The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-08-12
REBEL ACCOUNTS.

HAROE0
Pctsrsburg-Tho Picket Firing and
Mortar sheiling Continuca-Opinion
cf the Richmond Press ON the Mi ning e
Status to be Dehned. 30.
FROM the Richmond Dispatch, August 6.l
THE MINING OPERATIONS.
As we stated yesterday nothing whatever OF interest
occurred in front OF Petersburg Tuesday, That state
Of things continued until the close Of the day The usual
picket rug aud mortar sheling took place, but these
have now become Of such common that they
fail to attract attention In the opinion Of persons
that tney can see them bringing dirt from their aps
and deposltinR In their rear This may be So but the
completed on Saturday and that they expected greater
results from that than they have realized.
AS the Erprss pertneny remarks, It was manifestly
70 their advantage. and they know IL well We.
have sprung all their mines simultaneously II they had
than 1t Is stated that there but few points
along the lines where mining operations can success
fully conducted and one of these has been tried The
opinion s therefore, already expressed that this mode Of
warfare s about at an end with Grant but OF this
should not be too confident
Yankee oilcer, who accidentally got into lines on
Monday morning during the cessation Of hoetiies was
returned the next day under flag Of truce. His Was
Thomas, and his rank that OF colonel His straying
into our lines may not have been altogether accidental
events it would have been good idea to have kept him
In rebel prison for while punishment for his ndis-
erection, TO cali It by no harder name
THE NEGRO TROOPS.
Among the eleven hundred prisoners taken by our
orccs last Saturday. before Petersburg, two hundred
were negroes many OF hem perhaps all OF thern stolen
or RUNWAY sWVeS III any aOVertEement mas yet D0en
published IN the papers calling persons who have
lost slaves to come forward and identity their prop ,y,
and take It away, we have not observed such advertise
mont
Lately there were many negroes recovered from the
raiding party Of Kautz and Wilson: their were
where they could end take them. The hundred
black rascals taken alive In the Petersburg trenches
querer now that they are in our hands are worth half
q million, II may be hoped that strict examination Will
be made among thsm and due notice given to such as
har Late 0f with n of
making restitution Of such of them as are slaves.
The right OF the Yankee government is undoubted to
negroes whose residence Is at the North they would
have perfect right to make war upon with elephants
and our men an equal right to XII, tnem-a perfect
right, therefore, to employ negroes soldiers
But they have no right to steal mans negro and arm
him against bis master aud his master, wherever he
may fnd that stolen runaway negro Is entitled TO
claim him. On this point our government is happily
committed; and it by the plain duty
restoring recaptured slaves their unless n
Decd 1t recognizes the validity Of the emancipation pro-
camaton, as well as OF the conscaon act but this Is
not 10 bc supposed.
II not, however making good beginning TO march
up those two hundred negroes, along with nine hunored
white men, prisoners OF through the streets Of
Petersburg instead OF separating them and driving them
into pen by themselves until their status should be
certaired and their owners iif any, found
'srwo hundred genuine Eboshns sprnkled among tho
crowd OF prisoners" and placed on the footing.
Petersburg could not be wholesome. and II ,s mainly
upon that ground we dsapprove OF the exhbiton-not
because they were not good enough company for the
Yankees~who marched With them
without however going further into that matter for
the present. il is enough to remark that have rot as
yet heard OF any OF those two hundred negroes being
restored 10 their owners metwith any advertise
ment that they await Identification
Any one who has lost Slaves however, need not await
the nvaHcn but ought 10 go at once demand TO pass
the whole squad in review and IL he recognizes stolen
or runaway shave Of bis own or any neghbcr to reclaim
him and talio ossesson Of him. Anv such planter
going TO reclaim his slave. he meets with any difficulty
had better not be DISCOURAGED. but demand 10 see
superior ccer after another until be comes TO General
IT, after a. he cannot get back his slave, IL be is
his slave IS among them, then let him communicate all
the facts to the public through the newspapers
The Alabama and Kcarsarge.
