The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-11 00:00:00

The following accounts of the battle, including
Gen. Hood's official despatch, are from the Rich.
mond .Enquirer of the 25th:—

" The glorious news from Northern Georgia ab.
sorbed the public attention on Saturday and yes.
terday. The city was lively with delightful ex.
citement, and even the grim savans, who affect to
see an almost interminable war, grew buoyant with
hope. The fate of Sherman, and its bearing upon
the result of the general campaign and the war,
was liberally discussed, and it was generally ac.
cepted that, should the effect of Hood's initiatory
engagements be sustained and culminate in a de.
eisive victory, no fears, not even doubts, need be
entertained as to the result of the campaign in Vir-
ginia. Grant having expended the force of num.
bers at his command in vain, strategic force may
then be employed by him to about the same pur-
pose. The following is the official despatch of Gen.
Hood :

" Atlanta, July 22, 10.30 p.m.
" ' The enemy shifted its position fronting on
Peachtree Creek last night, and Stewart's and
Cheatham's corps formed line of battle around the
city. Hardee's corps made a night march and at-
tacked the enemy's extreme left today at 1 o'clock,
and drove him from his works, capturing 16 pieces
of artillery and five stands of colours. Cheatham
attacked the enemy at 4 p.m. with a portion of his
command, and drove the enemy, capturing six pieces
of artillery. During the engagement we captured
about 2,000 prisoners. Wheeler's cavalry routed
the enemy in the neighbourhood of Decatur, cap.
turing his camps. Oar loss is not fully ascertained.
Major• General Walker killed ; Brigadier-Generals
Smith, Gist, and Mercer wounded. Prisoners re-
port M'Pherson killed. Our troops fought with
great gallantry. "' J. B. HOOD, General.
" ' Hon. Secretary of War.' "
THE PRESS DESPATCHES.

"Atlanta, July 22.
" About 2 o'clock this afternoon the enemy at-
tacked,our left under Gen. Stewart with great vigour.
They were received with a galling fire from both
artillery and infantry, which caused them to falter
when the order was given to charge. Among their
killed is General M'l'herson, who was shot through
the heart; Brigadier-General Giles A. Smith and
(the Yankee) General Hood; General Graham lost
a leg. Our troops left their breastworks and
charged with great rapidity, driving the enemy
from two lines of intrenchments and inflicting
great slaughter, capturing a large number of pri-
soners and 22 pieces of artillery. Gen. Hardee,
having passed round the enemy's flank, is now in
their rear, doing great execution. The fighting
still continues."

" July 23.
"General Wheeler last evening attacked the
enemy's left, in the neighbourhood of Ihcatur, and
drove them back, capturing 500 waggons with
supplies, and a large number of prisoners. He is
still pursuing. There was very little fighting after
dark yesterday. 2,000 prisoners, including 75
commissioned officers, 25 pieces of artillery, and
seven stands of colours have been brought in.
The losses on either side are not yet known. Ours
was seve7e in officers. Comparative quiet reigns
this morning. There is some little skirmishing on
our left."
Despatches from Washington, of the 20th tilt.
say;--

"The latest official despatches from Gen. Sher-
man's arm; state that Le is steadily drawing his
lines closer around Atlanta. He has as yet re-
ceived no tidings of the cavalry force sent out to
cut the Macon and Columbus Railroad, which is
the only means of escape to the rebel army from
Atlanta. A despatch received here states that
Gen. Hood has made efforts to renew the assault
upon General Sherman's lines since the battle on
Friday last. They were, however, feeble efforts
and easily and promptly repelled, with an aggre-
gate loss to Sherman of only about 100 men."
Latest accounts from General Grant's army are
as follow :
"Bermuda Hundred, July 27, via Fortress
Montroe, July 28.
" An important movement is in progress from this
point. This morning, while our troops were cross•
ing the James River to its north aide on two pontoon
bridges, a rebe' force came down and attacked our
men on the banks before they had time to organise.
A spirited engagement took place, and the rebels
were finally driven back to their intrenc'atnents.
Our forces continued to arrive, and organised and
attacked the rebels, carrying their position and
capturing four guns. These guns were marked,
Captured from the Yankees at Drury's Bluff.' We
also captured many prisoners. The rebels were
finally driven from their position into the woods,
and far beyond them, where skirmishing still con-
tinued, when our informant left. The gunboats
were on hand and rendered valuable assistance in
covering the landing of our troops. The guns cap-
tured are no doubt the same that were captured
from Captain Bilger's battery by the rebels on the
17th of May. These guns are now at City Point."
" Washington, Friday, July 20.
"A letter from the army of the Potomac, dated
July 28, says :

" Toe arrival of some troops in the vicinity of
Bermuda Hundred a day or two ago attracted the
attention of the enemy, and caused them to believe
an advance on Richmond, by the way of Malvern
Hill, was intended. A force, consisting of her-
shaw's division of Longstreet's corps, and Wilcox's
division of Hill's corps, was immediately withdrawn
from the vicinity of Petersburg, and sent down to
check the movement. To counteract this manoeuvre
of the enemy the 2d Corps was detached and sent
across the James River, and at halfapast 6 o'clock
yesterday morning our advance met the rebel skir-
mishers in an open field opposite Jones Neck, with
a battery in position at the edge of the woods, on the
further side of the field. A long line of skirmishers
was at once thrown out, who soon drove the rebels
to their breast works, where they were kept hotly
engaged, while a brigade of the Ist Division moved
around on the left of the enemy's line, and getting
on their flank, charged and drove them from their
guns into the woods, capturing 50 or 60 prisoners,
four guns aead a quantity of small arms. The enemy
fell bazk on their reinforcements, who occupied
strong works built there two years ago, and our
troops followed, taking up positions on their front
med flanks, and before this reaches you the entire
force may be captured or eouted. The guns token
were four 24-pounder Parrotts, marked May 29,
1864, near Richmond—the same which were cap-
tured from the Bth Corps at Drury'e Bluff May.
Our less was only about half-a-donen wounded, none
seriously. General Grant rode to the front in tLe
afternoon, in company with General Hancock, and
viewed the position the enemy were in, He seemed
well pleased with the morning operations. General
Foster's command had quite a lively time with the
enemy yesterday at this place, but his force being
weak he fell back half a mile to a stronger position,
which he held until the arrival of the 2d Corps. He
lost 40 or 50 wounded during the dey. An attack
was eypected no W
arren's front yesterday but it
was not made. Picket and artillery firing is in-

have been also overlooked, both by the public and
the Government, and those cheap rewards so justly
due to long and faithful services seem to have been
withheld from him to be bestowed upon others who
were less of soldiers and more of politicians. It is
well that the Republic can yet boast of men to whom
the voice of duty speaks more potently than the in-
sinuations of public ingratitude and personal injus-
tice. History will for ever honour the men who have
done the real work of this war; while she will
utterly ignore the political scramblers who by wire
working have obtained lofty promotion, and on very
small capital have managed to obtain a sort of fire-
fly reputation. In the repulse of yesterday the
enemy received a damaging blow, from which he
cannot fully re:..over. It is almost to be hoped that
he will continue to spend his strength in such crazy
attempts to destroy this army. By no other means
can he more surely bring himself to that just retri•
bution which is the proper reward of his crime
against his country and the civilisation of the age.
Let the rebel legions continue to precipitate them-
selves against the iron lines that press them towards
the gulf ; it may ultimately give relief to their in-
sane hate, and bring them, by the dreadful argu-
ment of blood, to the conviction that they are wrong
and we are right."