Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1865-01-11
For the Gdzstts
For INC Gdzette
Our Base of Supplies.
CITY POINT HOSPITAL, ]
JAN 1st 1868


Messrs- Editors Il thought / would
give you brief description of the present
base OF supplies of the army of the Poto-
mac, as it may interest your readers some.
City Point is finely located upon an eleva
ted plateau on the south bank of the james
river, at its confluence with the Appoma-
tox. and is ten miles distant from Peters
burg by the railroad, which connects the
two places, but which "Johnny Secesh"
has not been permitted to use since the un-
expected change of base and advent OF our
forces in front of the latter place last June.
The Point is admirably situated for the i'm
portant military purposes which 1t sub
| serves, with an excellent river harbOr.
which is navigable for all sorts of vessels,
from a canal scow or river barge to the
stately man Of war and heavy sea going
steamer. The town is one of the most an
| cient in Virginia, as the moss covered roofs
| of some of its venerable log houses indi-
cate. It boasts also of some very fine
modern buildings. | observe one bearing
the date of 1858, formerly inhabited BY
family of Of f. VS." but now, by the
fortunes of war, appropriated to the use of
post Quarter Masters, ordnance officers and
other post officials. 1t was here that the
exchange of prisoners between Uncle Sam
and tottering Jeff used to be effected, flag
of-truce boats being run up from Fortress
Monroe for that purpose. To the good old
times of peace this was also Richmond's
base of supplies, Northern products being
brought here by water direct from New
York, Baltimore and Philadelphia, and
transported from here by rail to Richmond,
via Petersburg 1t was only for this rea
son that City Point then had the slightest
commercial importance as trading town
of and within itself it never amounted to
anything, the old City Pointers having
been obliged to 60 to Petersburg to buy
even jack knife or yard of calico AS
the base of supplies for the army of the
Potomac, it is now an important locality.
and the characteristic energy and enter
prize of Gen Grant has transformed the
once sleepy old town, as with magician's
wand, into a wonderfully thriving and
bustling military port of entry, outrivaling
any equal area along the crowded wharves
of New York Thus do the necessities of
grim visaged war often outstrip the de
mands of peaceful commerce. A splendid
wharf of about one-t fourth of a mile in ex
tent has been built, on which is an exten-
sive and commodious warehouse The new
military railroad now extends some fifteen
miles to our extreme front. and has its ter
minus on this wharf The most of this
railroad was built in two weeks, Just after
| the recent move on the left, OF the Weldon
| completed near the wharf, big railroad
workshop, large and commodious military
hotel for boarding officers of the post dur,
irg the winter, a huge government bakery,
large and ample quarters for the men,
bull pen, where deserters, bounty jumpers
and other prisoners are confined, aud good
quarters for the distribution camp are all
just completed, all built of lumber brought
from the North. The scene on this wharf
on busy day surpasses any business hustle
ever saw along the wharves of the EN-
pire City. Military stores of every de.
scription are being constantly landed, from
all descriptions of vessels Bales of hay,
bales of straw, wagons, -four, beef, vinegar,
salt, potatoes, whiskey, little boxes of hard
tack and ammunition for small arms, and
big boxes Of military clothing and muskets,
besides tents, cannon wheels and everything
else, needed by large army, constantly
crowd the long wharf and are being car.
ried to the front. Gen, Grant evidently
intends that this shall remain our base OF
supplies for long time, judging from the
compactness and permanency of the ar
rangements made OF course the ubiqui
tous suttler locates here, and hangs his
shingle out. There are plenty of these
Yankee Shylocks around, who vend every
thing eatable or wearsble, which may be
needed, at prices most extortionate and
abominable, the most ordinary huckster of
the tribe making more money than the
richest merchant in Pennsylvania. On
the opposite side of the James is Bermuda
Hundred, Gen. Buffers base of supplies
for the army operating on the North side
Of Richmond.
Everything is going on right in the 9th
corps hospital. The weather has been very
bad the last week, the snow fakes flying
| Al IL