The war News.
The most interesting news we have this morning is contained in the announcement that Major- General Wade Hampton, on Friday last, at daylight, started from a point on the Weldon railroad, below Reams's station, and passing around Grant's rear, attacked his position on the Norfolk and Petersburg railroad, capturing three hundred Yankees, and, what was much more valuable, twenty-five hundred head of cattle. On his return, by the same route, he was attacked in the afternoon on the Jerusalem plankroad by Gregg, whom he defeated, bringing off in safety all his captures. The line traveled by General Hampton was about twelve miles long. The following is General Lee's official dispatch: "Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, "September 17, 1864.
"Hon. James A. Seddon, Secretary of War:
"At daylight yesterday the enemy's skirmish line west of the Jerusalem plankroad was driven back upon his entrenchments along their whole extent.
Ninety prisoners were taken by us in the operation.
"At the same hour, General Hampton attacked the enemy's position north of the Norfolk railroad, near Sycamore Church, and captured about three hundred prisoners, some arms and wagons, a large number of horses, and twenty-five hundred cattle.
"General Gregg attacked General Hampton on his return in the afternoon at Belcher's Mill, on the Jerusalem plankroad, but was repulsed and driven back.
Everything was brought off safely.
"Our entire loss does not exceed fifty men. "Hon. James A. Seddon, Secretary of War:
"R. E. Lee."
The prisoners mentioned by General Lee as captured on the skirmish line, belonged chiefly to the First and Second Maryland regiments and Fifth New York heavy artillery. They were taken in front of Wilcox's division. Persons who have recently visited City Point inform us that the locality would now scarcely be recognized by persons who knew it intimately three or four months ago. An immense wharf has been erected by Grant's orders, extending from the old steamboat landing on James river, around up the Appomattox for a half-mile or more. Commissary, ordnance and quartermaster depots, over three hundred feet in length, have been constructed, and sutler's shanties innumerable have sprung up on every hand. Soldiers and civilians, who can raise greenbacks, are enabled to purchase any article they may desire, from a glass of sarsaparilla pop up to an overcoat or an umbrella. The former superb residence of Dr. Eppes has been renovated and repaired, and General Grant, Mrs. Grant, and sundry young Grants, are now snugly ensconced therein, upon the squatter sovereignty principle, about which we heard so much during the Douglas canvass in 1860. From the Doctor's residence up to Jordan's farm, in the immediate vicinity of Petersburg — all the valley of the Appomattox — is one vast camp. The country behind Grant is being daily robbed by the negro troops. They go about in bands, rush into the chambers, and unceremoniously appropriate whatever articles may suit their fancy. They usually bring carts and wagons with them, or impress on the place such teams as may be necessary to carry off their plunder. During the past week, they robbed a gentleman of Surry of nearly all his household goods, two hundred and twenty-five dollars in specie, four fine watches, belonging to his family, and many other articles of value. Last Monday night, they robbed Mr. J. S. Wilson (an old man of seventy,) of nine thousand dollars in money, and other property, amounting in all to thirty thousand dollars. They placed a pistol to his temple and gave him five minutes to live if he did not tell where his gold was concealed. They also brought a rope and told him to select his place of execution, but they could not intimidate him. He proved firm, defied their threats, and still lives — though not unharmed, as one of his slaves was allowed to strike him with his musket. A party of negroes came to Smithfield, and were fired into by the citizens; in a day or two, a gunboat came up to the wharf, and, on the testimony of a negro, four of the principal citizens were arrested and taken off.--The negro, they said, "was a free man, and protected by their flag. " Yesterday, nearly all day, heavy firing was heard from down the river. It was caused by a brisk shelling, in the vicinity of Dutch Gap, by the enemy's gunboats, done to protect the working parties on butler's canal improvement.