INTERESTING LETTER FROM on BOARD THE EsAH.
sARGE--THE REASON FOR THE CIRCLE MAyTUyrE
IN THE ACTION OF THE ALABAMA AND GEAR
TRIAL or sPEED BETYsgN tbs KEABsARGg 4Sp
SACRAMENTO. ETC.
EDTroR HERALD.
The statement that the Alabama came down on the
the Kearsarge waiting for her is altogether
wrong. The rsasons, according Captain wnsow's
words, for nanmuverng the Kearsarge he did were
II was fully that tho Alabama was
coming out and steering down for the Kearsarge the
Kearssrge was headed seaward to get far enough or
shore that the jurisdiction question could not be raised
Secondly that IL the Alabama was disabled shc could no!
Bct paCk WItuu tuIee tue huc Vi
this point attained the Kearsarge turned
shortly around and headed directly for the Alabama
With the intention Of running her down. Il circumstance
permitted Immediately the Kearsarges coming aroupd
the Alabama turned presenting her starbosrd broadslds
and, shortly afterwards at long range opened her broad
side. The shot cut some OF the rigging Of the kear-
sarge and fell alongside, splashug the wa.or deck
The bell was rupg to 60 ahead fastcr-to close Two
minutes more and tho Alabama had again loaded and
given second broadslds and third broadsde followed
when the captain Of tho Kcarsarge teaug at the ooFc
distance reached that fourth fire nearly rakng as
4 was) would be DISASTROUS sheered and opened on The
Alabama.
Tho POSITION OF the two vessels now brosdsdo
aud broadside, the Alabama heading ~ shore.
the captain OF the Koarsarge was determined that
the Alabama should not escape she atemp tod to, ana
the order given TO keep the helm hard to port ihs
order necessarily would bring the kcarsarge under the
n srn Of ihe Alabama and expose her to rang IRE R
the latters hem was not hard 70 port also And epSed
kept up The Kearsar0e Vas under good head Of steam
Tho Alabama was thus forced 10 keep speed on and 90
rouud eqa round or stand tue ehanees OF rsking Ire
msIWuyre was fully successful When the Alabama
commenced TO run she was ase mics fiom the shore
mad the eoton continued broadside ard broedsde with
the AabamaH head pointed in shore. as at tue nrst ,
Aabans would have reached tac lice o. jurisdiction
and escaped.
again, your correspondent states that cap. wins'ow
paroed the rrssneps against Mr. Daytons instructions
y Incorrect Inc prisoners were Iaroed oeafe any
circumstances stated Mr.. Dayton fully agreed with
capt. wnslow, any other reasonable mnn would have
done. Hnd your correspondent been board be kear
arge and examined the little room she has for ter own
and thsu con dorse what her state was after mo
aotor with bedding strewn all over the quarter deck
Tor the wounded aud dying with somo Hty meu moro
forward and thon changed tbsergent Of RI thoughts TO
other difficulties such ps the neutrality Nw, whch pre-
vented the trapshipmcnt oC men 10 American vesses
(even bad there been any Ia English or treEch rorti
sUd az - that rebel cruisers reported cuts de ana
the assty 81 keeping tho kcarsqgs csdy Tor service
nomsntouE he would have written iSa sailor, ald
not like isndsnan hc did. Papers which have made
statements 10 the contrary VIII please cory.
The Rappahaunock would make an effort 10 gci out be
fore the 2eth inst Rerers OF the basin NJ Calais reIufc1
the water to be 10, out which would leave the arpahan
mock hish and dry. the Kcafsnrge was watching her.
The Sacramento took ont reports that hr ordnary ratio
OF spced twelve knots On trial with the hcarsargc
the Kcasarge, at sixty three revolutions was iounn 70
leave her mile more hour, only ten furnaces bun
inE. Had the whole bceh lighted she could essly nave
beaten her two three miles hour The Forui WI
run away from Che Sacran,nto but Laird has not bdt
that stosrner yet that the Kearssrgc cannot cach.
xfx.K ~ 4.