Yorktown.
our former position and strength there — the State of our Wheels Line — Daily picket fights — brilliant affair at dam no. 2--vast Preparations and expectations of the enemy — the fights of Sunday and Monday before Williamsburg, &c., &c.
[Special Correspondence to the Dispatch]
In the middle of April, with two battery of reflect pieces and a heavy force of infantry in support, the reconnaissance of our position on the Warwick, immediately in front of strolling our works pounding them with round they up closer to our contemptuously, our artillerists did not immediately reply, but unexpectedly upon them; blew up two of their caissons killing many men and horses dismounting their pieces and cutting the demand in twain! Has fly retiring from the they never appeared again at that some days subsequently moved a Maine troops towards Lee's mill. on the alert, the four-gun battery commanding the read belched forth a few half second shells, and completely smashed the head of the column, killing its field officer commanding! Not content with these unnecessarily says, Federal commanders, lavish as usually human life, pushed strong proust forces repeatedly in the vicinity of this mill; but in every instance of their appearance the one posts of the 21st Mississippi volunteers drags them forth from the woods with great for and gallantry, the casualties averaging from two to fifteen on the part of the enemy, but in total the gallant 21st did not move more than four!
Unabashed and determined to strength of our lines, the enemy laid attempt to seize upon Dam No. 2, which will proved successful, but which in their humiliating discomfiture. Having frequently alarmed our pickets, the on the edge of the same facing the dam was not unusual. Hence, taking voltage of our feeling of security, the Vermont volunteers, led on by the Lord suddenly arrested in line of on the morning, and wading to the middle to the assailed on one gun triangular earth work; but the 2nd Louisiana, in engage of the place, promptly received them with and respire the eight guns of the enemy vomiting forth grape, canister and shall drove the "Green Mountain Boys"whence they issued, finding several other heavy guns to their battery, and concentrating brigade in the woods they conquered to bombard the dam again in the afternoon, with the usual fury. Lying covered from the murderous fire, the Louisianian waited for events, but while parts of this regiment on the left, and portions of the 7th and 8th Georgians on the right and rear, were busily engaged in throwing up new earthworks to enfilade the first redoubt in case of capture, the 3d Vermont suddenly appeared having the dam, and made a terrific effort the redoubt, which their companions of the 6th had so miserably failed to do in the morning. Taken entirely by surprise, these few four men in the earthwork were reported and retired. Finding them masters of the work, the enemy had scarcely time to breathe when some companies of the 7th and 8th Georgia and 24 into the redoubt and butchered the they stood. Few shots were feed on either side, but a low, rumbling noise and told plainly what was going on four hundred of the 3d who for a canteen of whiskey and had volunteered to wipe out the of their brethren of the 6th, not twenty and outside the redoubt, long the dam, and heaped together in a bleeding in the swamp the Gallager but detected foe lay grouped in Loudly roared their artillery, and incessant were their of musketry from the opposite side of the bog, but with terror and adding to their every moment by the unerring rifler of our enemy withdrew in Gen. commanded the enemy in this and in said to have been drunk on the ; but this one thing is certain, and prisoners confers the, were made so to work them up to fits of desperation. He has since died. He was shot residency. McClellan, in allusion to this No. 2; " admits a lose of "15 officer and 100 privates wounded; " (!) but this we know, viz: not more than twenty of the four hundred lived to recross the swamp; and those but wounded were barbarously allowed to wallow in the mire, and suffer all the tortures of wounds and want for forty-eight hours, and those of ours who ventured forth to relieve their wants were fired upon, and several lost their lives in such errands of mercy.
Such was one of the many "affairs," as called, that almost daily occurred on the line of works from river to river; but although always ending as brilliantly to our arms, I have never seen any note of such events, except in the lying bulletins of the " Chief," McClellan. Such an army as confronted the foe on our whole line was never seen before by us; and more gallant, enduring, cheerful, and cashing troops, never upon the tented field than those who, under the calm, far-seeing Johnson, the onslaught of the Northern hordes under McClellan. They came not, however, but shrunk back to their transects, afraid of the phantom their own despoints had created.--With regiments of picked sharpshooters, armed with rifles having telescopic sights, they mourned their ponderous field and breastworks along their whole line, afraid to come forth in the open field and accept the gauge frequently proffered by the forces, comment to skulk like assessing and kill by twos and threes. With monster mortar batteries, and every appliances known to modern warfare this large army under McClellan has rain inactive for weeks before a much inferior force, and are again filled in their designs by the sagacious and ever-watchful Johnston. Having lost hundreds, fifty, thousands of lives, by sickness alone; having incurred fearful expenditures in rendering their position healths and tenable; having built long lines of military roads, hospitals, depots, and hereafter ball the Quartermaster's transportation in hauling munitions and supplies, the escapes them and their Commander in Chief is ranked among the class of Paterson and Scott, whose name and repute have been blasted by the astute Johnston. Touched to the quick, discomfited to every skirmish, filled in all attempts to force out position, the Federals pushed forward after our army, and again on Sunday last were their attacks, defeated and their forces compelled to retired in charges.
Our rear guard had coercively entered the town of Williamsburg in Sunday afternoon, when the enemy debouched by the York road, and assisted Fort McGruder with two rifles pieces, supported by four squadrons of the 6th Cavalry command of Col. Sniery, such an appearance on out not have happened more entertain. Expecting little resistance, the enemy .
T.E.C.
