The National tribune., 1898-09-29

anyone was killed or injured. No, not a
man was hurt, and the fire was soon sub
! ducd by the vigorous efforts of those
sturdy soldiers, who looked as Jolly over
| the disaster as if il had really been a
good Joke.
A REBEL APPEAL.
The rebels were beginning to make
some desperate assaults upon our out
posts. They were driving in the advance
pickets on our left wing, and making
similar demonstrations along different
parts Of the line. They were evidently
concentrating a large force behind their
Notifications, and were determined to
make a desperate resistance. DeSerters
came in bringing Richmond papers crowd
ed with appeals TO the Southern "chiv
| airy" OF which the following is a speci-
men
THE next few days may decide the fate
of Richmond. 1t is either TO remain the
Capital of the ConfedeTacy, or to be turned
over To the Federal Government as Yam
kee conquest. The Capital is either to be
secured or lost-it may be feared not tenn
porarily, and with il Virginia. Then, If
| there is blood to be shed let it be shed
here. No soil of the Confederacy could
drink it up more acceptably, and none
would hold ii more gratefully. Vile,
family and friends are nothing. Leave
| them all for one glorious hour to be de-
voted TO the Republic. Life, death, and
WOUNDS arc nOtnIfH ii we only DC saved
from the fate of captured and humili
ated Confederacy. Let the Government
act: let the people act. There is time yet.
| If fate comes to its worst, let the ruins of
Richmond be its most lasting monument"
Gen McClellan's dispatch to the War
Department will best describe the state Of
| affairs al this time ia Yorktown and vici-
nifty. He says.
SITUATION AT YORKTOWN.
The whole line OF the Warwick, which
really heads within a mile Of Yorktown is
strongly defended by detached redoubts
and other tortifications. armed with heavy
and light guns. The approaches. except
at Yorktown, are covered by the Warwick.
over which there is but one, or at mos
two, passages. both of which are covered
by strong batteries. All the prisoners
state that Gen. j. T.. Johnston arrived at
Yorktown yesterday with strong reinforce
ments Ii seems clear that / shalt have
the whole force of the enemy on my
hands probably not less than 100 coo men
and possibly more
Under the circumstances which have
been devc Hoped since we arrived here |
feel fully impressed with the conviction
that here is 10 be fought the great battle
that is 10 decide the existing contest. II
shall OF course commence the attack as
soon as can get up my siege train and
shall do all in my power TO carry the
enemy's works; but TO do this with a |
ttdSODdDle GcsItt Oh certainty requires. in
my judgment, that ! should if possible
have at least the whole OF the First Corps
TO land upon the Severn River and at
| tack Gloucester in the rear Nv presept |
| strength will not admit OF detachment
sufficient for this purpose without mater |
ally Impairng the efficiency OF this !
column
While these preparations were going
forward on both sides, Prof Lowe was
making balloon reconnaissance, and
transmitting the result of his obscrya- !
tons to Gen. Mcclellan by telegraph from
his castle in the air, which seemed sus-
pended from the clouds, reminding one of
the tabled gods Of old looking down from
| their ethereal abodes upon the conflicts
| OF the inhabitants of this mundane
| sphere. One Of the officers one day play |
| fully remarked: Professor, | am ALWAYS
| sorry when see you descend with your
balloon. Why are you sorry, Colonel7
! Would you wish 10 see me suspended be
tween heaven and earth all the timer"
oh, no, not that; but when / see you
coming down am afraid you will never
get SO near heaven again"
REBEL yIXENs
| was often sent out 10 procure SIM
plies ioS the hospitals eggs. milk
chickens, ETC, and in my rambles j used
TO NEE. with many interesting adventures.
/ In some instances met with narrow es-
1
so interesting, and the timely appearance
OF my revolver often rescued me from the
hands of the female rebels OF the PENN
sula. Persons dwelling in regions which
| slavery has not debased can hardly i'm
agine the malice and ferocity manifested
| by the rebel yixens OF the slave States
Upon this point the testimony from ali
parts OF the South is invariable The
Louisville Journal says
thousands have read with astonish-
ment the account which historians give of
the conduct OF women in Paris during the
Reign OF Terror. The women are said TO
have been more fierce and bloodthirsty
than even the fiercest and most blood
thirsty OF the men. Many of our people.
have supposed that the accounts given
OF those things must surely be fictions or
exaggerations. They have felt them
selves unable to conceive that woman 8
nature could become thing so utterly re-
voting. But if they will look and listen