The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-06-25

1t was intended that q grand attack
would be made on The enemy'g works
this morning, not By one corps alone,
but bv all the troops that could Join 10
the assault Foar o'clock A. II was
the hour named for all the corps in po-
Eition to move forward in a combined
and simultaneous attack; but il seems
that all the troops were not ready ~
four o clock. Birneys troops were the
first Of those in all the array 20 move
forward. /: was nearly five o'clock
when his lines advanced, and, meeting
with bat little opposition, the corps
passed over the formidable line of the
works which the enemy held yesterday.
In this movement Gen. Barlow, form
ing the left OF the line Of the ID corps,
swung his division forward and around
on pivot, Of which the right Of the
line IS the center He continued to
push forgard until in front of the forts
we had Just captured and passed over,
and which formed the enemy's second
line Of defences We then developed
another line about 500 yards beyond
The casualties on both sides were
yery few. We captured fifty or sixty
prisoners. We also capturud an order
from the rebel Major-General Hoke TO
one Of his brigade commanders, dated
YESTERDAY, and directed him to furnish
detail 10 work on the new line, to
report after dark"
That was the new line 70 which the
enemy fell back this morning as we adj
vanced. Reaching this line, the rebels
made q stubborn resistance TO any at
tempt 10 approach them by our mon.
After some scattering firing on both
sides, General Birney proceeded TO
make the necessary examination Of the
lines and rearrangement of troops cal
culsted to render auecessful a vigorous
assault.
During the morning, while the skir-
mishing was progressing sharply, and
while seme Of our batteries were ans
wering the fire Of the artillery Of the
rebels, an interesting incident was wit
messed on the battle field. A messen-
ger arrived with several communica-
tions from headquarters, and among
them was the commission Of General
john Gibbon, who has Just been pro
NOTED from a Brigsdier to Major Gen
eral, and also the commission of Col
Bryan r Pierce, of the Third Michi-
gan. as a Brigadier General Both were
solemnly sworn into their new positions
of higher rank, and soon after went in
20 battle with their commissions in
their pockets. But presently one Of
them General Pierce) was carried from
the front wounded in the shoulder
IL is said there are about thirty thou
sand of the enemy at present in Peters
burg, and reinforcements constantly ar
irving Some Of the prisoners we have
taken to-day say they were instructed,
IN case Of capture, to say that they be-
longed 70 Beauregard's command.
These prisoners, however, belong to
Hills corps Of Lees army.
ADVANCE or THE SECOND CoRrs
A general advance of the Second
corps was ordered TO take place at -
o'clock. General Gibbon was directed
to move forward at the appointed hour
and make a spirited assault, while at
the same time Generals Mott and Bar
low would throw out a double line in
flont Of skirmishers in front of their
divisions TO engage the enemy and en-
deaYor 10 attract attention away from
the attack of Gibbon. At the same
time it was arranged that if the assault
should be successful, then the other two
divisions would move forward in line of
battle, and actively participate in the
engagement
At noon precisely our skirmish lines
were again pushed forward, and at the
same time il was announced that Viii
cox's division of the Ninth corps, on
the left Of the Second, was just then
advancing The right OF our line was
protected by Nell s division Of the Sixth
and Martindale's of the Eighteenth
corps. The assaulting force, under
command Of General Gibbon, consisted
of three brigades. namely: the First
brigade Of the Second division, the Sc
cond brigade of the Second division,
and Second brigade of the Third divi-
sion, together with battalion Of heavy
artillery. General Pierce commanded
the left Of the front line of attack, and
Major Hooper, Of the Fifteenth Massa-
chusetts, the right The troops were
formed in two heavy lines. The right
of the line was formed under a crust,
which protected it from the fire from
the rebel breastworlys they were going
20 assault near the line Of the CITY
Point and Fredericksburg railroad; but
the left was completely exposed TO a
most murderous Ere the moment it was
in sight
The line advanced, and the soldiers
rushed over a fence along the road with
which the breastwork was nearly parall-
Ell; they rushed forward CALAMITY, but
colud not Withstand the deadly fire Of
musketry, grape and canister that was
poured upon them from that stronghold
Of the enemy On the right of the line
our men reached 10 within about seven
ty-five yards Of the earthworks, and on
the left 20 within about two hundred
But the fatal fire was too much for even I
such gallant fe.4ows, many Of whom
fell TO never rise again The lines were 4
accordingly compelled to fall back a
short distance 10 the point from which I
they advanced, leaving the dead and /
some OF the wounded in the possession /
Of the enemy.
We lost several gallant men in that I
attack General Pierce was slightly 1
wounded IN the shoulder by a muslSet /
ball scarcely half an hour after he had I
been sworn in as Q brigadier general
Another attack was ordered to take 4
place at another point for the purpose, /
If possible, OF cutting through the rebel I
lines This was a regular storming par /
", composed OF several brigades formed 4
IN columns Of regiments The troops (
were organized IN front of the position .
occupied by Gen Mott, 10 whom Gen. 4
Birney gave command of the assault /
10 form this storming column Gems. Glib I
bon and Barlow temporarily detached /
and sent TO Gen. Mott troops they could .
safely spare from their front
ADVANCE OF THE sToRNuYG COLUMNS
The troops moved forward in two
columns, Col Madelis brigade leading
the advance Of one column, and Col
Champlins that Of the other Shortly
after tour o'clock p n, these imposing
columns were ordered forward, and in
moment they were moving in splen-
ala style towards the strong rebel line
OF breastworks strongly defended by
infantry and artillery. These immedi-
stely opened terrific fire. and the
heads OF the columns were Lost in clouds
Of smoke-lost in the very faws of
death. The battery was so close the
IRE so strong as well As sudden. and tha
MEN fell 70 fast, that those in the front
were soon cut down or scattered: and