Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-09


Grant hattle or nress sanjtliIy rearward IN
ii e walls Of their capital. I
toward organization was made some weeks
since by the concentration at Yorktown
from the various posts in the Department
of North Carolina and Virginia, the great
bulk of the 18th army corps. TO the COM
mand of these troops was assigned Major
General w. F. Smith In addition to these
were some from the coast Of North Caro'i-
lia, and the posts In Virginia near by, All
! he brave and gallant fellows OF the 10th
, rmy corps, under Maj. Gen. Gilmore, were
ent to Gen. Butler to participate in TIN
lovement, forming their encampment Mt
Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown.
! That Yorktown and Gloucester Poir'.
9th at the mouth of York river, should
/; ave been selected for the rendesyOuz ~
nese troops. naturally led to the snpposi-
on that the advance was intended to be
I, ladc ND the peninsula. That the assu-
ance of their deception might be made
: oubly sure. brigade Of Union troops was
ispatched by General Butler, even as late
Z Yesterday, to White House landing,
z here, at sunset, when we last heard from
lem, they were selulously engaged In fell
lg timber and constructing wharf, as II
repairing to facilitate the landing OF a
.rge~army.
+ 70 aid in this mystification. all the light
aft steamers were kept until the last mo-
.ent at Fortress Monroe, whence early
'sterday morning they were dispatched to
ork river, and the work Of embarking the
oops, whose arrangements for the plIr-
'se had been already made, was begun
'omptly.
General Buffers orders to his subordinate
.nerals, made it incumbent for them to
pair to Hampton Roads as quickly as pos-
)le after dark, where they were to anchor
the night.
At day break the order commanding an
Vance of the troops up the James river,
nvoyed by three army gunboats under
igadier General Graham; a naval force
insisting of five monitors and eleven gun
,ats, under Rear Admiral Lee. The cav
~ expedition is commanded by Briga-
! tr General A. V. KautZ, who has fine
! .dy of several thousand men, left Suffolk,
F.! L., also at daylight yesterday morning.
The point at which he aims primarily to
ike is Heckford, a town OIL the Peters
rg, Richmond and Welden railroad. The
ilroad bridge there, which is strong
I G, about three hundred feet long. will be
! stroyed if possible, and then the dashing
{ rsemen will do other damage to the
emy's means of supply as far as they
4 find opportunity.
: ission, and if he is not too hardly pressed
the rebels, he may penetrate as far
nth as Weldon, North Carolina, return
swhen it suits his convenience. We may
. hear of him for month, but meaii-
/ lile it is expected that he will make a
J, od record. Starting up the peninsula
: IN Williamsburg, another cavalry force,
( newhat smaller, set out ut daybreak.-
, leir object was to create division in our
or by keeping the rebels excited, and
acking guerrillas and the garrisons of
outposts.
Col. West would try to cross the Chicka-
miny at Bottoms bridge, and make his
" to the main body on the James. The
in body taking the advance, reached
ilson's wharf point about thirty-tive
les below Richmond. Here regiment
Gen. Wild's negro brigade have effected
, anding, and are busily engaged in max
preparations to hold the place.
From this point up the river to Fort Pow
ttan, is d clear straight reach of miles,
ich it would never do to leave in COM
ind of the enemy, who could fortify the
lff and play the mischief with our water
mmunications. Gen. Butler takes pos
sion of both these strong positions. The
llwart Africans gayly run up the bluffs
d are soon at work swinging axes with a
IL, and the giant trees fall with MOURN
crash under their sturdy strokes. T.
Soon wide space of woods ON the high
nks is cleared away, and rebels ap-
oaching from toward Richmond must
ne within sweep of our batteries.
City Point has become ours without a
/, uggle. The Union forces are securely
? lnted in a splendid advantageous posi-
n within fifteen miles of the rebel Cap
L..