstions would have 70 be cut down
still more.
M Mason further states that in consequence Of
She breaking Of the Railroad great portion Of the
munitions Of war and supplies, from Wilmington
and the South, after reaching GoldsbOro, are run
ever the North Carolina road to Raleigh, thence
ever the Raleigh and CASTOR Road, 70 Manson, and
shence over the Roanoke Valley Road 10 ClaIks-
Vile, and from that point drawn in wagons to
Beottsburg, on the Richmond and Danville Road,
distance Of sixteen miles, where they are again
transferred 10 the cars for Richmond and Peters
burg while large quantities are transported by the
usual route as far as Stony Greek, on the Peters
-, nd oil VIII beV landed
conveyed over the wagon rosds-some over the
main road running five miles west Of Resns' Sta
sion, and others TO Dinviddie Courthouse and
thence over the plank fosd-to Petersburg. From
Btony Creek to Petersburg ola Dinwiddie Court
Houseis thirty-three miles, or about ten miles fur
ther than by Railroad. With this information
before them, trust our Commanders will
lot be long in ordering cavalry incursons 70 inter-
npt the Communications on the roads have men,
Soned.
But leaving the Rebels this line Of cemmunica-
don open, il is utterly impossible for them 70 trans
port one-third the amount of supplies they have
been in the habit of doing by rail. They can mus
ter but limited number Of wagons, and horses and
mules have become very scarce throughout the Con.
federacy. As soon as the railroad broken, they
impressed in Dinwiddie and Sussex Counties every
thing that could possibly be made useful in the
transportation Ofsupplies. They even, for want of
horses, mules and oxen, formed teams Of negroes,
and, assigning sixteen 10 a wagon, compelled them
70 draw load equal to TINT generally drawn by four
horses. They are geared, Mr.. Mason says, in the
following manner: two men, called guides" ere
placed on the wsgoa-topgue, one on each SIDE near
the end, 70 steer and when passing descent to act
~ brakemen TO prevent the wagon taking too great