The Peninsula.
A correspondent of the Lynchburg
Virginian, writing from
Gloucester Point, April 21, says that the enemy made three desperate assaults on our lines at or near Wynne's Mills, on the night of the 19th, and were repulsed each time with considerable loss.
The writer gives the following account of the situation of affairs on the
Peninsula:
Your readers may not understand what is meant in the newspaper reports of fights and skirmishing at "Dam No. 1," "Dam No. 2," &c. A word of explanation may make it all plain.
Our line of defences extend from
Yorktown diagonally across the
Peninsula to or near the head of
Warwick river.
There is a creek running very near our lines and almost parallel with the same from near
Yorktown to the river, upon which is built Wynne's mill,
Lee's mill, and perhaps others.
The stream is a small one, and offered no obstruction to the passage of any kind of troops, except at the mill-dams, until
Gen. Magruder had dams constructed all along its source at such points as he thought best, thus making it impassable all the way, except at certain points where we have batteries erected.
These dams are all numbered, and the enemy seems determined to destroy one or more of them at all hazards.
They are mounting heavy guns behind embraced works in full view of our works at Wynn's mill, and only twelve hundred yards distant. Whether they will be allowed to complete their works or not, remains to be seen.
Two companies of the enemy succeeded in stealing along under the base of one of the dams a few days ago, unobserved, as they thought, by our troops.
They were permitted to cross and form a line, when fire was opened upon them, and every man of them was killed except eight, who were taken prisoners.--This was told me last evening by one of the chaplains from the regiment, who saw the bodies of the enemy as they had been piled up by the unerring aim of our gallant soldiers.
The impression prevails here to-day that our forces will attack the enemy in a few days.
This is, I think, the best policy our
Generals can pursue.
I profess to know but little about these matters, but it is clear to my mind that if we set ourselves down here behind our works, and allow the enemy to entrench and fortify himself all along in front of our lines, as he is now doing, and mount all his heavy guns to bear upon our works, that it will be a most disastrous policy to us.
Everything has been comparatively quiet on the
Point for the last twenty-four hours. The river has been too rough for the enemy's boats to trouble us.
Our right wing is commanded by
General Magruder, our centre by
General Longstreet, our left by
General Hill, our reserve by
General Smith.
The whole superintended by
General Johnston.
The correspondent says, in another letter, that the enemy in that region post soldiers in the rear of those whom they put in advance, with instructions to shoot them down if they falter or give way. A similar course was pursued at
Shiloh, according to the account we published a few days ago from a Cincinnati paper; and yet, it did not prevent the shameful defection and flight which that same writer describes.
This mode of backing up the
Yankee soldiers is not only an indication of want of perfect confidence in their troops, but is the highest compliment that can be paid by the
Northern officers to the spirit, valor, and prowess of our soldiers.
