The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1864-07-05

Impossible to bring of the guns.
Skirmishing continued throughout the
day along the greater part of the lines. At
O'Clock the enemy assaulted Battery No
IL, an important position next to Battery
No. l6 bat they were driven back with con :
siderable loss. An hour later they char
ged our works on the hill near New Market
Race Course, and were again repulsed, but
with still heavier loss At 6 o'clock the
assault was renewed in front of Batteries
Nos. II, ls, 10 anu 20, and rs night ap.
preached the cannonding became general
along the whole line from No. 90 around
TO the Appomattox on the left. Aware of
the compartiye weakness of Beauregard's
force, and stimulated by the desire to re,
possession Of Petersburg, Grant made Il
desperate effort to bear down all opposition
and enter The town.
He massed bis forces, as he did 1T Spo,
tsylvania Court House and Cold IIarbor
and rushed them against our positions rs if
he believed that numbers aud brute force
could accomplish everything His hea,ies:
assault was made upon Wise's and E!hott's
(iate EvansD brigades, of Johnson's diyis.
ion, Wise at length gave way, and On.
regiment OF EliIotts, and the enemy poured
IN through the gap in stream that can be
compared only to the Mississippi river
when 1t breaks through the Icvee and SUB
merges the adjacent plantations. Fortu.
tunaleIy, Ransom Of the same division and
Oracle were near at hand Colqutt and
Cungman, of Hoke's division, rushed for
ward also to close the gap which grew
wider and wider every moment.
The shock was terrible. Night had now
set IN, but the jets of fire from the musket
ry and the tongues Of fame from the artil.
lery lit up the earth and the sky and point
ed The way 10 the warning hosts. II the
enemy were successful, Petersburg must
fall, and with its fall what other evils would
oetaIi us need not now pause to enumer.
ate II, Notwithstanding, their late success,
they were yet rcpuIscd, all might Le saved.
Both parties understood the importance of
the stake rs they huggcd each other in
mortal combat. The one covered the groud
with their swelling masses; the other was
| only handful and yet the latter gathered
itself up, and binding itself together like a
) ball, was hurled. against the multitudious
foe with a skill and force which nothing
human could stand before and live. Tho
enemy we're driven back and out Of the
works with great loss, aud the guns belong.
ing to Biounrs (Georgia) battery, which
hai behaved with 80 much gallantry, but
which was lost when the Federals broke
over the works, were rccapturad. The
hight now ceased, aud the women and chill
dren and old men, who had crowded the
; bills and honsetops, fearful spectators OF
The Unequal combat, retired TO their beds
with grateful hearts. AT 3 o'clock Beau.
rrguard Withdrew his forces and occupied
new and better line Of entertainments he
, had thrown up short distance behind those
lie Abandoned.
Al o'clock next morning yesterday
kershaw's veteran division reached the field
after. rapid march all night, and relieved
Johnson's, which had been in tue irene hes,
day and night, since Thursday morning.
In short time Fields and Pickctt'- divi.
sisns were placed in position. and still laler
other forces, belonging 60 Lees grand army,
made their appearance.
Feeble assaults were made at intervals
yesterday, and were repeated last night a
brigade was brought up here and there and
hurled against our steady lines, as one
would cast stone against a wall of ada
mant; but in every instance the enemy were
rePuIscd with but little effort. Constant
sklrmIshing and artillery firing have been
kept up to day, but without results Ii was
strange commingling of sounds ut 10
o'clock this morning-the soft, sweet tones
Of the church bells inviting the people to
The house Of prayer, and the boom Of can.
non and crash OF shells sumnoning the un.
fortunate soldier to the dark abodes Of et.r.
nifty. The one was the gentle messen ger
Of peace and life, the other the dread sum-
moner OF suffering aud DEATH
Petersburg is now safe against assault,
though it is within range Of the enemv's
long range guns. Anumber Of shells have
exploded in the streets, but thus far only
eleven persons have been hurt, including
one old negro woman killed General Lee
waited almost too long before he sent the
much needed reinforcements, as but for the
heroic resistance of Beauregard and his
command the city must have fallen. The
people have removed from the eastern part
: OF The town to places Of greater safety.
Grants entire army is now in front Of
Petersburg and Lees is where It should be.
: Warren's ccrps was sent around by water
from West Point, but it is here, and p arts
Of il bave already been engaged