Smyrna times., 1865-04-13
The Heroes Of Petersburg and Rich
mOnd,

mond.
The forces engaged in the recent decisive op-
erations before Petersburg and Richmond are
composed Of the army Of the Potomac, the
army of the James, and General Sheridan S
cavalry. They are organized as follows Lieu
tenant General U. S. Grant, General in Chief;
Major General George g. Meade, command
ing the army of the Potomac; Major General
r. o. &. Ord, commanding the army of the
James; Major General Philip I'll. Sheridan,
commanding the Cavalry The army Of the
Potomac is composed of the I'd corps, Major
General Andrew A. Humphreys, whose divi-
sion generals are Brigadier Generals Nelson A.
Miles, VIM Hays and GershOm Mott; the 5th
CORPS, Major General Governeur K. Warren,
whose division generals are Brgadier Generals
Charles Griffin, ROmeyn b. Ayres and S. Wy
lie Crawford the 9th corps, Major General
HOratiO Gates Wright, whose division gener-
ais are Brigadier Generals Frank Wheaton,
George W. Getty and Truman Seymour; the
9th corps Major General John G. Parke,
whose division generals are Major Generals
Orlando b. Wilcox, John f. iIartrantt and
Brigadier General Robert ID. Potter
The army Of the james is composed of the
24th corps, Major General John Gibbon, whose
division generals are Brigadier Generals Rob
ert s. Foster and John W. Turner, (the divi-
sion of General Ames being employed in North
Carona) and the 18th corps, Major General
Godfrey Weitzel, made up entirely Of cOlOrcd
troops, belonging to the old 18th and 10th
corps. The division generals Of the 2jth corps
are Brigadier Generals VIM. Birney, Chas. A.
Hickman and Charles j. Paine. the last nam
ed division being with General Terry in North
Carolina. Of the army of the James, Turner S
| and Fosters divisions Of the 9th corps, and
Birney Of the 25th corps, were few days ago
transferred to the south of Petersburg, and
have been operating with the army of the Po-
tomac under Generals Ord and GibbOn. This
left only Heckman's division, (cOlored), and
the troops (also colored) Of General Wild to
occupy our lines north of the James. 1t was
these that General Weitzel marched into Rich
mOnd on the morning of the Sd inst All the
| rest OF the two armies were engaged i'll the
! fierce conflict below and around the city of Pc.
tersburg
The cavalry of the army Of the Potomac
were commanded by Major General George
Crook, and the division generals of Sheridan
command were Major Generals Wesley, MCr
ritt, George \ Custer, and Brigadier Genera
Thomas {. Devin
How AN OIL WELL is MADE-After selec
ting a spot for well, the artesian drillcr raises
derrick about 10 feet in height, bringing
up u steam engine of about six horsepower
about six inches in diameter through the eartl
and gravel some fifty feet or 50, to the frs
strata of rock, introduces drill of about TIVE
and a half inches in diameter attached to
temper screw, and with which he bores now
the rates Of eight or ten feet per day into tn,
: solid slate s0apstOne, say one hundred feet
he then comes to the first strata of sandstone
, which may be ten or twelve feet in thickness
and boring through this comes again to a slat
and soapstone, of blush cast and working on
say for twenty five feet or SO, he reaches tn
second strata Of sandstone, out of which ther
comes rushing up, when the right vein
struck infiammable gas, salt water, or petrol
cum. The bore Of the we'll is enlarged by
, . rinmer, and then an iron tube in section
Of about fourteen feet and closely screwe
together, is inserted by sections, and run dow
to the Teins Of oil; tiax-seed bag, which ez
: pands when wet, is fixed between the tubing
e and the walls of the well in order to preven
. the surface water from descending; plur
GER or valve piston, is introduced into tn
G tube and sucker-rOd, being attached to th
, "walkng-beam, " the conduit pipes and tanl
n which may hold sixty barrels, being in readiness
= the engine moves and the precious treasul
;, gushes forth. This is what is called puml
ing well. In the flowing well that is sue
n as send the oil out spontaneously y-the dri
}. must go down into the third strata of sant
stone; but this, in some instances, is very dec