From Petersburg.
[from our own Correspondent.] Petersburg, Va., August 2.
I wrote you very hurriedly on Saturday, recapitulating the main points in the affair of that day. Subsequent investigations have put me in possession of some additional facts, which I now propose to give you.
The sap to the mine which was exploded was not over sixty yards in length and about six feet in width, and was dug fully twenty-five feet below the surface of the earth, and occupied in its completion about thirty days. That this is not the only mine which the enemy are preparing, I have other evidence besides the statements of the prisoners.
I hope the next time they attempt to spring one that we will be better prepared for them than we were before.
The results of the fight are now better known.
Our losses will foot up about thirteen hundred, as follows: Mahone's division — Sanders's, Mahone's, and Wright's brigades, killed and wounded about four hundred and fifty; Elliott's South Carolina brigade, which was a salient when the explosion occurred, loses about three hundred in killed and wounded; Ransom, Clingman, and Wise, who were under heavy artillery and musketry firing, lose about three hundred, killed and wounded.
The enemy captured some three hundred prisoners, at least their officers so stated yesterday under flag of truce.
In my report of Saturday I had intended to have made mention of the splendid manner in which the artillery firing was directed by Major W. H. Caskie, of your city; the battery of Wright, of his command, is especially deserving of honorable mention.
The battle flags taken from the enemy number no less than nineteen, and are of every character and in all conditions, from the one scarcely soiled to the greasy and battle tattered banner that has followed the Yankee misfortunes in many an unlucky engagement.
The following is a list of the flags and their gallant captors:
"W. B. Wellons, 6th Virginia, company H, Mahone's brigade, 12th New Hampshire Volunteers; Unascertained, 28th U. States colored; John W. Miles, 41st Virginia, company H, Mahone's brigade, Guidon, marked Unascertained, 31st regiment infantry;
Lieutenant-Colonel R. O. Whitehead, 16th Virginia, Mahone's brigade, Stars and Stripes; Unascertained, 57th Massachusetts regiment; David Barnes, 16th Virginia regiment, company G, Mahone's brigade, Stars and Stripes; Lieutenant Joseph B. Goodwin 16th Virginia, company F., Mahone's brigade, Stars and Stripes; Sergent John H. Deaton, 8th Alabama, company E, Sanders's brigade, 2d Michigan regiment; Sergent Peter Howell, 61st Virginia, company G, Mahone's brigade,--regiment infantry; John M. Critcher, 9th Alabama, company K, Sanders's brigade, 20th regiment Michigan infantry; L. R. Kilby, 16th Virginia, company B, Mahone's brigade, 100th regiment--F. J. Herndon, 3d Georgia, company F., Wright's brigade, 58th Massachusetts, Regimental; A. J. Saddler, 16th Virginia, company F, Mahone's brigade, 58th Massachusetts, State; W. F. Lane, 16th Virginia, company G, Mahone's brigade, Stars and Stripes; James Heaton, 11th Alabama, company G, Sanders's brigade, Guidon, Stars and Stripes, small; Unascertained, Stars and Stripes."
The prisoners taken will reach at least eleven hundred, including the wounded, who are at the Poplar Lawn Hospital, and being well cared for. The Yankee loss, all told, cannot fall short of five thousand men. Their officers, under flag of truce yesterday, acknowledged that they had about three thousand wounded in their hospitals.
This, with eleven hundred prisoners and the seven hundred dead of the army, will very nearly approximate five thousand.
I mentioned in my last that whilst Mahone was engaged in retaking the line which had been temporarily lost by Bushrud Johnson, the enemy on Harris's front demanded the surrender of his picket line.
The following is the modest document covering the demand.
For the amusement of the reader I will give it:
--headquarters 1st brigade,
1st division, 5th Army Corps,
"The Colonel commanding brigade directs me to say that if the pickets on our front come into our lines as prisoners we will not fire a shot at you, but if you stay as you are we intend shelling every rifle-pit, and make you leave them at once.
If this meets your approval come outside your pits and hold your hands above your heads, and come in, and you will be treated as prisoners of war.
On Sunday evening, about two o'clock, Burnside sent a flag of truce, asking for a cessation of hostilities to bury the dead between the lines. General Beauregard responded that whenever a proposition came from the General commanding the army of the Potomac it would be entertained. Immediately after the return of the first paper General Meade sent a flag covering a similar request. About two o'clock Monday morning General Beauregard replied, granting the request and fixing the hours between nine A. M. and five A. M. for the purposes indicated. At the hour named, or just about sunrise, three gaily-dressed, flashing-looking officers raised an elegant white flag, mounted on a handsome staff, and advanced from their line of works. Simultaneously two shabbily-dressed but brave Confederates, mounting a dirty pocket handkerchief on a ramrod, proceeded to meet them. A brief parley ensued, civilities were exchanged, and then the details came to do the work of the truce — the burial of the dead. For five hours the work went vigorously forward. The Yankees brought details of negroes, and we carried their negroes out under guard to help them in their work. Over seven hundred Yankees, whites and negroes, were buried. A. P. Hill was there, with long gauntlets slouch hat, and round jacket. Mahone, dressed in little-boy-fashion cut of clothes, made from old Yankee tent cloth, was beside him. The gallant Harris, of the Mississippi brigade, and the gallant, intrepid Sanders, who but forty eight hours before had so successfully retaken those works — the best looking and best dressed Confederate officer present — was sauntering leisurely about, having a general superintendence over the whole affair. On the Yankee side there was any number of nice young men, dressed jauntily, carelessly smoking cigars and proffering whiskey, wine, and brandy of the best labels, and of sufficient age to warrant its flavor. More than one Confederate took a smile. Some took two, and one told me that finding the liquor of the "peace" order, he went it seven times. Several bottles were sent as presents to our leading generals. The Yankees talked freely, said their loss would be five thousand, that the whites blamed the negroes, and the negroes in turn charged the disasters of the day upon the whites. They all agreed that Burnside was just an hour and a half behind time, and that he was the greatest of modern butchers, as Marye's hill and Griffiths farm would abundantly attest.--Whilst the truce lasted, the Yankees and the "Johnny Rebs," in countless number, flecked to the neutral grounds and spent the time in chatting and eight-seeing. The stench, however, was quite strong, and it required a good nose and a better stomach to carry one through the ordeal. About nine o'clock, the burial being completed, the officers sent the men back to the trenches, on each side. The officers bade each other adieu and returned to their respective lines. Everything is quiet to-day, and has been since Grant's coup de main of Saturday.
X.
