, 1864-07-17
Heavy Firing Heard at Sea-
Supposed Engagement
with the Florida,
Fatal Railroad Accfdent--t)ne Hun
cred Rebel Prisoners Killed
and Wounded.
LATER FROM MEXICO AND
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
FIRST TROUBLE,
Successful Expedition into
Southeast Virginia.


!
july u, 10 p. H.. via WASHINGTON July 18th.
Nothing Of great importance has occurred
on our front since day before yesterday.
On the morning Of Wednesday, the 18th,
Gen. Grcgg's division Of cavalry made a re-
connoiseance from our left in the direction
Of Ream'e Station, and found the enemy still
In iorce at that point, A light skirnish en-
sued with but few casualties On our side.
Yesterday "wednesday contraction of
our line took place from the left to the right,
Our batteries on the right kept up vigorous
" the work Of shel1ing Petersburg and the
rebel Hne. Five hundred SHELLS per day on
IN average are thrown. A battery Of eight
inch mortars. and another of twenty ponnd-
er PARROTS, hare completely demolished the
FACE OF rebel fort In front OF burnside, nu.3
compelled rebel battery to abandon its po-
sitiou.,
The Richmond papers Of tho 1eth print
With great glee the Northern account Of the
rebcl rsid into Maryland They show, how
ever, much more discretion than the papers
from which they copy, by not making any
allusions Of their own to the invading force;
not even tue name of the General command
Ing {s mentioned.
A descrter from Finnegan's brigade came
into our lines last night, and reported that
there were great number Of men In that
brigade anxious to come Into our lines. HI
proposed that signal Of willingness on our
side to receive them should be nude By
throwing up three rockets. At o'clock,
this evening, Gen, Meade determined to make
the experiment, aud the rockets we're thrown
up at the stated time from Warren's right,
but up to this hour no new desertcrs have
made their appearance.
The cxtraordlnnry heat still continues.
The reports from the north about the ap-
proach uf Longstreet and Hl1i's corps to the
Potomac, are discredited at headquarters,
wher. there is the best evidence that they
| are still In our 'front.'
New YoRK, July 16-The Htrazl's CORES.
pondent gives an account Of d raid as fol-
| lows:
PoIsr OF ROCKS Va. July 1s-4 A. M.-on
| Monday, the 11th, Lieut.. Chambers Of the Sd
PENNSYLVANIA artillery, with 100 men, cross
I'd the James at point below Dutch Gap,
and lboye Gen. Fosters poutoon bridges.
for the purpose Of attacking force of rebels
stationed In Eomc mills, burns and houses
situated on place known as Cox's farm
Thc force having landed at designated point
balow Dutch Gap, ftom tho steamer Stepping
Stone, they rcmatucd there until nearly day
| light yesterday morning, at which time the
commanding Lieutenant determined to make
the attack. The command proceeded quietly
up the road In two columns, and stealthll5'
entered upon the attack The enemy was
found in strong force u the barns, mills and
houses Of The farm. They consisted Of 800
| troops, commanded by l1entcnnut G, ". Her.
rington, Of South Carolina, who was captur-
ed: When our forccs had advanced within
80 yards Of the buildings, the enemy open
cd brisk dre of musketry, resulting IN no
injury. When the discovery was made that
tic place could not be taken by regular at
TACK, Lieut. Clambers ordered Charge, he
lilnsell leading 1t most g@llausly. The charge
resulted in the capture Of one Lieutenant,
sergeant, badly Noundcd, one corporal and
eleven priyates. The command was accom-
panied by firing party, which, upon arriv-
ing ut the buildings, smoked out the rebels,
compelling them to give battle on the open
| ground. In the engagement which immedl-
| ntcly followed, tho rebels suffered severely,
gcther with gAlrauic battery and iarxe
quantity Of powder, email arms, ammunition
and camp equipagc, were captured A large
amonnt Of grain. grist and eaw mills, and
machinery, was destroyed.
The Herald. correspondent In the field,
| July 18th, In the morning, saye:
| Capt. James Shaffer's cavalry expedition
has Just returned to camp. This expedition,
| having for Its object the opening and MAIN
taiuing Of communication with Suffolk, Bow
err BIN, and that region OF rebel country,
left here some days since, and has fully &C.
compliahed the object The command met
with little opposition. either going or com
ipg, eave from gntrillas, whom they etIectu-
| ally wiped out. They captured rebel Quar-
tcr1naster. They encamped for period Of
TWO days Just outside Of Suffolk, without
molestation. They returned safely, without
1oes OF serious damage Of any Kind,
The raid developed the fnct that the great
est possible destttutlou prevails In Suffolk
and throughout all the surrounding country.
Com: for Instance, is held at $500 per barrel,
and all other necessar:es Of life In proportion.
The expedition brought In serenity horses
and mules, quite u number OF EegEocs, aud
two rebel officers They also captured Ser.
gcant and two enlisted men belonging to the
rebel signal corps.
The Ht'a'd's correspondent says: Admiral
to the North Carolina Sound on an inspect
inE tonr.
the army Us observers.
Correspondence \. T. world.1
HEADQCAn1Eas ARHT PoroxAc,
| BEToEC PErERsnrE0, duly 13
The situation before Petersburg is 50 pecu.
| linfly complicated that its most intcrcetinE
features cannot be described for publication.
For the present, at least, the operations In
progress are those Of siege, the inal result
Of which depends very much upon c1rcum.
l
General Commanding. The great strength
Of the encny'e position, and the concenSra-
ton Of his force, which the shorter interior
line Of defense enables him to maintain,
renders the system Of assaults by infantry
previously adopted more hazardous than
ever. The tcnsctty With which these works
cnn be held against the best organized at
tempts OF this Kind was Sufficiently
exhibited In the, first three days fight
Ing before the city, when sl1 Or
seven thoueand men wtro lost In
stormfug them. Although q large amount OF
eftiller.Shas been put IN position, the troops
having worked day and night il constructing
pesitons for that purpose, full prcparations
a1c By no means completed. In fact the chief
noor Is not fairly begun, md unless some
suateEtc demonstration akin to those which
tmarked the campaign above the James Is for
inmate enough to force the enemy from his
roslsion at an earlier moment, OF to gain q
moEe aaTantagcous point than any ne now
oeGnRIS i0I;I,ta tne i.bos E Be mainly relied
| 1t 10 not at all -improhaf,1c fhaf h1rInr ~