Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-06-30
from Tho Quincy dll0 Herald.l
The Artillery Attack ON Smiths
Corps at Petersburg-Char OF
The ReheIs.
fCorrespondence N. Y. Times ]

Correspondence ~. l.. liihesl
The principal feature of the news that l
have to send this morning is the terrible
artillery attack which was made yesterday
upon tbe right flank of the Army of the
Potomac. Smiths corps (the Eighteenth)
is in position here, his lines extending from
the Appomattox eastwardly. At about z
| o'clock A. M. several rebe. batteries on the
| Bermuda Hundred side of the river stimuli
| taneously opened fire from the nights upon
! the troops i'm the level land Immediately in
! front of Petersburg. Shells of immense
| size were thrown at the rate of one every
two seconds all along our works shrieking
awfIlly through the air and bursting with
noise like thunder everywhere. Seldom
has such an angry fire been heard. Having
few. pieces of artillery which could cope
with those used by the enemy, there was no
alternative for Gen. Smith but to set these
at work and quietly wait until the fury of
the rebels should exhaust itself. Di-
recting his infantry to remain well
covered in their intrenchments, which
are strong and well protected by
traverses against an enfilading attack, as
this mainly was, he got about twelve long
range pieces in position and for an hour
and a half the battle went on. The enemy
had at least forty pieces in operation against
our twelve. Singularly, however, in spite
of the rapidity and terribleness of the firing
very little injury was done to our men.
Several shells burst plumply in the midst
of the tents of Gen. Smiths headquarters,
and fragments In one or two instances came
disagreeably near the staff officers. One of
these missiles upset stack Of muskets
which were behind breastwork, scattering
and breaking and bending them, sending
one piece high into the air, where it turned
end for end and came down with such force
that the bayonet was driven its full length
into the soil. Presently the rebels tire of
this exhaustive work and essay an infantry
charge upon our advanced line of rifie-pits,
supposing, doubtless, that our troops must
be dreadfully cut up and demoralized by
their firing. They reckon without their host.
Our men have escaped injury, and feel
splendidly at the impunity with which
they have received the shower of iron.
Therefore, they are ready to meet any
thing that comes, and feel insulted al
most at the paltry numbers that are
now rushing over the oat-teld in front of
them, loudly cheering, or rather bowling,
as is the rebel custom, while with charged
bayonets they make the onset. The thin
line of skirmishers in advance of the breast
works raise themselves from their rude pits
and deliver feeble and scattered fire, which
stops the progress of few of the rebels.
The rest advance steadily, regardless of
their fallen comrades, passing the pits, and
leaving many of our skirmishers prisoners
behind them. They do not know the fate
which is to meet them in an instant more.
Behind the high wall of earth which they
are rushing upon so bravely and with con-
fident yells, there are thousands OF stout
hearted Union soldiers who have determine
ed not to throw away single shot, The
abalc q in fxua fu ardr Of thah
works. A second more and the gallent men
of Col. Henry's and Col. Cullen's brigades
of Stannard's division fringe the inner side
of the parapet, and a sheet of fire and
smoke, covering entirely the rebel line,
burst out with a single clash, whitening
the graybacks like leaves are withered
by fire. The survivors crouched at
full length among the thick growth of
oats. Not man of them attempted TO
return, but lay as still as he could among
his bleeding dead and wounded COM
rades. 1t was an easy matter to take the
living. Our men crowded upon the para
pet and called upon them to surrender
pointing the demand with leveled muskets.
In this way one hundred and sixty prison.
ers were captured unwounded, and at the
same time, much to their Joy, our skir-
mishers, who had considered themselves
captives, found themselves released and Gus
todians of prisoners themselves. While
the rebels were making this charge, Lieut..
Beecher, commanding Light Battery A, did
a very gallant thing. He advanced his
pieces to the crest of hill not far to the
rear of our skirmish line, and opened up
on one of the enemy's brass howitzers,
posted on the turnpike toward Petersburg.
The first shot was sighted by Lieut.. Stell-
ger, and it was magnificently aimed. 1t
struck the piece fairly, dismounting it with
a force that turned it end over end. Other
we're fire, not man or horse of his bat
terry was scratched. Indeed, our casualties
during the entire affair were remarkably
few, thirty about covering the aggregate.