The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-08-31

IdE WAX NEWS.
There has been no more fighting in front of Pc
tersbufg, though tho enemy continued to shell the
city Monday night and yesterday with unabated
ygors The Yankees still hold the line of the Well
don railroad in heavy force, and both armies are
quietly watching each other, whilst the respective
leaders are busy arranging their plans for the flu
ture. With the close of the month Of August ends
the summer campaign of 1891 and Richmond the
objective point OF all Yankee hopes, still stands Sc
cure in her strength, with an uncomfortable army
between her walls and the foe. Grant has exhausted
the summer, as he promised, "fghting it out OH
that line" though it il line long drawn out and
circaitous that it would almost puzzle student of
geography to trcc 1t on the map. True, he did no.
comprehend such an extensive line when he made
his PROMISE but his ideas have doubtless conforrued
to it ere this His campaign has been n stupendous
failure, resulting in nothing but terrible sacrifice
Ut the lives OF his troops yet, with the stubborn
ness Of mule, he still pesscveres in the hopeless
undertaking of moving son to Richmond"
tits estimated that our total loss in the engage
mert at Rcanss will not exceed seven or eight hum
dred. Considering the character Of the works
StoImed by our troops, the quantity of artillery
masSed there and the strength of the forces behind
them, this may be regarded as :. miraculously
small, "
A report reaches from Petersburg that large
body of Yankee cavalry seen Monday morn
ing moving AROUND towards our extreme right in
the direction Of the Weldon railroad. 1t has been
conJectuted that another raid is i'll contemplation
THE VALLEY OF VIRGINIA.
1t is stated that sheridan's troops were greatly
demoralized on their retreat to Ilarper's Ferry
tiaNy hrpl fI,cir
others into wells and exhibited every sign of appre
henSion lest they should be overtken by old Jubars
rebels. All the hay and grain on their route was
burnt, and III some instances barns fired in
order to destroy the contents. They burnt dwell
llngS AT this time and assigned for burn
ing the hay and grain that the Confederates had
burnt thainbersburg. The troops were perfectly
lawless and the worst behaved set OF men the people
OF that region They killed or drove oil all
the cattle, hogs, sheep, horses and poultry, took
wagons, carriages and busgies, destroyed gar
dens and stole al the provisions they could find
Some idea may be formed Of their numbers when We
state that they eleven hours passing a given
point at a double-luIch III going back. A desolate
track marked their progress wherever they went
1t is said that Sheridan is fully impressed with the
Importance Of his POSITION and deports himself very
u
carriage drawn Jy four splendid gray horses.
Between four hundred and five hundred prisoners,
captured by General Eally in the Lower Valley,
passed through iiarisUnburg on Tuesday week. We
informed that they vail not be immediately car
red out Of the Valley, but kept conveniently near
at hand, 50 that i'll any OF them happen to be
wanted by General Early he Just call for them
This would Indicate that Ike Law ot retaliation IS
ig5, 4
stacks Of grain to starve the inhabitants ol country
into submission to tyranny deserve to be hanged to
the fist tree.
report, which lacks confirmation, current
yesterday that General Early fought the Yankees
Oh Saturday last, and defeated them with great
slaughter. 1t il, doubtless d repetition OF the lu-
NOR Of sunday last.
IMPORTANT FROM OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
CHANGE OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OPE-
RATIONS IN TIE REAR
The following official dispatch was received yes
terday at the War Department
ATLANTA, August IS, 1864.
= Hon. lanes 4. Seddon
| 1.-The enemy have changed their entire position
tie left Of their line resting the Chattahoochee
about Shutdown, and their right extending TO a
point opposite and near the West Point railroad,
between East Point and Fairburn. They hold all
the crossings the Chattahoochee, but not with d
continued line.
dispatches from General Wheeler of the 18th,
report the capture OF Dalton, with large quantities
of stores, about two hundred prisoners, and two
hundred mules.
He destroyed three trains of ears and twenty
five miles or railroad. His command is i'll good
condition. J. b. HooD, General"
1t thus appears that the reports Of Wheeler's ope
rations i'll the enemy's rear have not been exagge
rated. Dalton is hundred miles from Atlanta,
the Western and Atlantic railroad, and very near
the Tennessee line. 1t is directly on Sherman,
line of communication, with his base OF supplies al
Chattanooga; and the destruction OF twenty-five
miles of railroad at that point must seriously inter
ftte with his operations before Atlauta There are
uucontirned ruInors OF advance Of Wheeler into
East Tennessee but We think it likely that he
remains for the present between Shelman's army
ana Chattanooga The Western and Atlantic rail-
road connects at Dalton with the Tennessee ana
Georgia railroad for Knoxville 50 that he is il
position to operate upon both routes at the same
time. Eleven days have elapsed since the date OF
General Wheeler's dispatch, and it is fair to pre-
sumo that he has moi been idle during that period
East Point, the locality mentioned in General
Hoods dispatch, ia SIX miles from Atlanta. The
eneny's line, as understand H. now forms ere
scent commencing the north, and extending
around West VI the city.
sherman's object in this movement is, doubtless,
to occupy and hold the Atlanta and West Pont
railroad, following the strategy of Grant at Peters
burg.