The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-22

miles and a half east Of and below Chathn's
Bluff. During the movements and fights OF
Monday and Tuesday, We lOstGhis position, and
the enemy Occupedit in force, and planted upon
and in rear of It heavy siege guns
BY our successes Of Tuesday evening we re-
established our whole line, with the exception OF
this point, and, il being desired to rctae this, on
Wednesday evening our irOn-clads, then lying at
Graveyard Bend, were ordered 10 drep dow
and shell the position. They performed the re-
quired service most eiiectualy. Their firing was
beautiful-eyory she'll exploded at the right place
The enemy replied with heavy guns-some OF
them being two hundred and eighty Founders
But so accurate and rapid was our fire upon the
hill that the enemy found 1t necessary to
eyacuate Il.
When, at daylight yesterday morning, our in-
fantry advanced upon the position, they found
IL abandoned. Some prisoners taken in the
immediate vicinity state that the cncmy's loss
during the engagement was twcnty-oue killed
and large number wounded. There was no
casualty in our feet, none Of them being struck.
The enemy fired from distance Oi two thousand
eight hundred yards We from one thousand two
hundred to two thousand three hundred yards.
The celebrated NcAyoy fuse was used by us,
and TO it, in great measure, Il is due that wc
were enabled to explode our shells Just where
we desired. IL isto be regretted that this fuse Is
not in more general use in our armies, instead
OF the most unreliable percussion fuse.
THE BATTLES OF MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
We have authentic information, that in the
series Of severe engagements fought on this side
Of the river during Monday aud Tuesday, and
eliminating in the battle below Whites Tavern,
on Tuesday evening, our entire loss in killed,
wounded, aud missing did not exceed one thou
sand. II is believed that our killed will scarcely
number one hundred The encmys killed alone
will exceed our losses from all causes. lnkillcd,
wounded, and prisoners Grunts loss is not less
than seven or eight THOUSAND.
NEGRO SOLDIERS TO BE TREATED As PRISONERS
OF WAR.
Negro soldiers, outside of the Confederacy,
employed 10 do the work Of pllace and slaugh-
ter Of the Yankee APE who sits IN the usurped
seat at Washington, are henceiorth not to be
considered iii subjects fOrthc bullet, bayonet, and
knife after surrender, but are TO be treated as
prisoners of war. Yesterday an order from the
Provost Marshals office, sanctioned by the Secre-
! tary of War, was received at Castle Thunder.
The purport was that the negro prisoners taken
| IN Yankee uniform, whether free or bond, if they
hailed from Maryland or Delaware, were not to
he claimed as property in case they were slaves
| but they were to be treated as negroes usually
are in case they declared their freedom. A cti-
! zen of Maryland or Delaware cannot claim
/ his stolen or impressed property-stOen or i'm
! pressed by "Abe, the emperor" from the fact
! that Maryland and Delawareare within the limits
| of the "kngdOm of the ape, and not within the
! limits Of the Confederate States This decision
| is taken as irrevocabe, and as it emauates from
| the Provost Marshals office, with the sanction of
the War Department, we take it rs final. Every
! negro who comes here us prisoner OF war pro-
! u
the order alluded TO Will save great deal OF liti-
| CATION.
| But, be it remembered that the slaves of Mary
| land and Delaware in the army Of Grant are
freedmen. That's enough to make them freed
| men forever.
| PETERsBURG, August IS, lS64-About2 o'clocli
| this morning our batteries all along the line u
| front of this place opened fire upon the enemy
who responded feebly. The firing was kept Up
| for an hour and half, when all subsidized into the
| usual quiet on our side. No casualties are re-
! ported.
The enemys cavalry are making some demon
strations on our right this morning.
SECOND DESPATCH.
PETERsBURG, August l6.-A force Of the 81
! Corps of the enemy, assisted by cavalry, sue
ceeded in reaching the Weldon Railroad, jus
above the Six Mile Station, tearing up part o
the railroad, some say as much MS two miles. IL
II. Watkins Virginia Raiders and Davis MSsis
sippi Brigades coming upon the raiders, a sharl
tight ensued, the result Of which is not fulll
ascertained. One hundred and ffty-eigh
prisoners, including eight officers captured il
the fight, have arrived here. The enemy is il
retreat by latest advces. The prisoners say th
move had two fold obiect-to draw troops from
our front in order, If possible, to change on
works, and, secondly, to break the road.