The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-06-25
1uar Nems.

Our summary last week closed with the
announcement of the great flank movement
of Gen. Grant by which he placed his army
or the south side of the James River.
Our forces drew out from within fifty yards
of the ntrenehmeuts Mt Cold Harbor, made
flank movement Of an average of about
nifty miles march, cttssing the Chickahom-
my and James Rivers; the latter being two
Thousand feet wide and eight and one-haff
feet deep at the point of crossing, and sur
prised the enemy s rear at Petersburg
This was done without the loss of "a wagon
or piece of artillery, and only about one
hundred and fifty stragglers were picked up
by the enemy.
In covering this move Warren's Corps and
Wilson cavalry had frequent skirmiShing
with the enemy, each losing from fifty to
sixty killed and wounded, but inficting an
equal, if not greater loss upon The enemy.
The Eighteenth Corps (Smith's) were
transferred from White House to Bermuda
Hundred by water, moved out near to Pc
tersburg Oh the night of their arrival and
surprised. or rather captured, the very strong
works northeast of Petersburg before sufii-
cient force could be got in them by the enc
my to hold them.
He was joined the night following this
capture by the Second Corps, which in turn
captured more of the cnemy's rndoubts
further south, and this corps was followed
by the Ninth, with the result above stated.
The Ninth Corps or Fridy morning carried
two more redoubts forming q part of the
detcnces of Petersburg, capturing $50 pris-
oners and four guns.
The enemy, in their endeavors to reinforce
Petersburg. abandoned their intrcnchments
in front of Bermuda Hundred. They no
Il l,f Il ~,
of James River to take their places before
they were discovered. Butler took advant-
age of this, and moved force at once upon
the railroad and plank road between Rich
mord and Petersburg.
A despatch from General Sherman's head
quarters, dated Tuesday evening, at half past
eight o clock, states that at has raiued
almost necessarily, in spite of which our
lines have been pressed forward steadily, and
an important position gained by General
Howard. The enemy made a desperate
attempt to retake the position last night
making seven distinct assaults on General
Whitaker's Brigade OF SANKEY'S Division
and losing no less than seven hundred or
eight hundred men. Two hundred killed
were left on Whitaker's front. The assault
was followed by heavy fire of artillery,
under which the position was fortified and is
now safe. Our cavalry is across Neonday
Creek, on our left, aud one brigade of the
Twenty-third Corps is across Noses Creek,
on the right but the Rebel left is behind a
swamp, and the rains prevent any advance.
The fighting is quite severe at all points,
The enemy is resisting stubborny. and
attempting the offensive whenever he can. y
a dispatch of Mr. Stanton dated II o'cl k
P. N. on Saturday, announces the receipt of
dispatches from General Sheridan. The
latter reports that he had crossed the Pamun-
key and then marched to Polccat Station on
the Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad.
Thence he marched westwardly, crossing
both branches of the North Anna to point
about three miles northeast of Trevaliau
! Station on the Virginia Central Railroad,
where he found the cncmy's cavalry in his
Immediate front. Gems. Torbcrt and Gregg
with division and a brigade made an attack
driving the Rebels from successive lines of
breastworks back to Trcvdlian Station. In
the meantime Gen. Custer with his brigade
reached point in the rear of the Station
where the Rebels are reported to have broken
into complete rout, abandoning their dead
and nearly all their wounded. and leaving
twenty officers. five hundred men and three
hundred horses in Gen. Sherdan's hands,
The next day Gen. Sheridan commenced
destroying the railroad from Treyaian Sta
ton to Louisa Court House, which occupied
him until o'clock p. NJ. He directed Gen.
Torbert to advance with division in the
direction Of Gordonsville and attack the
enemy. The advance was made, but as the
enemy's position was found too strong to
assault, no general attack was made on the
extreme right of our lines. A portion of
the reserve brigade, however, carried the
enemy works, twice, and was twice driven
theretrom by infantry. Finding that he had
not sufficiency of ammunition to continue
the engagement, and that reinforccments
were coming to the Rebels, and also that his
horses had been for two days without forage
General Sheridan, during the night and fol-
lowing morning, withdrew across the North
Anna. He reports the enclny's loss very
heavy, and his own loss at about five hun
dred and scventy-five. He states that he
brought off three hundred and seventy pris
oners, and also three hundred and seventy
seven of his wounded, and that his loss in
prisoners was not over one hundred and
sixty. The 9TH Michigan is stated to have
made charge, in which they captured fifteen
hundred men, but being surrounded they
had to give them up.