Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-05-02
From tba PhIIadelphIa Inau.rsr.


SUFFOLK, Va, April I3, 1868.
! We fred upon the enemy last NIGHT; shellinl
! the woods from ore of the gunboats, over tht
! town without provoking reply There is in
formation currant that the rebels are waiting 70
reinforcements, and moving to outAank Us b,
way of Deep creek, thus getting between u
and Norfolk.
Last evening several trains went down {,
/ Portsmouth, lOadsd with women, trunks, etc
During the day the Adams express seent
had busy time Of it. They have received ove
quarter of 3 million Of dollars from sutler
and traders. These amounts are to be sen
North for deposit and to various firms.
With the light of day we found cloudet
sky and heavy rain, and occasionally we hesrd
the resounding of heavy guns, sometimes from
the guRboats and at others from redoubt on
general Terry's front. The sharD-shootsrs, too,
are doing well.
With cur glasses wa can see many of the
rebels entering the houses of people living near
our present line of defense, and even looking
inside a few tents wa abandoned and which
were occupied BY the man aud officers assigned
to our extreme advanced signal station A
small detachment of the rebel sharp hooters
are lying fat on the ground, on the oth II side
of deep rsvins, within q short distance of one
of our batteries, and yet, so favorably hsve they
placed themselves, that we have not vet been
able to dislodgs them, although they have been
firing for several hours. The South quay bat
terry has been fring for three or four hours.
General Corc0rsrl has charge Of the whole line
Of our defensive works
Aho1t nine o'clock the reserve pickess Of Act
ING Big. General Fosters brigade were driven
iu and diminishing commenced 1lrl0st IN full
sight Of cur breast works toward the Sonmer-
ton road.
A rsna-t has ,.a.ol,o5 re fb4t fI,s ,-,s,,,,- q
throwing M Qualifications on the left bank Of
the Nsnssmond river at point about four miles
from Suffolk Several Of tho eun6oats com
pTising the Nanseraoud squadron, have been
fred on by the euemYs shaTpshoosers Ia the
river. .at the present time are the aruav gubosts
Smith Briggs, Cspt. Les West End, Captain
-; and the navy guuboafs Alert, Acti1g-
Master Cox; Philadelphia, Acting Master Rsy-
n0ldsi Commodore Barney, Lieut.. Cushing,
commanding, and Stepping Stones, Aeting-Eias-
ter Harris. The flagship of the squadron is
the Mount Washington, Lieut.. Dawson, of the
Minnesota, in Command
At eleven o'clock detachment from the Ist
New York Mounted Rifles was sent over tho
Nsnsem0nd river and out on the Providenee
Church road. They had proceeded but a short
distance when the enemy's infantry opened on
them from tho woods woUnding two Of our men,
and slightly wcundiDg an ofis TIE gun
boats Smith Briggs and West End opened Ere
from the river aud shelled the woods. The she'll
ing had the effect of making the enemy's sd-
vance fall back to 8 safer position At the time
the firing commenced s. large detachment of
infantry aTriYei and proceeded to tear down a
number Of hou8es adjacent to tho river which
interfeTed with the range of our guns.
SUFFOLK, VA, April 3-Midnight.--It will
be remembered that my dispatch Of this morn
ing left the enemy firing with his artillery from
the Sommerton road. At one O'Clock he ceased
firing and retired in good order. About three
o'clock p n he appeared on the same ground
and reRewed the fight. After brief engage
ment he was again forced 70 fall bsch, owing to
cur ability to Concentrate some thirty-fve guns
on sny one given point
During the afternoon the enemy appeared on
the other side of the NAnsemond river, and
attacked our gJluboats with dismounted cavalry
men and sharpshoOters, causing a loss 10 US Of
only two or three wounded. Four of the gun
bosts opened fire at once upon the enemy, when
he fell back into the woods. From this place we
dislodged him with the aid of she'll Hs then
retired still further back, occasionally display
ing few scouts IN ths tops OF trees and mount
ed ones at other prominent points.
The enemy opened @ signal station On the
Petersburg railroad, where it crosses the Frank
lin railroad, daring the early part Of the after.
of immense advantages to him, in that he could
signal for many miles ap and dowa the line of
the railroad. To destroy the station, which was
three miles distant, became military necessity,
and the gunboat Smith Briggs, Captain Lee.
was ordered tc do the work From the deck Of
the gunboat nothing could be seen beyond
mile except The wood. But tee fdng com.
menced, and, with the aid Of our signal officers
who were placed il thTee positions-one in the
extreme advance toward the. station, the other
on the main tower in town, and still another on
the eunboat--We threw so many shells directly
upon the enemy's position that be was forced TO
abandon it and seek safety in immediate flight.
This was quite little exploiti for it must be
remembered that Captain Lee could not see the
enemy's position, while the range hsd to be
changed aeccrding to tho signal of1eer's report,
Another skirmish took place late ia the even
ing, when the enemy was driven back into the
woods by three attachments from three Tegi-
msnts Of acting Bdgajier- General Fosters bTi.
ga6e. In this skirmish the injury we sus
tanned was trihing.
An the houses within the range Of our guns
aifording the enemy position TO place sharp.
shooter behind, or tending to intsriere With the
range of our guns, havo been burned.
At Eve p. iAI. we received 8 dispatch from Ma
ior Patton, of the Ist New York mouuted ridss,
10 the foIlo,Eing effect From information
derived froni one Of our scouting parties, 1 learn
that no enenay is on the EdenLon road for dis
tanes Of FIVE miles out"
During the afternoon Q number Of prisoners,
as also MT d few desertaFs, were bought to the
beadduartsrs of Msj0F General Peck. From
these va lslrned that the enemy hsd arranged
to attack US on Yesterday, eus that, owing 70 Che
fsiuTe Of the different division commanders to
come up with their forces, ard thus make
simnllaueolIs attack, offensive operations were
stated until snch tine IS the misunderstanding
could bs ressifed. Ihis was tho statement alike