, 1864-06-12
LETTER FROM "CARLETaN."
HIS DESCRIPTION OF a EEI,-L
NIGHT ATTACK.
GesseraKa Grant aud Ileade In
the Field.

GeEeraKs Grant and Meade In
the Field.
tCosresnouderoe Boston Journal
Coal HAHnoE, Jane !, 1884.
sE1KNIsE1Ea.
There has been constant fire along the
lines all DAY. The skirmishers are so close
thzt The lDEBtB on both bideR hra many. Tho
Surgeon.in-C Chief Of tho 9th corps informed
me that they had averaged six Woun 10 d an
hour-aboIt 200 during the tmenty-four
bours. Probably the Cd and 18th have lost
quite II many. The encuy have retired In
part, from our right, and the losses in the
9Th and 9Th sre less.
places n OF more thxn 20a feot apart, 80 deter
mins d.y hare "a pressed upon tho enemy
advancing our works tcE pacrs every
night. Hc have hxl{ dozen lints Of breast-
works, II NC should be driven from the
front one there arc still several Others from
which ne could nrc upon the cnemy. The
men take their places at midnight, whore
ness they can tc relieved. There they sit
c7oucted, crampel. To rai6o their heads
above the psrapet Ia certain death And go
along tie rebel lines thers are loop.holes
where ksen-syed N nsn watch for tbs enemy.
Tbs soldiers on both. sides delight to draw
hats tri1c- Whiz--W1i8-Whlx-the bullets
so around, or n.J be through 1t. The OBJ
ktinacY of the rebels is matched By the per
eist.nc, Of our own men. 1t Ii not often in
field opcrations-not siege-that opposing
forces come Ia such closc contact.
Denmark Tar IN which, In tho sreatest
battle fought, the loss Was lass than thou.
sand meu plnced hers dr. eoaIdt. How little
the world knows OF the magnitude OF our
OWL WAT! How Nttle We ourselves knox Of
itl Cur skirnishes even, of whioh NO hard
ly take notice, are Of greater mement than
tic battles, the accounts OF which I'LL the
foreign newspapers.
There wes slow cannonade In tho moru-
ing, which gradually died AWAY; but the in-
fairy took it up, and 10 the Sabbath hours
have been far from peaceful
At sunset, thare MAS tha booming OF distant
canron-heavy guns to the left Of Richmond
whether from tha gnnboats, or frem tho
rebel artillery in tho defencs, repulsing
Sheridan, who has gone In thst direction ne
have no k1orledge.
SEQ y. m.-Tns sun has gone down and
the darkness Ia stealing on 1t il tie usual
hour fer the ripple Of musketry along the
rebels choosing it fer attacking OR advanced
fo1ee.
We have had occasional thots from the ar.
ti1lery. Theirs is one piece which hrr1s ita
shells far oysr our lines to ward headquarters.
Other thai this there is but littfs to broak
tbs si1esco. Tho skirnishers slonE tbs liaes
who hays bssn firing through the day, seem
storm.
i NIGHT ATTACK
There it comes, oao, two, three, 4 dozen,
4 hundred btots, 3 roll, desp, lexvy, pro.
longed, like the rush OF mighty torrent
suddenly let loose. How 1t despens! It il
like therippiRg Of the mower, s~inging hia
ecJths in ripened grass, dried and soorched
| there upon that held. ttalking unseen be-
| tween the trenches, walking In darkness,
bordercd With lightning flashes. ehowerins
| 1t with leAdeH rain. maxim. it the Valley ol
| the Shadow Of Deatki There sre the esA-
| non. Boom. boom, boom, Eve, tea. twenty,
one hundred discharges minute! 4 forest
efrtnes ehuts out the sight, but abo1s the
| the starry keaycna. No artist can picture it,
| no lsueu.ge 2cacribo 1t. Il ID terrific, yet
! Grand and sublime. It makes ono nervous
| to hear 1t, stirs the blood, Eouses and sxcitcs
! to know 1lat tie defenders Of those works
are holding their ground You mood no tels-
| 4 sudden lul1, after savage CRY. WoRtd in
dieate disaster; but 1tsse Is the cry, the
Indi1A yell, not the cheer which dist1n,
gnfehea the charRo OF Union troopl
| from that Of the enemy. There is no ctssa
tion Of tha 1oar- 1t deepsns. rather. The
cry, which = raonent aso rose sharp ana
clear above the battle tide becomes fainter
! There il rerceptibls ebblng Of the tido. Il
has been at full dova half hour. Tou have
been TWO minutes reasfnS this narrative.
How little you know Of this reality. he4l
! II, brt have little ccnccptten of whit IL tax
ing place ! shall realizs it more fully In the
| morning, when the hnbnlaAces come In With
! the onpdx1. But to be there, In It, a par,
ofit-wilh blood at fever heat-with the al,
| fall Of strange, terrifying noises-isissings
etreechipgs, howlirgs Of balls, bullets and
1enleninE explosions-all darkness, except
inE the binding flashes and shest. Of asms
The -ltar Of orr country drips with blood. i
is 4 s,bbath evening sacrifice, pure aud pre-
cio1s, freely offered. Fathers and mother
| have given the drst1fpgs OF their tlocks, ~it!
thanl that they h.d them to give; they ha7l
given the best, they have givea ali. Patriot
ism is not dead.
Jnne Ga. N.
THE ATTACK LAST NIGHT.
| While the canconade and muskotsy ,rer.
rolling 10 terribly last night, l 70 De mp II
/ Gtn. Meadc's hesdquarierE 1t was past !
o'clock. The pile OF brush on fire In from
of Gen. Me@dc's tent 1fghtet up the m%t1
| f-ont. Gep. Meade was passing up and dowi
| In front Of his tent, looking now upon th,
saa ssy ess aese s%ths sa
tsries those aro Russ.ll's," he satd, as ths
batteries, ono after another opened thei
thupeerk. at is gaIng all right. shoalt
Ike to havo them try It every day and erer1
night,' he continued, listening to the up
I roar.
| An aid came In with : te1egraphic dis
| patch. Holding it to the light, he read wins
Hancock had sont.
"The firing commenced on the right. rar
down the line, and WAS pretty sev ere III fran
Of my line, but they have doue us but rer1
little damage. OErloss very slight"
Pkfs'ng over TO Gen. Grants hesdquarterl
f1rs-the General and his staff sitting erount
It. Gen. GrAut was holding bis half con
tumtd aIear In his hand, ta9lng nov anl
then Whit, and reading aloud from tht
| Richmond Esan+sntr ofthe Sd, criticism at
| Grants eampc:gn-full Of fa1sehoods. Ttt
Gtnera1 made comments In the Utmost gsod
| humor. He MSS not exercised In the ltas
| about what was going on at the front. Il
was sll right thus far, and 1t would be Ill
| right.
| How excellent the quality or faculty o.
| keeping cool, especially for the commander
Of gre at army. Gtn. Graat IL fnperturh.
hle-1uisc as much 40 as my man ovsr saw,
/ Wien Tho right wing gave way in that nj ;hi
| psnic-atricf:ea men OF Ricketts, division
| Atrt:med through the wceds-vhan ths It'd
| iEH Of ditnsteT Was given from trem bling
! l;lr, Gen. Grant sat beside pine tree, whit
/! Ting, as usual. He looked steadily upon tbs
/ groand, abr o1bea in thought, thinking in
| fDt<1sy Is Eeome tTicfan over I'll abstract
| problem Of his favorite science. His de.
| mesnor WAS in st striktHg contrast tn those uhc
stood around him. They wers restlesa, listen