Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-03-29
Seleftea Mistellanp.
The Works about Petersburg.

Aho NsSIho dbOAe @SeSkoSoA6s
A correspondent of the Washington Ma
tional Republican gives brief description
of the famous line of works around the city
of Petersburg. He says:
Fort Stesdman,' The Crater Fort
He'll, and other prominent points on the
memorable lines, are still nearly the same
in appearance that they were just after the
evacuation of Petersburg by the Rebel
army. The bomb.proofs and other works,
the construction of which required the use
of wood are being demolished by the own.
ers of the land, who were cutting up the
wood for the Petersburg market. And I
may here say that nearly all the fuel, in the
shape of wood, burned in this city comes
from the Notifications. 1t is the best fuel
in the market, as it is so much better sea-
soned than any other.
But the most interesting spectacle one
bebolds at present along these lines is the
large number of colored persons who make
a living in digging and searching for the
lead bullets and other implements of war
so profusely scattered about and buried in
these fields of death.
Did you ever go 'hucklebsrrying' way
down in Yankeedom, just in the nick of
season. If 80, you can form good idea
of the view of the visitor from. the mouth
of the Crater was at this point few
hours ago-I mean the place where the
mine was exploded. From this point you
obtain, by far, the best view of the entire
lines East of the city This point is the
nearest to the town, and is 90 elevated that
you can distinctly see the celebrated 'look.
out of General Butler at Dutch Gap, on
James River, twenty miles distant.
AS far as the objects are visible We dis
Germ the colored people of all ages and
both sexes, with spade, hoe, shovel, or
pick, and all busy as bees digging for 'min-
nies' By the denser squads of these peo-
pie it is easy for the stranger to know where
the siron hail and leaden rain fell tAickest
But the sdsrkies' are everywhere-seme on
the embankmepts, and some in open fields,
each with haversack or small bag slung
over the shoulder, and every now and then
stray minnie ball, or shell cap, or piece Of
she'll is transferred from the earth to the
bag of the digger.
As near as could ascertain days work
to good digger was about $3.50 to $500,
though many fell shor. of that. The lead
is sold to an enterprising junk dealer in
this city, who pays seven cents per pound.
! As about fourteen minnies make a pound,
the anxious digger can, any time during the
day, by counting his balls, learn how he is
progressing in his days work. And if you
meet any of them toward night on their
winding way toward the city, as you usual
ly may see theu in droves, any of them
will tell you 'zactly' how much money ne
has made during the day
am sorry to say that the remains of the
numerous dead who lie buried all over these
fields of death are often disinterred, and
the head boards, placed by careful com-
rades, often taken away by the less scrupd-
lous of these diggers. As 1 may have
something more to say about the dead Of
these fields, will reserve comments on this
matter for another letter
While l was watching the operations OF
lead gathering to-day, negro boy threw
up in his spade silver pen case and gold
pen. Immediately struck bargain, and
am now writing this letter with the same
pen. 1t was found at a point where one
hundred and fifteen of our brave men, IN
der Burnside, met with death in the crater,
and were buried in common grave.