The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-08 00:00:00

AMERICA.

QUEENSTOWN, Saturday.
'The Royal Mail steamship Australasian arrived
off the harbour at nine oclock this morning, bring-
ing N'3W York dates to the 27th ult. She brings
1,113,733 dols, in specie.
There is still no news of importance from Grant's
army.

The special correspondent of the Cincinnatti Ob-
server supplies the following account of Hood's
attack upon Sherman's army on the 20th nit :
" Battlefield, four miles from Atlanta, July 21.
" Your correspondent has furnished you with
full details of the movements of General Sherman's
army up to the moment yesterday afternoon when
the dashing new rebel commander General Hood,
massed nearly his whole army against the right
wing, composed of the 24th and 20th corps, and
Newton's division of the 4th corps. This portion of
our army, less than one-third of the whole, met the
most reckless, massive, and headlong charge of the
war, without yielding an inch, save a little on one
of the flanks of Geary's division, where a gap in
the line occurred, and where the enemy pressed
through, but was speedily checked. The attack
was made by nearly the whole of the rebel army,
and its complete repulse forms the most glorious
chapter in Sherman's present campaign. The fol-
lowing are the details of the fight :—As your readers
already know, our whole army had effected the
crossing of Peachtree Creek, a small but difficult
stream, covering Atlanta on the north and partially
on the east. After the crossing, which was actually
completed by the afternoon of the 20th, our left,
under Nl'pherson, rested on the Augusta Railroad,
south of Decatur, and about five miles from Atlanta.
The 14th corps Was on the extreme right,
near the month of Peachtree Creek. On
the left on the 114th corps was the 20th
corps- On the left of the latter, Newton's
division of the 4th corps. A gap then occurred on
our lines for three miles, which was covered on
the south bank of the creek by a curtain of pickets
from Newton's division. On the left of the gap was
concentrated the rest of our army, several divisions
originally on the right having been moved there
eerly on the morning of the 20th, with a view to
strengthening that wing in front,the enemy making
numerous feints, as if to precipitate his whole army
against it. The enemy thus being during the morn-
ing of the 20th massed on our left, orders were issued
to Ne wton, Hooker, and Palmer on the right to ad-
vance and close the gap of three miles. Newton,
on the left, was ordered to move first, protecting his
left flank by the creek. successively Hooker's and
Palmer's corps were to close upon Newton, and
establish a new line as far as possible in advance of
the trenches, which they had constructed a half mile
south of Peachtree Creek immediately after crossing.
Accordingly, about 1 o'clock p.m. Newton deployed
five regiments as skirmishers, and pushed forward
handsomely, driving clouds of the enemy's sharp-
shooters before them and scattering their skirmish
reserves. By 3 p.m. he had advanced three-fourths
of a mile and carried a prominent ridge in his front,
on which, after sending fresh skirmish lines forward,
he proceeded to establish his division. His troops
unslung knapsacks, stacked arms, and fell to erecting
a rail barricade with a will. Hooker now advanced
from his trenches; Butterfield's division, now corn-
mended by General Ward, on the left, Geary in the
centre, and General Williams on the right. Palmer
prepared to close upon Hooker whenever the latter
should form his line. The country over which this
advance was progressing is partly rolling and open,
intersected with difficult creeks, and partially co.
vered with dense undergrowth. In the advance
prisoners were captured at different points talong
the line line, who unanimously stated that no con-
siderable body of their troops was nearer than a
mile and a half. They were, beyond doubt, sent
out to he captured for this purpose. Not less than
three- fourths of the entire rebel army were con-
cealed within musket shot of our skirmishers. At
the same time (at 20 minutes to 4 o'clock p.m.),and
with the celerity of lightning, the rebel host poured
forth from their concealment, massed in enormous
columns, against Newton, coming on without skir-
mishers, and with yells whose volume exceeded any
battle shout I ever heard. Newton's division had
-but half completed their barricade, and they barely
had time to fall into line and seize their guns before
the entire rebel column—composed of 'Walker's and
Bate's division of Hardee's corps—was within range.
The pickets guarding the interval between the right
and left of our army barely escaped capture by
plunging into Peachtree Creek and swimming
across. The enemy had struck us at the vital spot,
just where a victory for him might be decisive.
Newton had more ground to guard than he could
cover by even a single line. For the first few
minutes everything hung trembling in the scale—
Newton's left flank was exposed and just covered
his bridges across Peachtree Creek. Had it given
way the bridges would have been lost, and our
whole right might have been rolled up and forced
back to the Chattahoochee river. The rebel plan
was to destroy our forces on the right, after which
their army would be strong enough to confront, if
-not defeat, the main body of our army on the left
Long lines of darkies, with pack saddles, and other
noncombatants came pouring across the bridges,
with sweat running off them in rivulets, Guards,
with fixed bayonets, were placed at the bridges to
collect whatever armed stragglers might appear,
but none came. In spite of the furious charge none
of our troops were stampeded. The rebel column
poured down an open, but rough series of fields to-
wards Newton's left, evidently aiming at his
bridge. At the moment the enemy first appeared
we had but two pieces of artillery in position,
guarding the vital point, but Captain Goodspeed,
Newton's chief of artillery, with splendid
quickness, brought up ten more guns, making
in all twelve. They opened with canister, the
gunners working with frantic energy. Four guns
went into action on Newton's right. Up to the
moment these guns opened the rebel columns had
swiftly advanced, engaging Newton's three reduced
brigades at terrible odds. It was wonderful how
fast the enemy lost his grip when 16 guns added
their blast to the storm of bullets from Newton's
infantry. The dusky, gray columns slackened their
pace, and began to waver and lose their careful
arrangement. In a few minutes they had come to
a standstill, in partial confusion, and firing heavily
but wildly. Colour-bearer after colour-bearer went
down under the crash of our canister. In vain the
rebel field officers rode up and down the lines,
waving swords and exhorting the men not to falter.
In twenty minutes the assault had totally failed,
and the enemy gave way, retiring in confusion to
the woods from which they had emerged. For the
rest of the afternoon they kept up a desultory fire,
which was returned by our artillery; but they did
not venture to renew the attack. The rebel Gen.
Stevens, commanding a brigade in Walker's divi-
sion, was killed. Nearly 200 rebel dead were
buried in Newton's front next morning. His bri-
gade did not yield an inch, General Ward's divi-
sion, on Newton's right, was struck at the same
moment as Newton, General Ward had just halted
his men at the foot of a hill, for a brief rest, after
his skirmishers had made way to the crest. 'Word
came back to him that the enemy was charging
over the open field in his front in immense force.
Without a moment's hesitation Ward ordered his
division to meet the enemy with a countercharge, his
men moved up the hill in splendid order, and when
they gained the crest they were so close to the rebels
that several of the hostile regiments became inter-
mingled. At such points the rebels scorned addled by
Ward's bold coup, and were captured without diffi-
cult. On other portions of the line fighting at close
quarters continued for hair an hour, but each sue-
ceesive
lice of rebels Was Pressed back by the in-
dubitable valour of Ward's men. At the end of
that time the rebels fellbaek into a dense forest in
the rear, completely whipped so far as Gen.lVard's
division was concerned. General Ward's trophies
are seven rebel battle flags and 300 prisoners, includ-
ing many of the enemy's wounded, left on the field.
Among his prisoners are representatives of 16 rege_
meets, end he, no doubt, fought double that num-
ber. Ward sent all his available artillery to protect
Newton's flank, and his splendid triumph was
achieved with muskets alone. The charge swept
along to the right, strik;rg Geary's division the