The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1864-08-26
THE WAR.
THE ARMY BEFORE PETERS
BURG.

THE RATTLE FOR THE POSSESSION OF THE VEL
DON RAILROAD, q ,r It'd ri
FoRTsEss MONROE, August 2l.-The mail
steamer Dictator, iIoni Cl.y Polnt, arri' cd az,
Z. NJ. tO DAY, bringing IL lew m1N ieDei
prisoners, Heavy cannouadAng cOmlnenceu
AT IL O'clock on SATURDAY niah., On ouf ex-
IRENE lett, in tront VI tue otn Corps winch
Continued untll 4 cluck THIS mprn4ns, wpeu
deceased. Heavy mqsketry iring conGlusli'g,
however, when the mad boat lett, aL III a. Nj.
The fighting is described as being Of me INST
spirited character, and was 0ccasloned by an
attack from the enemy, tor the express pul-,
pJse ot urlving our nAen from the eidon<
Railroad Up To the iatest accounts, tney'
lad ialied 20 accomplish tlie'r ueslgn, andsAie
5tn Corps, reiniUrcel, stlii malntalned, tneir
nold OH the road So long as theJ desired " DO
sO. 81
ARMY OF THE PoToNAc, August 2l.-our
losses IN the night on tne eidon hailroad un
Friday afternoon were greater tAan heretofore
reported i'll this CORE. pondeace. the num-
Der OF PRISONERS Is now put dowa ~ I,oUu.
1t see.ns that our troops were surprised,
many of them beng Al .neir shelter tents at
tue linle, try.ng To escape tie heavy rain
tAat had been lailIng Ion se,eral nUurs pre-
vlously, The enemy hrst appeared about
noon On the right u the road, III front ot tue
Sd Division OF the 5th Corps, but this was
evidently a lent, or Tor the pu. pose OF teellns
our lines.
About P. M. they charged in heavy force
between tine 5tI and Jvn Corps, and succeeded
in turning the flank Of the former, capt1rtng
large nulnber vi prisoners. lnis part Oh
our line was forced back some DISTANCE, wAen
the 9th Corps, which had been rei4eSed the
day previous by part of the I'd Corps, came
on Tue fed, aud opened ire, checking the
enemy's advance, and taking a lew prisoners.
A heavy column at tine sa.pe time charged
on the lett Of our line west Vi the railroad,
held by the I'd Division, Gen. Ayres, WINCH
they broke, aud here also they touk 5OQ VI 600
prisoners from the regular brigade, LAS
brigade was Commanded ny Col. or Gen. Hays,
wnv as believed TO be prisoner, as he cannot
be found. Our whole line was thus forced
back with neayy loss IN killed and wounded.
The enemy, however, suffered more tnan we
did in this particular, his men lying timex all
round the field. Before dark our men were
reformed, and, being reinforced, u desperate
charge was made to recover our lost ground,
when was successfully accomplished, So we
heid at night the line winch had been taken
from us in the afternoon. te
Col. Earle is reported prisoner, as is also
Col. Hartsteine. Gen. Crawford was shot
through the vest and shirt, and narrowly
escaped capture. Lieutenant Clark, Of his
stat, was shot IN the arm, while Captain Mon
telth, Lieutenant Meade and Merriiieid, ana
Capt. SmitA, also Of Gen. CrawIord's staff,
had their horses shot while carrying orders
and raiiying the men Of the Sarlous CON
mands. The last named was u pr.s0Aer tor
a while, but, seeing a iavvrabie cnance made
his escape.
Captain Doolittle, of Colonel Wheelock's
staff, was ordered to surrender, when ne, get-
ting angry ut an epithet applied to nan,
seized u musket and bayoneted the reDel
against tree. Col. Wneelock' S bpgade, OF
the I'D Division. was fankeu, when they iaced
10 the rear, charged and drove tne Rebels, and
took a number Of prisoners. The entire
number captured was about $50 with some
stands Vi culors. Our loss is estimated at
over 5000, including prisoners. Nothing
Dus sklm.snlpg took place along the Lines TO-
day, Doth partes beng Dusy entrepciing
themselves. A battle is l.0Aed lor at any
hour, as the enemy seem Determined to regain
tine possession OF the road, wnlle We are as
determined to holdlt. The prisoners we took
to-day DelOng principally to Beauregard's
aud HATS Corps, and are a nae, healthy
l.ok.ng set vi men, although clad III Tie
usual sts lie.
Aueusr 2l-6 A. M.-Consderable artil-
Iery hiring mas been going on onour iett since
lour clock, and Is st lhis Time quite BRISK.
No musAetry can be heard, the distance from
headquarters being too great.
HANCOCK REPORTED TO HAVE REcRossED JAMES
wAsHINeroN, August 22,--Passengers by
the mail steamer from City Point bring a re
port that the Cd Corps had successfully re-
crossed the James river On Saturday nlgnt,
thus adding to the mystifcaton of the rebels