Particulars of the fight at Petersburg, Saturday.
Our correspondent at
Petersburg, yesterday, gave some of the particulars of the fight at
Petersburg, Saturday.
It appears that a reconnaissance in force was made of the enemy's position near the river on Saturday morning at an early hour, which was brilliantly executed as far as it went, but was, unfortunately, attended with some little loss.
Our troops were massed to the left of
Colquitt's salient, in front of the enemy's works on
Hare's farm, whence, preceded by
General Gordon's corps of sharpshooters, a silent but rapid advance was made.
The sharpshooters were notified of the duties expected of them, and perfect quiet imposed upon their movements.
The assault was intended to be a surprise to the enemy; and such, indeed, it proved to be. The Petersburg
Express has the following particulars of the affair:
‘
About 4 o'clock, everything being in readiness, the corps of sharpshooters, about two hundred and fifty strong, left our works, and, with empty guns, advanced stealthily, but rapidly, upon the enemy's position.
They fell like a thunderclap upon the
Yankees behind the first line of works they struck, clubbing such as they found awake with their muskets, bagging a good many prisoners, and capturing several hundred yards of breastworks.
Not a musket was fired, and not a man injured on our side.
Meantime, the several brigades massed, both to support and assist them, came up, and the formidable forts on Hare Hill, with a considerable portion of the heavy line of works adjoining and connecting with it, were charged and captured, additional prisoners and numerous mortars and guns falling into our hands.
Unfortunately, some of the
Yankees who had escaped in the darkness, fled, and aroused the men in the rear line of works, and the alarm was quickly spread throughout the reserve camps behind, so that a formidable force was soon alert.
By the time our troops had formed into line on either side of the captured fort, the enemy was thoroughly aroused, and was prepared for further offensive operations on our side; otherwise, the advance of our troops would have been irresistible and successful beyond anticipation.
As it was, they came in a position subject to an enfilading fire on either side, and confronted by heavy forts and breastworks.
The
Yankees were not slow to take advantage of the opportunity thus afforded them, and they quickly massed artillery in the neigh boring forts, and infantry in our front.
They made several fierce assaults upon our columns, in heavy lines which were repulsed with great coolness and vigor, and in which it is believed the enemy sustained much loss.
’
Finding it impossible to dislodge the
Confederates by their infantry attacks the enemy opened upon them with their artillery.
Battery No. 1, on the river, and Fort Steadman, on the right — both so situated as thoroughly to command and enfilade the captured fort and works — belched forth their terrible discharges of grape, shell and canister into our ranks, and rendered the position almost untenable.
Further advance by our troops, in the face of the terrible obstacles that presented themselves, was deemed impracticable, and
General Gordon gave the command to retire.
Not whipped — not even once repulsed — our brave men, who had taken the enemy's strong works and themselves repulsed all attempts at recapture, commenced falling back.
Up to this moment they had lost nothing, but gained everything.
The enemy now opened every gun that could be brought to bear upon our troops, and subjected them to a rain of iron before which the experiences of
Malvern Hill and
Gettysburg are said by veterans to pale almost into insignificance.
It was painfully distinct in this city, where our very dwellings were shaken to their foundations.
Our troops retired through this trying ordeal in commendable order, leaving several of their gallant comrades behind, and reached their original lines between eight and nine o'clock. The
Yankees pursued no further than their own works.
Five hundred and seven prisoners, all belonging to the Ninth corps, were brought off early in the morning.--Among them was
Brigadier-General McLaughlin and numerous commissioned officers.
Nine pieces of artillery and eight mortars were captured.
The former were spiked and dismounted.
Three fine brass mortars we brought off.
Among the casualties is the following partial list of officers:
‘
Brigadier-General William Terry, painfully in both thighs;
Brigadier-General Phil. Cook, of
Georgia, arm broken;
General Gordon, very slight in leg;
Colonel Casey, Fifty-eighth Virginia regiment,
Pegram's brigade, captured;
Colonel J. H. Baker, commanding
Evans's brigade, wounded slightly;
Lieutenant-Colonel Tate, Sixth North Carolina, badly in face;
Lieutenant-Colonel Jones, Fifty-seventh North Carolina, severe in arm;
Major Bell, Twenty-first North Carolina, hand, slight;
Captain Nicholson,
adjutant-general to
General Johnston, killed;
Captain Ridd, commanding Thirteenth Georgia regiment, killed.
Adjutant Clayton, Twelfth Georgia battalion, killed.
’
Brigadier-General Johnston accidentally sprained an ankle while leaping the enemy's works.
Our loss will reach several hundred.
Of the enemy's loss, we are unable to form an estimate, but it was, no doubt, severe, as they were repulsed in two heavy charges.
An officer of some distinction was shot from his horse while endeavoring to rally his men. He is believed to have been
General Warren, now commanding the Ninth corps.
This movement was well conceived and admirably executed.
The commanding officers bear unanimous testimony to the gallant action of the troops engaged, and award them the highest praise.
General Gordon's sharpshooters are very highly spoken of.
About 11 o'clock, a flag of truce was sent across to the enemy, proposing a cessation of hostilities for the purpose of removing the dead and wounded, which was readily acceded to. Our dead and wounded were all brought off the field.
During the remainder of the day, and since, there has been unbroken quiet on this portion of the lines.
About nine o'clock on Saturday morning, after the fighting on our left had ceased, the enemy commenced demonstrating on the right, in the vicinity of
Hatcher's run, and thence, during the day, down to Fort Gregg, some two and a half miles from the city.
Our picket lines were charged and captured in front of several brigades, and in turn portions of them recaptured by our troops.
These demonstrations — for they were nothing else — were kept up all day, the heaviest of them being made between three and four o'clock P. M. The enemy advanced in double line of battle, the length of a brigade front each, and drove in
General Thomas's pickets, and pursuing to within some two hundred yards of our lines.
A battery of artillery was placed in position on their flank, which opened upon them with grape and canister and one-second fuse shells.
A large number of them were killed and wounded, the line of battle quickly broken, and the
Yankees retreated in confusion to their works.
Our main line of works was at no time of the day in danger.--The whole day's operations were conducted on and about the picket lines. --We lost some prisoners, and captured one hundred and fifty. Our loss in killed and wounded is not heavy.
The cannonading on these lines was very spirited and rapid at times.
