The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-12-14

The troops thrown over by Grant t
meet Lopgstreet's movement have beer
withdrawn 10 the south side. Every
thing indicates protracted quiet on thi
side of the river
| FROM PETERSBURG.
| The enemg's camp in front of Peters
burg has been in a commotion during
the past two days, and on Monday, fv;
trains, loaded with troops, were run uI
from City Point. These were, we think
| the troops who had been sent north Of
the James toresist Longstreet, and who
were being Withdrawn to their original
positions. 1t was thought probable the
enemy would attack our extreme right
on yesterday morning; but we believe
the day passed without any such move
| ment
| WARREN's COLUMN.
| We are still without later official in
| formation relative to the movements of
Warren's column than that contained in
General Lees dispatch of last Saturday,
which stated that the enemy was retiring
from Bellfeld, on the Meherrin, followed
By Hampton; but, from intelligence OBJ
tanned through other sources, we feel
satisfied that they, being banked at the
Meherrin, abandoned their expedition to
Weldon, and, carefully avoiding colli-
sion with our troops, returned to their
| position before Petersburg. They pro-
| baby reached Grants army on Monday
| night On Monday morning, Grant sent
down the Jerusalem plankroad a conside-
rable body of infantry to meet and rein
force them. This expedition has proved
to be the most signal of all Grant many
| fizzles. He sends out ten or fifteen thou
sand men-a moveable column-to de-
stroy the Weldon and Petersburg rail-
a4d, take Bellfeld Hicksford and Wei
don, and hold the latter pace. They
start off grandiy and gaily, with banners
flying and supply trains and droyes of
beeves following in their wake they burn
|. Sussex courthouse, steal few poor cat
tie from the country people, tear up six
miles of the railroad, get peppered by the
reserves and Hampton's cavalry at Bell
field, and sink back by by-paths to the
Army of the Potomac
After the above was in type, the follow
ing official dispatch, giving an account of
Warren's return to Grants army, vas
received at the War Department:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NokrHrR. vIhcIs1A,
December Is, 1864.
"Bon. James Il. Seldom, Secretary Of H'ay:
"The expedition to BellfeId, under General War
ren, returned within the enemys lines yesterday.
The two divisions CT the Ninth corps which went
to Warren's relief proceeded no further than BeN
chers mill On meeting the returning column, they
turned back.
"On returning from Bellfeld, the enemy moved
eastwardly to the Jerusalem and Sussex Court
house roads. Our troops, consequently, only en-
countered their rear guard and pursued no further
than the Nottoway river; and Aey have returned
to camp, bringing few prisoners. Our loss is very
slight.
8 The superintendent of the Petersburg and Vel
don railroad reports that about SIX miles of the rail-
road has been broken up. z. E. LEE"
FROM GENERAL HooD-THE BATTLE OF
FRANKLIN.
A gentleman, who reached this city
yesterday direct from Tuscumbia, Ala
bama, brings the first Coz federate ac-
count we have had of the battle Of
Franklin, on the 30th ultimo. His ac-
count confirms the opinion we had al
ready arrived at from the Yankee news
paper statements, that General Hood
achieved great victory. He says the
enemy's loss in killed and wounded was
very heavy, being certainly not less than
four thousand. We captured, and still
hold, five thousand prisoners. Our loss
in killed, wounded and prisoners was
about thirty five hundred. Among the
killed on our side were Major-General
Cleburne and Brgadier- General Govan,
of Arkansas, and Brigadier- General
Cranberry, Of Texas.
General Hood proposed to Schofeld
to.exchange prisoners, bat the latter de-
clined, alleging that he had sent off all
the Confederates ne had captured. The
fact was, he was unwilling, by exchang-
ing, to disclose how very small was the
number OF prisoners he had taken.
1t is worthy of remark that the Van
KEGS, having lied about this battle
steadily and persistently for fortnight,
now show some disposition to acknow-
ledge the truth. All along they have
been swearing that they lost but five
hundred men. As will be seen by our
latest extracts from Northern papers,
they now admit loss of upwards Of
three thousand. They will come out
with all the facts in a few days more.
FROM fir SOUTH.
There was report ON yesterday that
a fight was going on, on the Charleston
and Savannah railroad, at Coosawatchie.
1t was probably correct, and the enemy
have persistently endeavored to make q
| lodgment on this road.
We have nothing from Sherman. He
| is still somewhere within twenty miles
of Savannah, and has not yet eommuni-
Gated with the Yankee squadron.