Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-08-13
FROM GEN. GRANTS ARMY.
The Assault Before Petersburgh.
Graphic Account of the Attack
and Repulse.
Correspondence of the New York Times.l
HEADQUARTERS IN FRONT ARMY OF PoToNAc,
SATURDAY EVENING, July 30, 1864.


HEADQUARTERS IN FRONT ARMY OF PoroMAc,l
SATURDAY EVENING, July 30, 1854.
With the passage of the James was ex-
hausted all possibilities of movement by the
left flank, with Richmond as the objective
point Nothing, therefore, remained to Gen.
Grant but to assault the rebel lines in front
of him at Petersburgh. The past six weeks
have been devoted to preparation for this as
sault. From day to day, By the aid of the
shovel and the pick, our lines have been in
sidiously advanced by zig-zag and covered
ways, until the outlying pickets of both ar
mics have scarcely averaged 500 yards dis
lance between them. Along portions of the
line, the interval between the rife-pits was
scarcely $50 Yards The ground over which
our advances have been made is itself Sc
ries of natural Notifications, adding vastly to
the difficulty of taking possession of it. Per-
hans your readers will form a more perfect
opinion of its features, if tell them that it
very much resembles Greenwood Cemetery
in its profile. There are similar hillsand en-
inences, sloping more or less precipitously
into ravines, which intersect at every con-
ceivable angle, and many of the elevations
are thickly wooded. Over ground of this i'm
practicable nature our men have sturdily
fought and dug their way, driving the enemy
them to take to place our guns in a position
commanding at easy range the town of Pc
tersburgh 1t is known as Cemetery Hill.
Its crest, frowning with guns, is not more
than 500 yards distant from our advanced
works, and its gently sloping sides are welted
with long rows of earthworks, pitted with re-
doubts and redans, and ridged with serried
salients and curtains and all the skillful de-
fences known to skillful military engineers
The vital Importance to US of this point
will readily be admitted. To gain it by di-
rect assault must necessarily cost many lives,
but to gain it in the cheapest manner gave
occasion for that high strategy of which Gen.
Grant has long since proved himself the
master Therefore, it was that on Tuesday
night last the Second Corps, under Gen. Han
cock, and two divisions of cavalry under Gen.
Sheridan, and another division under Gen.
Kautz, crossed the James River for the pur-
pose of engaging the enemy, who, misled by
some preliminary operations of Gen. Fosters
command at Deep Bottom, and of portion
of the Nineteenth Corps at Strawberry Plains
mile below-had day or two earlier heav-
lily reinforced the troops in the vicinity of
Malvern Hill. The demonstration here had
precisely the effect which Gen. Grant desir-
ed. Fearing a serious attack, Lee dispatched
a column, estimated at from 1000 to $4,000
strong, from before Petersburg, and the rail-
road between Petersburg and Richmond was
kept busy on Friday and Friday night in
transporting the troops. To keep up the
rebel Generals delusiOn, an immense train of
more than 400 empty covered wagons, mainly
the transportation of the Sixth Corps, cross
ed the Appomattox on Friday N broad day
light, In full view of the rebel signal lookouis
at Bermuda Hundred, as if destined for the
army at Deep Bottom. But on Friday night,
as the rebols were hurriedly taking possession
of their new line, the Second Corps and the
cavalry were quietly withdrawn with an adj
ditional facility for rapid movement in
third pontoon bridge laid across the James in
the afternoon. BY daylight this morning,
these troops were nearly all in position to
cooperate with the remainder of the army
in the attack The strategy was, therefore,
perfect, and no share of the reverse can be
attributed to failure in this part of the pro-
gramme.
All these strategems, too, were conducted
with such secrecy, that information of their
precise bearing was narrowed down to the
circle of the Corps Commanders. Until late
on Friday night, few persons in the army
were disposed to believe differently from
what Gen. Lee suspected, viz: that a move
ment upon Richmond was intended from the
ceived when, at one o'clock this morning the
troops were got into position for the assault.
The tactics of the movement were under
Gen. Meade's direction. His arrangement of
troops and order of battle was as follows
The Eighteenth Corps (Gen. Ord was with
drawn on Thursday morning from its position
on the extreme right, resting on the Appom-
attox, (being relieved by Motifs division of
tee Second Corps,) and massed in the rear of
the Ninth Corps, (Burnside's,) the centre of
our line, in front of which the attack was to
DE initiated. The extreme left. held by the
Fifth Corps, (Warren 81 was to be in readi-
ness to advance as soon as Burnside pierced
the orks In front of him. Collaterally, but
in unison with the advance of the infantry,
every piece of siege artillery posted along
the line was ordered to open simultaneously
upon the enemy at given signal made by
the explosion of mine containing eight tons
of powder, which was placed directly beneath
the rebel battery which Burnside was to as
sauit. Not only were the siege pieces TO open
a fierce fire, but all the field artillery which
could be got into position after the opening
of the battle was to advance as opportunity
offered, and bring their batteries into play
Upon this awful fire of heavy guns it was
natural that great stress should be placed, in
the expectation that the shock of its
suddenness would have a demoralzing effect,
and so make the way Of the infantry easier.
So far all was well arranged; success was
promising, and much confidence was felt in
the result
The time fixed for the assault was 81
o'clock, when, without any moon, an almost
Zimmerman darkness, would effectually shut
out from the enemy the unavoidable stir and
hustle of the troops as they got into position
But just here the first misfortune of the day
occurred. Upon attempting to fire the mine,
the fuse or. slow-match failed, and another was
tried, am told, with similar result. The
third fuse was successful in its mission, but
the hours delayihad made it broad daylight,
and, in consequence, the enemy's suspicious
were aroused, lat least along portion of his
'front.' and we were robbed Of the advantage
of a surprise. "a
This was very great misfortune. The ar
my felt it to be such as they stood in suspense
and silent impotence in the cold gray of the
morning, crouching on their arms. OF the
effect of the explosion you have already been
appraised. The mine had been talked of in
the army for weeks, but only talked of with
bated breath, although whisperings concern
ing it had been waited over from the rebels.
Clearly they did not know its precise locali-
ty, and few on our side, / suspect, were any
wiser. 1t has been tacitly acknowledged as