The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1865-01-10

v Tie lights Ct vessels mingle with
tAe moonlight The sheen on distant
1- wharre grows nearer; The puH of a.
rg engine comes family from the shore
Tie beautiful winter midniehifnds Us
le lashed 70 ile dccs at Ciiy Point.
~ An orderly, impressive quiet reiens
sr as we land A guard bearing mus.
le kei approaches, and reminds those
ls having cigars thu. no smoking is per.
y, miiled upon the wharves. Silently
a the cigars are .extinguishcd or thrown
p into the river AS we walk along tic
q plarks, 10 round the corner Of tho i'm
mease storehorses hat Hae tie river,
n ;be echo oi each step leaps h0lovly
e from the sides Of the building. Tbs
- region Is deserted.
n A eliil, twenty or thirty feet high, .
It rises before. Ascending one OF the /
: numerous stairways built along
= its face, we come upon what was once
( the village of City Point, but is new
, the headquarters of all the armies OF
= the United States. So ghostly scene
cannot be otherwise than vaguely de-
!. scribed.
A maze Of tapping canvas, and
? muddy streets, with here and there
the potched.up ruin Of house lifting
lis roof aud chimnsys above the gene
raj level. Log and pine cabins, roof
ed with tarpaulin, abound. Ware {
Z houses loom dimly in the distance {
Rough fences in close groups Of tents
and curdoroy walks line some Of the {
approaches. a CLEAN of candle hight S
cfeeps from an occasional granny a
Behind is The tranquil sigh Of the iv. n
er; here is the low breathing of p
midnight wind. The moolight shines e
On all.
we move along the winding streets o
lnqnlring the way to Gen. Grants n
headquarters. Gen. Grants head il
quarters arc on the right some dis. al
tance. The path soon leads to a view I
ot mansion, overlooking the river. h'
that must have once been a right roy IN
al Virginia home. lis broad chin. as
neys, broader gables, and surrounding JC
piazza, suggest no end Of hospitable nj
cheer in days gone by. Further re. bi
Elections arc interrupted, vi
Halt r tri
Halt it is, accordingly. loo
Who goes there 7? a
"a aiend.' an
Advance, friend loy
These demands are made in a tone to
OF extreme decision by soldier whose Eis
whole altitude and manner is unusu. an
ally alert and earnest. His way of roa
carrying musket is seriously calcu- gre
ated 10 frusuUte any attempt at a in
lighi attack upon the breathing an ges
laratns or jugular vein of the Lieut. yet
General, who, we are told as we ad IN
'ance is just now sleeping soundly in trai
Us tent The chief Of staff and adm late
ant general, who have emerged from il a
he hocse' and are approaching down the
he gravel walk receive precisel, she
be sane saluiaton from tie watchfnI recr
entinel, for whom, while on duty all our
lon visible exist only to be chaiIen7. ban
d. pro
Something beside the tendency to 4
Gro worship inherent in the race,Im. W wil'
fls one having arrived thus far. to ! ! he "
ause at the angle Of this quiet walk. 'no t
azlng and pondering, Underneath 'ne r.
'of OF canvas, few rods farther on. :
es man-great in himself or great lA
ny IN the estimation of a people lf'i ~
no holds IN absolute keeping a mill " u
.y power so tremendous that the1ar- =" Z
les OF all oor wars have been piemies .o' !
side IT. The thought OK what few 'esi ,.
oTds uttered to his adjutant general Pm pun
morrow between the whiiTs of hia 'iies
gar, may ordan for the good or i'll ~,
c NE or death, of this nation, and Of Iot W..
lndred5 ei thousands Of human be- Du'
= Is quite oppressive. Battles, that -, =. :.
rough sublime chance or skill, may osi
z Or lose the war beyond peradven- III ~
re-; which in either case may heap u"''y
)res Of borpitsls a. 80 = la''uI, ~ ing i
mourning rolling through house ~ "a
'ds North aud South-wai, to be i. nos's
'ght' Il he so orders tham, to.mor- l'1se @
y. Cities and towns and lanls are ~
"i'ins destruction or desolation at 'Ha' ..
VIII. He speaks, and 10 a m. = =. -
IL reminding Of chaos. shakes the 81 ~ ~
IT. Frn,, ,bis - 20" q o9H"' duty,
graph stretches TO the encamp- - -
us Of the tvs gseat armies operat- 10 9'l1s' =
against Richmond, rendering him H'''e, ,
.apiy cognizant Of anything that s1ai :
spires on any portion OF tie Whole go L
hosii8c front before him. lie has i:,',E ~
70 send brief message, and ont ny .,ls..'.e !.
heir beds, and out Of their camps ~ = =
70 arms, in an instant will leap % -. -. -. ~
y soldiers that one would lbink .'ut %
lmond would not hold them. ''''''''
merging from the night into day
taking a morning stroll abou, H. fF,.m
.s and warehouses a, City Point. q,
s1.,.t,, - =, ., ,'..'i'31s inp'essson lst ins
,a,o- ,t.,s.t ~ ''e ih'na q the in unu
tbiggs s~a ~ ~. I'd. 'e' master was pr
.;,g A'ieF cen ton, to
49,. ~. - ssh aone' ana Dir.
s,4 e,.;5'.1. ~ uoHF, io Sc very v
~. '''''.s .t 'Ae furnishing ot but it !
ai'as al ihe 'front.' the difficulty gre5 !
would have La.a