Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-08-06
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
"Details al the Hepuise Oh Grants
Army al Petersburg-A Bloody En-
gagcn,enr with no Com Parative fse.
sutts.
" AsHi>oroN. Ausus, /, 10 p. \

" ssHI>eroN. Ansus; l, 10 Z. N
The Pre,ideu. has returned here from his visi,
- General Grant Since his return il nae been
stated ihai very important changes will immedi-
s,ely take place in regard 70 the future scene of
operations Of the army of the Potomac. From
all that can be learned, IL seems that Gen. Grant
has changed his recently expressed opinion that
no large portion of the enemy has left his imme-
date 'front.' aud now believes Gst the reverse
st all events. whether he believes n not, the
government Is in possession OF facts in regard TO
the recent departure of certain divisions of Lees
army from Petersburg and Richmond. which
leave no option in he mind OF the President aud
Secretary OF War They know that such move
men,s on the part OF Lees army have been made
aud il NAV have been TO convince General
Grant OF this fact that the President made this
visit. At all events, i is said that the result
of this visit the scene o. the future operations
of General Mea3e's army viii ne Immediately
changed.
have received lul! details of the affair a, Pc
icrs5urg on the 30th ult You will see from these
facts that Grant has made another faure--a fail
uge which amounts 20 4 most disastrous repulse
of our armv--a failure attended BY the useless
sacrifice Of at least 5 ZOO OF our own troops. and
perhaps half as many of the Confederates For.
strange to say it is established beyond ali ques
ton that the explosion OF the mine was expected
and provided for by the Confederates, and they
were prepared for IT. Not only had they remov-
ed twelve out Of the sixteen guns out of the re-
doubt 70 a place OF safety but they had also re
moved from the doomed work nearly all the men
that had been in il The sacrifice OF life caused
By the explosion. therefore was much les than
General Grant intended Aud when the explo-
sion had taken pace-when the fragments had
ceased to fy through the ait aud the dust had
seitled-ji was found that General Grant had
maze great mistake that hs miscalculatioDs
had rendered the great explosion Of absolutely no
use TO Us
He had supposed that the work which he had
just destroyed tie principal defense OF Peters
burg, the key indeed to the system OF forts by
which the place i surrounded Instead of that
the destroyed fOri vas "a mere eutTOra Behind
H. untouched by the explosion, rose the lrown-
ing paIape and crest of another and still stronger
and larger fort, bristlinS with heavy guns, swarm
ing with rebel sharpShooierS Ii Grant was not
appalled, by that sight, il was because his nature
is utterly callous
But that was oni, The first chapter III The dis
aster Grants orders that the main work
OF the enemy having been DESTROYED. six divisions
0i Our army were 10 charge and carry the place.
The main work was hot destroyed, WAS not even
touched But after the explosion, which de
molisbed what proved to be an unimportant out.
work, the charge was ordered nevertheless IL
was executed; ter when did the veterans OF the
Army Of the Potomac ever refuse 10 charge when
thcy were ordered toI Besides, the third division
of the Cd Corps was one Of the divisions ordered
10 charge. and that division. according TO army
tradition. could carry anything
Tie change accordingly took place IL was
most caliaptiy executed by ali of the white troops
who took part ia Il. Never before had the hero
ism Of the gallant veterans OF Hancock corps
shown forth more brilliantly. But il os nn
avail The COniederates had expected, not only
the explosion. but also the charge that followed
il: and tbeT prepared for both. The con-
centrated and entiladng fire that was poured up
on the soldiers Of the % and 9th corps, moved
them down like grass before the scythe. But
they held their ground and fought like heroes,
till they were literally run over aud thrown into
confusion by the panic stricken negroes ia their
shameful flight.
Talk about negroes lighting after this. Why
| am told by those who witnessed the scene that
they broke and fed in wild terror like sheep.
throwing aw5y arms, Announcements and every
thing that could impede their fight; and that
they did not stop after they had thrown the 81
and 9th corps into confusion. but kept on running
and scsmpering, in a frightened, hudded mass,
until they were miles away That Is the end OF
them Ii will be impossible To organize
such utterly panic stricken creatures into sol
dierS again
II must be remembered that this decided re-
pulse OF our army, in an assault that General
Grant had been making preparations for many
weeks, and in which his whole army was present
tfoF the troops sent to the north side of the
James river had returned effected by only
a small portion OF Lees army. Beside the troops
that had been sent away some time previously,
large number had been sent only day before.
10 oppose whatever designs Grant might have on
the north side Of the Jane river, aud they were
there ai the time Of The explosion.
MALcSLx