The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-11-03

1efday only broken by the thunder of our guns a
Duech gap and the occasional roar Of heavy gun
LII away towards Petersburg These sounds were
owing TO heavy atmosphere, also distinctly heart
III the caty; and in the Of the morning re
poil was put IN circulation that the enemy hat
captured the Hewlett House battery, which is OF
lhe south Side or James river some two and hal
OF three miles soutR Of Dutch gap. The report wa.
! utterly uniounded From a gentleman who lef
thefe late last evening, we learn that not gun wa
fired on General Piokett's line yesterday
BUTLER's CANAL
This work, while in progress, and all c6pcernino
1t, cannot fail to be of interest From persons well
| acquainted with the geography of Dutch gan
through which the canal is being cut, We have
learned some facts which will enable the reader +
understand the character and magnitude of the work
| Butler has undertaken The isthmus know, ne
Dutch gap, which connects "Farrar,s isIand,, with
the main land north bank of the river is
two hundred yards across, being eighty feet high ON
the western side, and slopng down to the river on
the east The channel Of the river runs against the
west side, striking it oblquey Just off the shore
at this point the water is from twelve fifteen feet
deep. The channel being on this side will greatly
aud Butler should he complete his canal, as had
river he would have been obliged to construct a
huSe oreakwater to turn the stream into the canal
We learn he is cutting diagonally through the
lsthmus, beginning a hundred wards below its mar
rowest point, and designing to come out at The point
where the channel strikes the bank This will give
his canal, if ever finished, length of about three
hundred yards
As we stated on previous occasion, We have rea
Snr TO hall iba+@ 4,
the cut to the waters edge, which is a necessary
prennnhary, having not yet been more than two
thirds completed
THE BATTLE OF THURSDAY ON THE NORTH
SIDE.
we give much OF our space this morning TO ex-
tracts from Yankee correspondents Describing
the fights of last Thursday the north side of
James river and southwest Of Petersburg. We re-
cur to the subject here with particular purpose
The correspondent of the Philadelphia Inoai,e,
gives an account Of the operations of the Eigh-
teenth corps which, far regards the white di-
Vlsions-Marston's and Hickman's-is more truthful
than we could have expected from a Yankee but
when he comes TO tell of the "Third lcolored div-
SON. This prolix narrative concerning which we re-
gret our space prevents publishingl he con-
ceals the truth by both lying and pretending ieno-
rance. He says Weitzel, having determined to at
tack our works on the Williamsburg road sent the
Third (coloredl division the York River rail-
road TO the Nine-Mle road with orders to turn our
extreme Left that the Third coloredj reached the
Nine-Mue road and storrned portion of cur works
ana captured two guns, which, for some unknown
cause, were not brought off, when the division re-
treated In obedience to orders from Weitzel We
are happy to be able to give the correct history
this affair." after which the why the guns were
not brought OF by the negroes will not be a.kaOr,
The negro division, striking the Nine-MiLe road
at Whites old tavern, six miles below the city
marched up in this direction and finding our outer
works wholly unoccupied, marched into them They
had, however, not been in possession five minutes
before the brave and yieilant General Gary rushed
down upon them and drove them out in great dis
order, killing large number. Possibly at this
moment they may have received weitzers order
to retreat; but if they did, it was wholly super
huous They were already doing the most
rapid retreating that they, or any other ne
groes, are capable OF. This is why they did not
OF the fight the Nine-Mile road 1t is proper to
add, for the benefit Of the reader unacquainted |
with the country, that the Williamsburg and Nine
4
the oity through Rockets and over Fulton's Hill,
and the latter Union Hill. At that point. |
where the fight just spoken of took place. the two
roads are not more than a mile and half spsrt |
FROM PETERSBURG
Passengers by last evenings train report tba. NOT
shot was fred up to the time Of the leaving of the
cars for Richmond
A number Of daserters have lately come into our
nhf..
'lce-infantrymen, cevalrymen and marines. The
oini'f report that The Yankee army WIS exceed
aSE de1noralzed On their recent retreat from 4
NE boydton plankroad, Grants official statements
% The contrary Notwithstanding. They also state
NAT every available team with the army was used
Q carry away such OF the wounded as could not | :
yak, and that many OF them SO crowded as to
ender their condition anything but comfortable
1t seems that most ludierous mistake occurred \
mong the Yankees during Grants grand reconnois-
anee. One brigade Of Yankees lately arrived in a
be Army OF the James, and unacquainted with To- a
Antics, became separated from the rest OF the il
roops in the advance the Boydton plankroad-
hey wandered around for some time in the hopes Ii
meeting with their comrades. Suddenly, how :
Ver' they came out upon a railroad-the Southside d
abroad, OF oourse,the very road they were look Z
lg Tor. They set to work upon it in a trice and :
tore up about a mile and half of i,
!. suddenly they hear the whistle Of the train /
ney wait for 1t eagerly, ready to pounce upon the
nwary passengers and satiate themselves with =
iunder; but the engineer danger ahead, am, 81
ops the locomotive with shriek Ths Yanless
ad torn up mile and half of Grants new rail- !;
'ad Just laid down from the vicinity of Petersburg
} City Point. s7s q
IL Is said that, in General Mahones affair Of sun
ny last, some Of the Yankees were so surprised ii
lat they were taken by the arm and informed ths Il
'sy were prisoners before they were aware Of the y
roximity Of Confsderates. =, :,