The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-08-20

danger than at any previous period oil iEupaissn
but the truth is, the people have no rehension
exhibit no sign of excitcmcnt tnd are as
calm and confident in regard to the fits as they
have ever been in the past Grant has tfa heIcu-
lean task before him, and all his strateSwili be of
no avail.
OPERATIONS BELOW RICHAfsn.
a private letter from member othe Third
Ifowitzers, dated the 18th, gives "a britssTme of
the operations of the pas Teek. 1t ks: We
have had hot times on this line for th4ist five or
six days. The ball opened on Saturday ts our To-
inch mortars, which stirred the EsinkeeSs consld-
erably. On Sunday morning they DE i'll our
skiInishers in front Of our battery, wiz resulted
in quite brisk fight. Our forces hadR abandon
four siege howitzers that had been l5ed on the
outer lines to annoy the enemy's gunbot but they
could not carry them oil, for our batts opened
CALLING fire and kept it up all day. Afgan alone
fired one hundred rounds. Colonel Ii saway COM
plimentcd us for our superior firing SO far, we
have had three men wounded and five Uses killed.
The wounded men are private, ManhE. N Ma
hony and r. Gardner. Dances PowlHln battery,
of HardawaVs battalion, has hadkiree men
wounded and two horses killed. On tuesday the
Yankees were badly whipped. Prepations for a
charge our left are being made iw, and the
sharpshooters have opened
This was the commencement of q action OH
Thursday evening when the heavy Ii d. gave rise
to the impression that general engaElent was in
progress. An official dispatch, howsr, confirms
our statement of yesterday in rcgarda the extent
Of the affair. 1t says it was an advae of the left
Of our lines north of James river agaii, enemy
right, to discover his strength and fiHon. The
object Of the reconnaissance hayingsecn accom-
plished, our troops withdrew.
1t is reported that a portion of Bainges's and
Chambliss's tgigadcs of cavalry were sgaeed, and
that they suffered no material loss. be nfantry
also participated, and for brief pera tis firing
WAS heavy and rapid. The reconnsiknc devei-
oped the fact that the Eighteenth ann ops was
among the troops in our front. The CHnrl gains
ground that the movement ON the nortt &c Of the
james Is merely feint to coyer operatonin front
of Petersburg; and the sudden resumphQnf active
hostities on that line gives strength to fls belief
The part sustained By our infantry in thefgage-
ment of Thursday evening was an atfk by
Wlights and Saunders brigades upon the Scnry's
right on the WhiDOak swamp. The alvaIS pick
cts of the enemy were captured and the lne Aessed
back. Cur loss was only two killed an8seytI
wounded. 1t was subsequently ascestaihed f,t the
Yankees had disappeared from our fro,l'f thai
point. -
1t is currently reported, and generally Baeved
that the main force of the enemy has yss49ed tt
the sosth side OF the James. a New Ye4xper d
the 18th says that Grants object iii the saastra.
ton on the north side was to destroy GcAf fee's
pontoons,
FROM PETERSBURG-TTI MOyNENI
AGAINST THE WELDON RAILR0D..
An official dispatch, received yestepiat state
that about noon OH Thursday the enemy "a sont oi
Petersburg moved his Fifth corps towards th Wei
don railroad when he met by Genera fieth
who drove him mile, capturing one hunted .anC
fifty prisoners This would convey tht IMPRESSION
that the railroad had been cleared but isappear.
from unofficial accounts that forces lfter dri
wing the enemy back, retired to a more egible po
sition near the town, and that the enemyesterlay
morning WAS III strong force Oh the railad hQld
ing his front, with line of battle exuldiGg OF
both sides OF the track, and was engagedn fortify
ing. The fight on Thursday evening waauite Sc
vere the enemy losing heavily, and leaaig many U
his dead and wounded in our hands. ca casual
ties, considering the magnitude Of the rsagemcnt
were very light. Among our wounded ii Colonel
Lyle, of Virginia, and Blair, of NIissiippi. Th
report by telegraph, in yesterdays papr, that
raiding party had gone through Dinwidie count,
for the purpose of cutting the Southsdeailroad
said To be without foundation Ill fact.
1t having been believed that the enemy while di
verting attention by the movement OH ac Weldo
railroad, meditated all attack upon lies, all GU
batteries in Prince George and Chestateld dopeEe
upon his position about twelve o'cloek Thursda
night, and kept up continuous firing until. day
light The canmonade is represented tohave bee
the heaviest heard i'll Petersburg sincfthe com
menccmcnt of the siege. ffie response ofhe enem
Was very feeble. -
We have received the following aidaonal pai
tlculars of the fighting Thursday:
About nine O'Clock III the morning, thtnemy, II
heavy force, appeared on Gurley's fam, about 81
miles southwest Of the city, and three nes east @
the railroad and throwing forward ne OF shIr
mishers, advanced at once towards throad at th
Yellow Tavern. ThSy soon encountere,the picket
of General Dcaring's cavalry brigade who Tough
them as they retired in the direction olthe tavern
where our reserves were encamped. Geprai Dearln
deployed his men skillfully, and che'fd the nd
vance . the enemy, but finding himsf opposed
very large odds, was compelled to givtback 8ri,du
ally. From nine O'Clock until T. }. he engage
the enemy, fighting them, step by ste ,ali the wa
from the tavern TO Davs's farm, two mia nearer th
city.
1t was during this period that a prtion of hi
command made successful charge upn the Yam
KEGS, taking nearly two hundred prisners, anon
them a licutenant-oolonel and eight oher cominis
stoned officers. The enemy We're held check unit
our reintorcements arrived.
Our men, as they came up, adyancsdaniekiy, an
IN turn drove the lines of Yankee sldnishers bael
and next met and repulsed their wole force, con
sisting of four divisions, commando by denert
Warren-driying them nearly mil subsequent
the enemy charged back, but We're rpulsed.
At night the Yankees occupied tfaSoutharn roas
with their batteries planted along the line as f.
down as the Yellow Tavern. Their Ines extended o
either side, but on the left reaehai across to II
plankroad.
In addition to the casualties e!sewle'e mentione.
weiearn that Adiutant Laird, OF tn Maryland bal
talions was killed, and Captain Craze oommandin
the battalion, severely wounded.
Our entire loss in the fight is estinated at thrs
hundred and fifty, while that OF thu eae,ny is muc
greater.
THE LATEST-OvER TW) THOUsAN
PRISONERS CAPrUIED.
About three o'clock yesterday afternoon o,
forces made an attack upon Warpn'i Fifth corp
on the Weldon railroad, driving thsmback upwar,
Of two miles, and capturing over two thousand pri
oners, including Brigadier-General Hayes, and
number of stands Of colors Grant vail have to 6.
ert himself If he would retrieve his reputation b
fore the meeting Of the Chicago Convention. III