Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-09-17
Buffers Achis vem ments Near Peters.
A. burg.

|
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A gallant soldier Of tRe Confederate ser
vice sends usthe following document. We
have not deemed it necessary 10 inquire
how he came in possession Of it. The
details here given, however, Of the military
operation under the direction Of the beast
Butler, will 6s read with interest, particu.'
larly from the fact that it may b looked
upon as being as truthful record Of But
ler's military achievements in the neigh
borhood Of Petersburg as any he has here.
tofore seen fit to dispatch to the Yankee
Secretary of War:
HEADouAETERs, ON BOARD GREYHOUND,
~ June 2S, 1864.
Hon. E. NJ. STANTON, Secretary Of Var,
Z. s. H.:
have the honor to transmit herewith,
in the form of diary, the operations Of
my troops after landing at Bermuda Hun.
dred on ths Sd May:
May 6.-I sent out Gen. Hickman, with
five regiments aud two pieces of artillery,
toward Wal.hall Junction. He met and
glorious!y defeated a regiment of South
Caroliniaf.s, aud then retired, leaving his
dead and wounded in the hands Of said
Carolnians. in accordance with the policy
of embarrassing the enemy by such spoils,
adopted by mos. of our Generals in this
war.
May Sent out General Brooks with
fse brgades to the same point. He
gained decisive victory over two brigades
of rebels, and retired after dark to our
int'enchmen,,, leaving his dead aud
wounded behind. He also reports COM
sp|e,s success in buring saw-m;ll and
some private residences.
May o-Sent General Gilmore to cap.
ture Petersburg, as the rebels have no
works on the north side Of the city. He
routed the rebels with terrible slaughter
It Swift Creek, shelled Dunlap's house,
chased~s avn byance committee, composed
Of the old gentlemen of Petersburg, burned
several shanties, and returned to our in
trenchneuts.
May la-Sent Generals Gilmore sod
Smith to capture Drewry's Bluff. They
stormed At the point Of the bayones the
works abandoned by the rebels. To.
morrow We will open the navigation of the
James.
May lG-Met General Gilmore retiring
with bis troops to the n,renchn,ents. He
said that Beauregard had attacked him
with uuske,ry, and he would not submit
to it. "Ttis," LIE said, was the age of
long ranga artilery-musketry was relic
Of barbarism he fought with 100 pound
Parrots On Morris Island and he would
not permit the rebels to force him to en-.
gage in their tavorite mode Of warfare
My headquarters were too distant to hear
the fire OF muske.ry heard the artillery
but thought it was the rebels blowing up
their iron.clad vessels. We burned four
more houses to-day.
May l1-Begun an observatory to-day
at Cobt's burnt house.
May 2O-The rebels assaulted our rifle.
pits to day. Wekilled 2,5l7 and wounded
9,'63. The rebebassaultiug column con.
sisted OF Beauregard's force, Hardee's
corps, from Johnston's army, and Long.
streets corps, Of Lees army, in all, as
shown BY q captured field return, Of $74,.
52S electives.
June 3-My observatory is now fifty
feet high. Could see heavy fight raging
all day about Gaines Mill. With pow
erful glass could see the rebels flying in
great disorder into Richmond. counted
ll7.oso fugitives from the battlefield.
June 9th-I sent General Gilmore with
division of infantry, and General Kautz
with brigade Of veteran raiders, to cap.
ture Petersburg. General Kau,z gained
glorious victory .over fully two hundred
miiitiamen, on cha Jeru salem Plank road,
but, being aanked On tha right, left and
centre,s he was compelled to retire after
burning several houses. Gilmore pushed
up the City point rosd until! he discovered
that the rebels were armed with muskets
and tiaes, when he returned, and now
proposes to establish battery of Rodmat,
gunspn the top Of my observatory (al.
ready 200 feet higb.) held this post
during the whole Of the fierce contest OF
to dar, bu. escaped unhurt. II Is only
eight miles from Petersburg.
June ID. General Badly Smith surprised
and cap'nred the, Notifications around
Petersburg this sanoruing. Tho rebel
troops aud ,rains'ean be seen from my
observatory lalready 200 feet Highly aying
in the widest confusion to the north side
Of the Appoma.ax. DO :hey think that
| my side Of the river is the safest? s