The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-08-12
The Fight on Saturday.

SOME DETAILS or TIE ASSAULT AND REPULSE.
\ special account to the New York rrib
uAe says our charging party were hardly in
motion after the explosion, when the rebels
. ohowad themselves prepared by opening a
volley. The abattii and other ohstruc,ons
of the fort were not destroyed, which caus-
ID much difficulty to our advance. The in
terror Of the exploded work presented con-
fused mass OF earth, guns, camp equipage
aud human bodies. Several attempts were
made to advance toward Cemetery Hill, but
failed under the severity of the rebel emf
troops were ordered to make an attack on
/ Cemetery Hill, 400 yards distant. They ad-
vanced with great steadiness Until they
/ reached the line of the other divisions, when
the rebel fire was brought TO bear upon
them. They turned to th- eft and became
mixed up with the other troops. About
/ 1000 colored troops leaped into the exploded
work. now mere pit and which was crowd
ed already with white troops. They tumbled
! headlong down the sides, causing scene of
nextrcable confusion. Attempts were made
to get them out and form in line, bnt failed.
Al our artillery was playing upon the rebels,
but their fire seemed to increase in severity.
They moved their troops from right to left,
concentrating in front Of our assaulting col
umn. Between and 9 o'clsck three at
rtmn'S we're made by our troops to charge,
bat failed.
About 9 A NJ our fire slackered and the
rebels rushed out and charged cur troops.
AT first they were checked, but finally they
got possession of most of the ground be-
tween the fort and their line and came within
a short distance of our troops. Our troops
then tried to get back to our lines. About
P. NJ. the enemy made another charge,
when about one thousand. mostly blacks,
broke for our lines. Hundreds of them new
er reached them. What were left of our
troops in the work were now completely
hemmed in. They remained there nearly an
hour, when an order was issued to fall back
to Their original position. Gen. Bartlett
who was left in the fort. sent word that un.
less he was relieved he and those with him
would have to surrender, as they had nc
ammunition. Shortly after the rebels were
heard TO make another charge, when doubt
less this party surrendered. The 9TH corps
8 though under fire, did not join in the attack
and the ID corps was entirely passive.
The ground in front of orr line near Pc
tersburg was litetally covered with our deaf
= and wounded, where they lay Sunday morn
ing under the rebel guns, less than thre
hundred yards from Cur lines, fostering il
the sun. The affair was most excellent
D., planned, but miserably managed, and the a:
sault would have been successful but fo
: somebody blunderlns.
% TIE REBELS REFUSE FLAGS OF TRUCE.
n A dispatch from Gen. Grants headqual
it. tiers Sunday evening estimates the losses o
is Saturday at 300, not including the missin;
el In the hospitals of the 9th corps. the FIR,
or division has 206 men; the I'd division 3O7
of the Sd division 81 and the Ain or ,lore
division 62G. A larger number of wourde
he are lying on the field between the two line
he anG canntt be got of. The 18th corps To-
I'd about 800, while Turner's division of Il
no 10th corps had nearly 400 killed and woun,
ih ed.
ly A flag of truce was sent to the enen
IS Sunday for the purpose of getting the r
ce mainder Of our wounded off the field, b
q. .uas rafr1sad raasnn not DlYen Gan Rn