The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-05-20
From Richmond.
RlCHMcND VA Nov

| From Riehmona.
RICHMOND, VA. May IL, 1865.
EDITOR HAWK EyE With high wind
blowing, tent cloths futterins, thunder
nu.terlug and candle spu:ter!Dg. ] sit
down to write under dificulties.' with
the end of a cracker box fYr Gask. ana q
trunk for seat. IF your typo cen make
on; what is written he VITA give as;onish-
ing evidence of sagacity, and certainly 1
shall b0 very lsnient toward abundance OF
typographica! errors.
The army of Georgia (the l4.h and 10Th
cerps) reached this vicinity les. Sunday,
las we should have done had we rot halted
Army OF the Tennessee viii. probably
leave In the morning. thought your
readers might be interested IN q few lines
rom this bloody capital city OF treason
and MURDER, recently SO boastful and def
ant.
IT'S DEFENcHs.
Night before last We campetl on or
march from Petersburg about eleven miles
from Richmond. AS our command did
not move very early 7 took canter down
to the James river, as it was but short
distance. WHAT was my agreeable sur
prise On 5indiLg. when got 70 the river,
that our Camp was just opposite to the IA
NOUS
AZ all your readers may not have seen
description of the James river at this point.
will try TO give them some ideA Of II. Tie
course OF the river is a little south Of east.
but here 1t makes . short bend, running
nearly west for some three miles, then
makes another very short bend and runs
lance, leaving long tongue Of land be-
tween the parallel channels, at no point,
should think, more than quarter OF
mile in width, and at the point Of the IA
nous canal only about ninety rods. On
the opposite side of the river from the ex-
treme end Of this tongue 10 high, steep
bluff, upon which stood . formidable rebel
fort. o! course the guns Of this fort could
rake both channels for distance of some
four miles. ~Running the blockade Of
Vicksburg was child's plsy compared with
the work Of getting up the James river UNI
der the fire Of this battery. Hence the O..
nal would not only make q saving Of some
the rebel battery almost useless.
The point where reached the river wao
near the upper end Of the canal, where
enormous Dahlgrens are still in position.
- II ready to belch ont their hot bowels at
the impudent Yankees.
From this point TO Richmond there 10
one line Of works after another In short In.
most formidable lie between our camp and
the city. suppose those on the North
and East side Of tho city must be still
stronger, q those points were moro tmme-
eiately threatened.
To-day took ride into the city and
visited those PLACES of most interest to .
Yankee, and especially. one Of the army.
THE CAPITOL
1s 2 shabby old building, formerly the
old State House, which, but for its sur
roundings and association with the grea,
conspiracy. would not attract a second
look. The site, however, IL . good one.
and the surrounding enclosure tastefully
laid out. though not profuse in ornament.
Tho point of attraction IL Q superb eqnes-
The horse 10 magnificent one. The stA-
tue ~ bronze. scrmounting Q graz granite
pyramid, upon the base of which etand the
statues of Henry, Mason and jefferson.
also in bronze. Henry stands With both
arms extended, as making one of his i'm.
pnssioned appeals to his countrymen. JET
1erson is in u thoughtful attitude with q
tai Declaration. In another place, under
q canopy stands smaller marble statue.
OF Henry Clay. poorly executed.
JEFF. DAVIS HOUSE
Is now occupied by Gen. Halleck az his
headquarters. There are many fine houses
in Richmond. We satisfied ourselves with
an outside observation, without dismount-
AuSs ~ tu0 c0SoA OUyoctS OF 1ltt6cuo0 70 10
were
LIBBY PRISON AND CASTLE THUNDER.
Castle Thunder and Libby are near each
other, on the same street. The former 10 q
red brick building, four stories high, hav-
ing been, like its Eeigbbur, Libby, former
~ used as warehouse. 1t il now used -
q guard-house, and as II seemed to he nu-
meroussy tenanted in every story, We did
not venture inside. Libby Is also four
story building, but thestories are very low.
The rooms are large, and had it been pro-
perly cfeansed las It is now,) and suffi-
cheney Of wholesome food allowed to our
prisoners, there would have been no
ground Of complaint. The basement 10
drmp and filthy from the drippings from
above. From this basement Straight and
his sssociates-about l30-psrfOrmed the
astonishing feA: Of tunnelling the street,
coming out in the old tobacco shed ON the
opposite side of the street. But must
close. Yours, &c. w. OK.
Too MUcH "ILE''-Tnei frs. ITO wing
weliever struck was OH The GcEihenny,
OF Funk farm. and was known as tho
Funk we'll. Funk was q POOR man when
the well was sunk. I: was struck June,
1851, and commences flowing, to the as-
constituent Of all the oil-bOrders in the
neighbOrhood, at the rate If $50 barrels
day. Such 2 prodigal supply of grease up
set all calculations but il was cOnfi6entlv