The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-08-02
TIE WAR NEWS.


day from Petersburg, our loss in the
fight of Saturday, in killed, wounded
aud missing, was about eight hundred,
while that Of the enemy is estimated at
thirty live hundred AS q matter of
course, the latter is partly based upon
conjecture, but not entirely. The large
number of prisoners taken, together with
the fact that our men had an opportu-
nifty of seeing the Yankee dead left on
the field, affords good basis for forming
n fair estimate Of the amount of the en-
emy's loss. Thus it will be seen that
the extent of our victory is considerably
greater than at first reported.
Saturday WAS the first occasion on
which the Army of Northern Virginia
ever fought against negro troops and it
is hardly probable that Grants darleys
will be over-desirous to run against that
army again. They were placed in front
in the charge, and our men, enraged by
the cry Of mo quarter" slaughtered
them like sheep. Comparatively few
were taken prisoners, while hundreds
were slain. Negroes, stimulated by
whiskey, may possibly fight well so long
as they fight successfully, bat with the
first good whipping, their courage, like
that of Bob Acres, oozes out at their
fingers ends.
We learned last evening some addi-
tional incidents of the fight. 1t is stated
that after the charge by Mahone's,
Wright's, and Saunders's brigados, the
enemy, finding escape impossible, rushed
for safety into the immense hole made
by their explosion, and around the edge
of this chasm our men closed and fought
hand to hand. The contest was des-
perate one, and General Saunders's men,
after removing a large number of wound
ed, buried in this hole on Saturday night
fifty-five negro troops and one hundred
and seventy eight whites.
Between our breastworks and the enc
my's on Saturday night large numbers
Of dead and wounded were still living,
the latter begging piteously fqx water
and praying for assistance. Our men
could render them no aid, as they were
IN full range of the enemy'S sharpshoot
ers, who had not ceased their firing even
under such appalling circumstances.
The length of the sap made by the
enemy IS supposed to have been about
six hundred feet yet the ork. with the
appliances brought into requisition by
the Yankees, is not so great as might be
1t is done chiefly by boring.
and an immense amount Of work can be
in short space of time
General Mahone's brigade lost one
hundred and eighty in killed and wound
ID, and the division commanded by him
bur hundred and fifty. In the brigade
sre several companies made up of young
hen OF Petersburg and Richmond
Among the prisoners are three Colo
lels, and every other grade Of officer
known in the army. The officers and
men, white and black, were taken to Pc
tersburg and confined together, they be-
ing considered birds of 4 feather" and
our authorities being incapable of the
cruelty of separating such bosom friends
in their captivity.
General Elliott, commander Of Evans's
South Carolina brigade, was severely
in the breast He was, how
ever, doing well on Sunday, and hopes
were entertained Of his recovery. Gen
eral Evans will be remembered as the
former commander of Fort Sumter He
was recently made a Brigadier-
--LATEST FROM PETERSBURG.
The object of the flag of truce sent by
the enemy to General Lees headquar-
ters on Sunday afternoon was 20 ask
permission to bury their dead. This
was granted, and accordingly hostilities
were suspended yesterday morning from
five to nine o'clock, and this period was
occupied by the Yankees in burying their
dead, which lay in great numbers near
the chasm made by the explosion. Soon
a1terward, the shelling of the city was
resumed, and continued at intervals up
to the time Of the departure Of the train.
Some movement was observed yester-
day upon the enemy's left, III the vicini-
ty of the Weldon railroad, as if troops
were being massed in that direction.
THE RICHMOND BLUES.
The following list of casualties in the
Richmond L. |. Blues, in the fight of
Saturday, was received too late for in
sertion in yesterdays paper: Killed
w. Tallyr'd Lipscomb. Severely Wound
ed-Robea Reid and Joseph II. Dodson.
Slightly Wounded-Louis Z. Trueheart,
IL