National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-08-02

When, in the spring Of 1862, the Army
of the Potomac, strong both in numbers
and in organization, advanced from the
camps in front of tho capital city to
retrieve the laurols that had been lost ~
the first Bull Run, it found on reaching
Centorville that the extensive fortified
batteries which were supposed to DO OPP
posed to their advance were sham, ana
that the heavy guns alleged to be mounted
thereon were but well.made "Quakers,"
Gen. Mcclellan also discovered that Con.
Joseph +. Johnston, his astuto opponent
was, after burning all stores. not capable
of being removed, far on his march to tho
southwark and out of reach for an i'm
mediate blow. 1t is only necessary TO
state that tho union general retraced his
steps and prepared to strike Richmond by
way of the Peninsula. Johnston's army
by casy marches was moved to tho vicin-
ity of Richmond, and about this timo the
actual intentions of Mcclellan became
developed, for alarming reports and mr.
gent appeals for aid come from Con. j.
b. Magruder, who then held the
Peninsula at Yorktown with
about 5000 men and very
inefficient force Of artillery. In the
opinion of competent judges, it is certain
that had Mcclellan pressed forward boldly
at this time he would, with but little dilii-
Guilty and loss, have arrived before the
Notifications of Richmond when they
were in very incomplete state for eilec-
tual resistance. However that may be,
Magruder was given n breathing spell in
which to fortify and strengthen his posi-
ton, and Johnston hurriedly packed five
or six brigados on steamboats,, which
troops arrived just in the nick of time to
Illustrate projected assault on Magruder's
lines, which would have inevitably
crushed them had not the rc-enforcements
arrived SO OPPORTUNITY.
All! who that participated therein, on
the confederate side ct least, can ever
forget the misery endured in that menu
orable siege. The line of entertainments
of the defense between the two rivers, the
York and the James, was perhaps fou or
five miles long, and there was not spot
of ground in the rear for mile that was
not constantly searched by the cannon
shot and rifle balls of tho federals. AS
the force then present was not more than
sufficient to man the brcastworks in case
of a sudden attack, and one was expected
momentarily, it was necessary to have
the regiments within easy reach. There
are no such things as hills and hollows
in that God-forsaken country; it is as fiat
as q billiard table, and to havo encamped
the troops on open ground would have
subjected them to certain loss that
would have been criminal on the part of
tho general Those, then, of the regiments
not in tho trenches were compelled to
huddle in the bomb proofs Just behind
them. and If hell has any worse
torture than was experienced by the
men in these hideous dens, then want
to join the church Immediately. Dark,
foul smelling, without ventilation,
swarming with vermin, the floors of
rough split slabs, covered with two
inches Of mud and filth, it was almost i'm
possible to get rest for q moment, even
when over-strained nature gave way to
semi-unconsciousnes Added to this, the
dens were SO crowded at all times that 1t
was difficult to find a place to sit down,
much less to recline. 1t was only on
rainy dark nights, when the crackle of
the sharp-shooters ceased for n while,
and only au occasional cannon shot
crashed through the brushwood that the
tortured troops could venture out to
breathe the tresher air. This misery
renei was sent, and during that time the
men had not one morsel of warm food or
had to be done two miles in the rear, and
1t was strictly forbidden to attempt to
light fire in or near the
trenches. Numbers were Frustrated with
chills and fever aud other forms of
malarial sickness, and solemnly assert
that on several occasions during tho
purgatorial experience in these foul holes
in the ground men rushed out in frenzy,
preferring instant death to the slow tor
ture, and they generally got what they
sought for. There was some of the finest
sharpshooting done in that isego that tho
war developed. 1t was said, know not
with what truth, that on the federal side
there were number of English sports
men of high degree who, getting tired OF
shooting tigers in India, had come over
ito take pot shot at the rebels" AT
any rate. old soldiers will recolect the
story of dead mans tree" This was a
huge dead tree situated fully thousand
yards from the confederate trenches, and
among its limbs. forty or fifty feet from
the ground, federal sharpshooter had
made himself an impregnable nest, 30 to
speak. His view of the rear of the con-
federate works was confined to limited
space on account Of iutting FONTS
for man to walk slowly across that
space. Everybody who had occasion
passed it on q run. One day some men
of the 18th Virginia infautry were set to
work to dig covered way across this
fatal spot and forgetting themselves
rested for moment by sitting on the side
of the ditch. Instantly Mr. Sharpshooter
got in his work by clipping the heel OF
one and MORALLY wounding another with
one bullet. Every means were tried to
get rid of this champion shot even to
training riled battery on him, but If
he disappeared for time no always came
smiling, perched in his eyre; when
his particular ground was invaded. Dur
ing the siege he must have killed and
wounded fully dozen men,
The discomfort in the trenches was
almost as painful and demoralizing as the
life in the bomb-proofs. On account of
the constant sharpshootiog by day and
night, aud tho frequency of tho cannon
shots, the relefs were divided into six
hours on and six of. Now, it rained
almost every day whilo tho siege was
maintained, and the whole country is
marshy and swsmpy, water being struck
almost anywhere two feot below the
surface SO that the trenches always had q
foot and half up to two feet of water in
them, The troops were unprovided with
sufficient clothing for this work, such
heavy baggage as overcoats, extra blan-
kets, &C., having been left behind. To
stand thigh deep in water for six hours,
in tho carly spring nights, chilled to the
bone and afraid to moyc almost for fear
of getting bullet through the head, was
very unpleasant experience, but IL was
q relief at least from the horrors Of the
bomb-proofs.
If thero is place on earth more
infested with owls, great Q owls, big
horned owls, screech owls, and all other
kinds Of owls then it has mover been set
down in the books. No sooner had night
fallen than they commenced their who
whoing" andblood- curdling shriekiug
and laughing in and among thu tall