Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-08-10
NORTH BANK OF THE JAMES,
At the Point nearest Malvern Hill,
July 29th, 1864.

July goth, 1864.
DEAR JOURNAL: dropped you a few lines
from near Petersburg on the Goth, saying
that we (the I'd corps were going somewhere
and expressing the opinion that we were GO
ing down on the Weldon railroad to make a
raid on the enemys communications, but in
stead of that we have come this way to frus-
trate movement of theirs on our own crack
er line, and were Just in time
There has been a small force of rebels in
this vicinity for some time past, enough to
keep two companies of Maine volunteers,
who were in small redoubt on the river
bank, pretty busy holding them in check Ac-
cordlng to the best information l can gather
General Canbys corps, from New Orleans,
had been here two or three days and were
ordered to Washington and all except about
5000, belonging TO two different brigades.
left on the 22d and 23d. On the oath the
rebel troops, supposed to be part of the
Maryland invaders, began arriving and con-
tlnued to arrive and be placed in position on
the 18th. Prisoners said that they expected
to capture our forces and have a swim in the
river on the 9th, and sure enough on that
morning they had a four gun battery in posi-
ton and their skirmish line had entrenched
itself on the edge of an open field about 90
rods in width extending down to the river.
But while they were getting such good
ready, old L. S. was not asleep. This point
vas distant from Petersburg, by the crooked
road we must travel, about 25 miles. On
the morning of the Goth our corps commenced
moving with FIVE days rations in haversacks.
and soon after dark its advance was here
crossing the river at this point on two pom
toon bridges. Our division, which moved at
dusk made a rapid march without resting
crossing the AppomattoX at midnight Just
above Point OF Rocks and the James at day
light. Such sudden change from So long a
spell of picket and fatigue duty and living in
the trenches, caused more struggling than
ever saw before, one company of !" ours :"
coming IN with l officer l sergeant and
/ private another with l corporal and pri-
Yates, and from that up TO 3 men, being the
/ highest brought in by any one company / be-
| ileye, and all the old regiments in our brig
! ade struggled just as bad, but it did no harm
/ az they nearly all walked or crawled I'D with
/ IN an hour after we stopped, but we were an
awful sore-tooted lot of boys that dav.
When we came upon the bank on this side
| the rebels were IN plain sight across the
| field, ana as soon as We could take breath.
our Sd brigade Il believe) opened the ball by
sending strong skirmisk line over their wav.
which, after sharp little skirmish, made
them ." hike in such hurry that they for
got all about taking their battery along, which
had been Smelling US pretty lively all the
morning. So our boys brought the four guns,
hmbers and caissons and a few artillerymen
over to the river. 1t was curious piece OF
piece of work, for they had a good road to
run it off on, ana plenty of time to do it, and
to give up their batteries so easily is not a
characteristic feature of the Johnnies.
Soon after We (the 36th) formed in line OF
battle and marched across the field and wait
ed few hours, and then marched by flank
three-quarters of mile through the pine
woods and found another line on its edge