The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-07-27
faa WAR NEWS.

=, Petersburg. We have the as
"~ ',r,nce of persons who came over by |
-, evenings train that only three shells
,rs thrown at the city during five hours
reslrrtlay. This, with some picket
%, Constitutes the total Of recent az
hatilties in that direction. 1t
.,s nnv 10 be well aScertained that
IAN, 10 tusily mining on our left, and
-. hsen engaged in this underground
:, tr some time. What he expects
.,,,mplish by operations of this sort
.,,e .han we can explain, though as
.reat believer in the spade as an
,,nn,nt of warfare, it is quite posSi-
ii, hat he designs the reduction OF Pc
...l,urs and the destruction Of Lees
.,ny by that method. His disapPolnt-
..ot vii! be signal. 1t iS also ascer-
,..ned that Grant is Strengthening his
,ireme left, resting upon the Weldon
railroad. This is his weak point, he
,.rins been twice tianked in that direc-
..n with considerable loss. 1t is stated
81, lass,ters that the Yankees have been
G., the lookout ior two or three nights
.u,t, expecting an attack. What gave
.s4 70 this idea does not seem to be
Known; bat it is quite certain that moth
as Of the sort occurred, with the excep-
,n of the heavy cannonade on Saturday
,oht The report that the enemy had
1ossed a heavy force to the north side
If the James has dwindled down to a
stgtenent thai he sent over portion OF
nIe corps on Friday, near City Point,
sbich is doubtless correct. This agrees
eih intelligence We had previously
learned and published in this paper. -
The object of this movement is probably
10 prevent our artillery firing upon the
Yankee transports.
TWO YANKEES EXECUTED FOR RAPE.
Two soldiers of Grants army were
Hanged recently for committing rape on
4 respectable married lady in Prince
Grofse county. A Yankee correspond
eal dyes theTnames of these ruffianS as
T. 5. Gordon ANA d. Geary. They en-
iced the house Of Mrs. Mary f. Stiles,
and after helping themselves to every
Ting desirable in the way of food, cloth
!ng ac, ana assuring the lady that they
Nould moi harm her, they forced her
lnio a small apartment and accomplished
their hellish designs. The lady, with
telrs in her eyes, made complaint to the
Yankee Provost Marshal, the men were
arrested, ttied, and condemned to death
The correspondent adds that the chain
ot evidence was mostly ciTcumstantial,
and that an officer who was on the court
martial afterwards said that the breaking
oi one link Of that evidence would have
htei the guilty wretches. This is one
instance only in which the brutal Yam
hey aodiery have expiated their heinous
Offences with their lives
AFFAIRS DOWN THE RIVER.
Ii was currently reported. yesterday
that on Monday night our forces captured
The 9Th New York regiment near Deep
Bottom. The only foundation for this
report was thai skirmish tooh
place IN that locality, in which forty mini
iankeea, who were on picket, were takel
prisoners. Onr informant states tina
not Inore than fourteen rounds Wer
iirct, and so slight was the engagement
that companies stationed two miles OF
knew nothing Of it until the prisoner
were brought in. They represented tina
they were until recently serving unde
Banks, in Louisiana.
On Saturday the enemy took posses
sion OF some pits which had been use'
by our artillery firing upon the fanke
Transports, and proceeded to construc
lortticatiOns in the vicinity. 1t was 10
this purpose, undoubtedly, that the Fed
eral troops were sent across the river.
FROM GEORGIA.
The telegram from Atlanta shows tha
HE enemy has again been repuised in al
attempt To break our lines. 1t appear
that Sherman, in imitation of Grant
commenced shelling the city withou
giving notice Of his intention, thus ex
posing the lives of women and childre
to danger. In every respect do the Yar
KEGS violate the usages Of civilized war
iare, and for each non -combatant killet
at least four prisoners ought to SUITE
death.
The address of Gen. Hood to h
troops ~ spirited and to the point, "
some will perceive in it slight refiectio
upon the policy of the late commando
oi the Army of Tennessee.
SPLENDID VICTORY ~ THE yALLEY-Tn
FaEAY COMPLETELY ROUTED.
IL was rumored yesterday afternoo
'ha' our troops in the Valley of Virgini
''Id engaged and defeated the enemy
ih'5 news was confirmed by passenger
on the Ganiral train ana af a iaia hnu