Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-10-13
GRANTS OPERATIONS.
The Rebels Attack the Eighteenth
Corps-They are Repulsed with
Fearful Loss-Heavy Rains-Gen.
Stannard Wounded.
[From th, New York Times
HEAD QUARTERS ARMY OF THE JAMES,
Saturday Oct. |. 1864.

Saturday. Oct. l. 1864.
For purely military reasons there was
no disposition yesterday. on the part of
General Butler, to advance the lines of his
army. and the day might have passed un-
eventually. had not the enemy assumed the
offensive. Called almost to desperation
by the sudden advantages we have won
an advantage which gives us a position al
most within the purlieus Of tie rebel cspi-
tol--Lec moved up heavy reinforcements
from the Petersburg front to oppose us
IIe,h's. Hokc's and Fields divisions, and
Wilcox's brigade.
At about 2 o'clock in the afternoon,
they made all impetuous attack upon the
right of the 18th corps, opposite the forti-
ications which was taken from them on
Thursday, in the hope of driving us out.
Formed in three long lines, they advanced
to the charge, and were met by q murder
Gus fire which sent them staggering back,
leaving lies of dead and dying on the
field Rallying again, they renewed the
onset, and with such determination that
their advance came within two hundred
yards Of the work. Our men again sue
ceeded in repulsing them. and the slaugh-
ter was terrible. Maj Gen. Weitzel, who
had only taken command of the 18Th corps
few hours before the assault, signally in
augnra,ed his assumption Of the position,
in the result of this affair. As the broken
columns, parallyzed by the shock of their
reception, fled back to gain the. shelter of
their works. he promptly pushed forward
hanking force. which managed to cut off
the retreat of nearly three hundred Of
the panic stricken men, and they swooped
them in like fish into a net. Five battle
flags W ere also captured. Among the prs
oners were eighteen commissioned officers,
and last night they were brought to these
he idqusrters on their way to the rear
These officers, many of whom are veter-
ans, unite in saying that they never before
experienced such a musketry fire.
Our men did not fall into the common
practice of firing high and harmlessly over
the heads of their sssailants, but almost
every bullet brought down a man. and the
ground was strewn with the victims of
their unerring aim. On our part little ar
tillery was used, but the rebels kept up an
incessant fire of big guns during the as
sault, not alone from the forts, but like
wise from their iron-clads in the James,
near Drury's Bluff. The left division of
the 10th Corps was partially engaged in
this affair, but the brunt of it fell upon the
18th.
Our casualties were comparatively
small, necessarily so as we were behind
our works. l am grieved to say, bowev-
er, that We had another brave general put
hors du combat. A fragment Of shell
struck General Stannard, commanding
the 1st Division of the 18th corps, in the
left arm, making amputation necessary.
A few prisoners were taken to-day on
our right. Some Of them were merchants
in Richmond until our irruption on Thurs
day morning. Then they rushed them
selves into an improvised cavalry force
it is weakness have observed on the
part of minute men to get into the saddle
and took to Independent scouting
Their career as gallant troopers was brief
and somewhat inglorious. One of them
innocently asked if the United States gov
ernment would reimburse him for the loss
of his horse and equipments. The be-
nighted individual was told that the rebel
exchequer must meet his claims. if justice
was ever done him. His answer was true.
though profane, "Thst be ID" be said