The News.
Grant's movement of Sunday and Monday, on our right, southwest of
Petersburg, was, as we have previously ill-fated a serious and determined attempt to plant his left nearer the Southside railroad, and, by so doing, advance another step in the investment of
Petersburg.--He may even have regarded the capture of that road as possible.
In this he was disappointed; but he succeeded in effecting a lodgment on
Hatcher's creek, and there intrenching himself.
This puts him at certainly nearer the Southside railroad, the immediate objective point of the movement.
We, however, feel satisfied that, as
General Lee has made no attempt to dislodge him, the position can be of no great strategic value.
An official dispatch from
General Lee, received yesterday at 3 o'clock P. M., states that the enemy, on Tuesday, approached several portions of our line, but made no attack; that they still hold their position on
Hatcher's run, and that there was no fighting yesterday.
From another source we learn that, on Tuesday morning, the enemy advanced in heavy force upon our extreme right, between
Burgess's and
Armstrong's mills, and approached to within seventy yards of our breastworks, when, being opened upon by our troops, they turned and fled, leaving their dead and wounded on the field, our troops pursuing them to their works.
It will be observed there is no discrepancy between this statement and
General Lee's report.
He says the enemy approached our lines but did not attack.
In this case, as they approached our lines we attacked.
In this sortie we regret to learn that
Brigadier-General G. M. Sorrel, of
Georgia, commanding
Wright's old brigade, was shot through the lungs, and, it is feared, mortally wounded.
The formidable character of this movement will be appreciated when it is known that nearly the whole of
Grant's army participated.
Four of his corps are known to have been engaged, namely the First, Second, Fifth and Sixth corps.
The advance of this immense force on Monday was successfully resisted by
Pegram's,
Evans's and
Mahone's divisions.
There is no doubt that
Grant was chiefly incited to attempt this midwinter dash upon our right by the belief that
General Lee had sent
Mahone, with a considerable body of troops, to
South Carolina.
If he has accomplished nothing else, he has been disagreeably undeceived.
He found to his cost that the gallant and lucky
Mahone was at his old position, where he has so often before welcomed our enemies with bloody hands to hospitable graves.
Considering the obstinacy of the fight of Monday, and the length of its duration, the number of casualties on each side was unusually small.
This is accounted for by the fact that the battle was fought on densely-wooded ground.
We lost few prisoners, and took few.-- Sixty-seven, belonging to the Sixth corps, captured during the fight, were received in the city yesterday.
Again on yesterday it was reported that
Sherman had taken
Branchville, but nothing in confirmation of this was received at the War Office.
Gold.
No transactions of consequence took place in the gold market yesterday.--Brokers are not anxious to sell.
The negro Soldier scheme.
The Confederate Senate, in secret session on Tuesday, by an overwhelming majority voted down
Mr. Brown's resolution instructing the Military Committee to report a bill putting two hundred thousand negro soldiers in the army.--This puts this vexed question at rest, at least for a time.
Not captured.
Colonel Mosby, now in this city, yesterday received a telegram stating that none of his men had been captured in the Shenandoah Valley, as alleged by the last Yankee newspapers.
