The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-08-30
TUESDAY MORNINu..s.., AUGUST 80. 1861


THEsWAR NEWS.
Since the memorable battle at Roamss station. ON
Thursday last, there has beea no hghting on the
lines in front Of Petersburg The enemy however,
commenced shelling the city heavily yesterday morn
ing, and several houses struck. 1t is in this
barbarou5 practice that Grant finds solace for his
grief over his late defeat but The army that con-
fronts him stands firm as aroek, and Petersburg
Is rs defiant ever
In the ene1ny's several attempts to cut and hold
the Weldon railroad he has lost not less than fifteen
thousand men Nine thousand prisoners have been
taken, and his killed and wounded, at a low esti-
mate, will reach six thousand. Thus it will be seer.
that while the holding of this line of conmupica-
ton is somewhat annoying to US, it is exceedingly
expensive amusement to the enemy
Again, in the early engagements before Petersburg
Grant lost ten thousand men, according to the ad-
mission of war journals at the North. At the ex-
poson of the mine, We have the same authority for
stating that he sustained sufther loss OF five
thousand, which, added TO the aOoye, makes his ae-
gregate loss during the short siege of Petersburg
thirty thousand. Nor does this include the loss in
Buffers department, or in the engagements OH the
north side of the James river
If the abolition journals of the North instead OF
publishing lying bulletins of the favorable progress
Of the siege, to lay before their readers such
undeniable facts tho foregoing the people might
well stand appalled, and they would soon be as
clamorous for peace as they have ever been for
pushing on the war.
The enemy's works ut Reains'A captured by
troops on Thursday, very strong, and
structed with much ingenuity and skill. They were
built of logs, fence rails and earth, extended on
both sides OF the railroad, and were protected all
sides, and as they thought, both in front and rear.
They are now iii our Possession, and the Yankee,
have made no attempt to recapturc them.
y Among the prisoners captured Thursday are
about eighty commissioned officers including the
following: Lieutenant-Colonel T. A. Walker, As
si5tant dJutant-Gencral; Major John w. Beattle,
One Hundred and Sixty-fourth New York Major
John W. Byron, Eighty-cghth New York; Major
John Byrne, One Hundred and Fity-ffth New
York; Major Frank Williamson, Fourth New York
Heavy Artillery. No officers Of higher rank
among the number, though it currently reported
that bTigadier-gcneral had fallen into our hands
Another lot of Yankee prisoners, among them
between sixty and seventy wounded, brought to
this city yesterday from Petersburg. One died on
the passage.
The rumor that the enemy had landed in force at
the White House, on the Palmnkey river, is with
out foundation. There might have been a small
party in the vicinity Saturday morning, though
this is doubtful An official dispatch, received on
Sunday evening, states that there was no enemy
there at that time.
THE NORTHERN BORDER
We are still without later intelligence from Early
command than that furnished by Northern papers
of the 27th and that is of a very unreliable nature
There had been skirInishing i'll the neighbor-
hood of Lcctown, thirty miles west of Harper's
Ferry, in which, infer from the admissions oi
the enemy, the advantage remained with the Con-
fejcrates Although report of Il victory over the
Yankees is not confirmed, 1t is evident from the
Yankee accounts that something had taken plaec
which the military authorities desired to suppress.
\ dispatch, concerning operations sheridan 5
line. sent from Washington to Baltimore, was
smothered by the press censor i'll the last-named
city. 1t is not probable, however that any general
engagement has taken place; otherwise, the fact
would have been communicated to the authorities
here.
TIE POSITION OF AFFAIRS IN GEORGIA.
The latest adyices from Georgia show that Shcr-
mans situation is becoming hourly more perilous.
No army, i'll the history of this war, has occupied
dangerous position. The hope of succOr from the
diversion made by Smith has been blasted by the
diversion made by Forrest on Memphis, which has
sent Smith at a doublc-quick back to that city pur-
sued and harassed by that portion Of FORESTS cav
airy which was in his front. The most important
Intelligence we.can now logk for must come from
Wheeler 1t is not so important that he should do
so much damage to the roads in Shermans rear as it
is that he should remain on them, giving them tap
ping every day Two weeks If he stay long, will
settle the question of the enemy's remaining thi
side of the Chattahoochee and then the question as
to whether his army viii ever get home again be-
comes open To discussion. Our scouts report that
some portions of SherInan's forces are already re-
duced to green corn tor rauons, and we know that
the country from Atlanta to Dalton on the Georgia
State road has been devastated for four miles each
side by the enemy gathering provisions. As far 's
We can hear from v heeler he is doing his work
we'll He has not wasted his Ill assaults On the
fortified bridges the Etowah and other streams
between Atlanta and Dalton, but has thoroughly
DESTROYED the road between these bridges, which he
could do with impunty, the Yankees remain IN
their forts at the bridges from fright and allow him
to tear up the road within few hundred yards OF
them unmolested. The road between the cities
named has been pretty well used up, and now We
hear of our forces destroying that between Dalton
and Nashville. So tmid have the Yankees II
their forts been, that much Of their cattle has
been driven off almost from under their guns.
The possession of Atlanta may now be sald to he
reduced to a cavalry fight about the lines of conf
municaton, and Sherman 50 recognizes It. The Ie-
cogniton however, alittle too late. The dsa-
ter 10 Stonemans raid deprived him of the best part
of his cavalry anI that the time has come fol
its use he has only Fitzpatrick to rely to catch
Wheeler This general was started out THAI
mission directly il Was known that Wheeler had
left but finding pursuit useless, turned his attention
to DESTROYING the West Point and Macon lines oi
rair~,1 running out from Atlanta. While al
Jonesboro' on the Macon road, he fell into the
hands of both Confederate infantry and cavalry
got thrished and made his way back to Sherman
after losing heavily.
Sherman will have now to prepare for recrossine
the Chattahoochee, and will no doubt accomplish il
with little risk he has the ground between the
river aud Atlanta closely covered with line after
line of fortitcatonS 1t Is after he Is across thai
the race commences.
SHERMAN'S ARMY.
Whilst there is no foundation for the report tha
Sherman is retreating from Atlanta, We have higf
authority for stating that last Friday night h
was engaged in changing the position OF his arm,
by the left and centre. His lines are 90 drawn baci
that his left rests on the railroad bridge ove