The fight at Petersburg.
[from our Own Correspondent.] Petersburg, Va., October 28, 1864.
The battle of Burgess'smill, which was fought yesterday, deserves to be chronicled in detail as an engagement reflecting great credit on the Confederate arms, and as showing the signal failure of the enemy in their flank movements towards the Southside railroad.
As early as Wednesday night it was known to our authorities that the enemy were in motion, but for what point was uncertain.
Early Thursday morning all doubts were removed, when it was ascertained that the enemy had moved, by a long denture, from Poplar Spring Church--their then farthest advanced position on the right — to the Quaker road, and thence down this road to the Beydton plankroad, driving in our cavalry and occupying their captured camps.
They did not halt, but pressed on until they reached the south bank of the Rowenty stream, on the heights of which they halted and fortified, their progress being too hotly contested to enable them to go further.
This position was about eight miles southeast of Petersburg, on the Boydton and Petersburg railroad.
This was about 12 o'clock noon. Hampton had gallantly thought them all the morning, but was forced back by the great odds he was contending against, namely six picked divisions of their infantry, from the Second, Fifth and Ninth corps: a division of cavalry, and a full complement of artillery.
Matters rested in this condition until about 2 P. M., when Mahone, having gone around on their flank, striking off the plankroad at a point five miles below the city, and passing, by a blind path, through a dense woods — more dense, if anything, than the Wilderness — he struck the enemy about 4 P. M. A fierce engagement ensued, and the enemy were driven back.
At the same moment, Hampton and his cavalry having passed entirely around the enemy, fall upon them like a thunderbolt from Heaven, and press them in every direction.
This is the opportune moment for the grandest victory of the war; but Mahone's men meet line upon line, and are forced back.
The force of ours who are engaging the enemy in front of Rowanty stream to cross the stream in front and dislodge the enemy there, thus relieving Mahone's flank movement — and so the three brigades of General Mahone his own, McRae's and Saunders old brigade) fall to make the work as effectual as it might have been had Mahone been permitted to have carried an adequate force on this flank movement.
New troops are now sent for by General Mahone, and ordered to him by Heth, who was in supreme command; but before their arrival darkness supervened, and it was impossible to do anything.
During the night, the enemy, taking counsel of their demoralization and fear, abandon the battle-field and retire, leaving over three hundred of their dead on the battle-field upwards of two hundred wounded, in charge of three surgeons, in hospitals; the battle-ground covered with the debris of an abandoned camp, such as blankets, overcoats and the like, besides a large amount of champagne, lobsters, sardines, fresh beef and everything rise that was palatable.
Over two thousand stands of fine Springfield and Enfield muskets have gathered from the field to arm our incoming conscripts.
The propel who were temporarily in the lines of the enemy say the enemy carried off their ambulatories inden down with dead and wounded.
Mahone's men took from the enemy four pieces of artillery, but, owing to the density of the woods, could not bring them off.
Our loss will reach, all told, not over seven hundred and fifty, of whom same four hundred were taken prisoners by the enemy.
This happened thus as Mahone selvaged, a part of his line, instead of pushing on, halted, the enemy's cavalry around and gobbled them up.
The enemy's loss in prisoners, including wounded left in our hands, amount to over seven hundred; among them three colonels.
Mahone's gallant brigade also took from the enemy three stands of colors.
Grant commanded in person, and expected grant results from this move.
The fruits to us in this affair are the dislodgment of the enemy from the plankroad, which put them in uncomfortable proximity to the Southside railroad, and their great demoralization, all of which we accomplished with a force, when compared with that of the enemy, astoundingly small a larger force been put on the flank movement, we should have achieved a victory which would have astounded the universal Yankee nation and caused them to hite their lips in veriest rage.
A little after dark last night, the enemy came up to Wise's lines, on the Baster road, and by some strange luck, actually act inside of our breastworks, which they occupied only for short while, when they were dislodged.
They managed, however, to carry all Lieutenant-Colonels Harrison and Wise, and some thirty others, as prisoners.
We took about a dozen prisoners.
Later in the night they captured and drove in our lines on the Jerusalem plankroad, but about midnight this picket line was reestablished, and so matters are now in status quo
October, 29, 1864.
To-day, details from our side have been busy burying the Yankee dead and attending their wounded.
The country will learn, with regret, that General Hampton lost in this fight one son killed and one wounded, but the General attends to me duties with unflinching fidelity. X.
Petersburg, Va., October 31--1 P. M.
Last night, about ten o'clock, Major-General Mahone, having made the necessary preparations, determined to surprise the picket line in his front and capture it. Accordingly, he started forward two regiments to accomplish this work, one to the right and one to the left of the picket line, capturing the vidette posts, and, sweeping down the lines, brought in every mother's son of them some two hundred and fifty in all. After accomplishing this they retired.
Somewhat later, the Yankee long-roll having been beat, an immense force was brought up, and they charged with a yell where their line had been, discharging whole volleys; but, lot no rebels were there.
They charged an imaginary for. The Yankees belong to Hancock's corps, and say that McClellan will get the whole vote if any is polled, but that Grant has ordered that there shall be no election.
All quiet to-day. X.
