Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-06-30

During last night the Sixth Corps had moved 70 the left
and massed at the Williams House. Ibis morning vii
sons and Ksux cavalry bad cut the Weldon railroad 30
that orders were at once given to suspend the
ton 10 that direction, and swing the left OF the Second
Corps rouDd TO develop the enemys works IN front
Of Petersburg, without regsTd TO the conDoctlon OF the
Sixth Corps upon the left The principal portion OF the
corps moving further to the front Glbbon was
already position and entrencbed for last night he had
advanced the enemys entertainments as be could
get without bringing heavy fight Mott aud Barlow
pushed forward their lines Of battle with heavy skrmish
line in front
Mott partly in position and entrenchDg and Barlow
nearing the front II the rebel works, when he
encountered heavy force of the enemy marching down in
umn by brgades, with the standardization OF piercing
position the interval which existed between the
left of the Second Corps aud the right OF the Sixth The
secoud third and fourth bgades OF Barlows form
ed his front line the first brigade, under Gen Miles, being
held In this assault by the enemy the
rebel Gen Wicox's division, marching 10 three brigade
lines behind heavy cloud of skirmshers led the advance
of Hills corps 1t early in the afternoon when
the head the rebel column struck at once the right OF the
Sixth and the left Of the Second Corps The rebels pushed
with pertnacy and the shockwas soon
felt the TANKS of beth those corps he position which
they occupied rendered it mperatvey necessary that they
should immediately withdraw the ank that were thus ex
posed and fill up the existing gap by making connexon
with each other along the line OF IN the rear
While this being done, however, the enemy inf cted
considerable damage men by his murderous hre
and captured several hundred prisoners from u.s. The
saultipg column down in diagonal direction, and
disconnected and hence The disastrous consequences
which ensued These were the forced retirement of Bar
low, the hasy withdrawal Of Mott and OF part ut the left
OF Gibbon and the loss Of four guns The enemy swept
down the ground troops had lett taking quite
number Of prisoners he advanced Pressing on still in
diagonal direction, The column came tc Gibbons
ne the left of which suffered somewhat from the shock
The right held It's position with determined courage, and
poured murderous fire into the advancing force. The
musketry was terrific on both sides.
As the enemy swept the angle which marked the
left of the division line he enveloped battery Of four
three inch guns, which occupied advanced position be-
hind the parspet and almost before the officers were aware
of the situation OF affairs the artillery practically in
the enemy's bands Ii was Capt McKught's Twelfth
New York battery The moment the rebels appeared in
sight Capt Mcknight opened them with CAM ter They
separated in 'front.' and coming in the right and left
completely surrounded the guns A rebel color bearer
immediately mounted and planted his coOrs the para
pet TIE battery would have done great damage to the
enemy had it been properly supported. But there is
where the trouble esthe infantry failed to support it,
and 80 we lost the guns.
In the mean time Capt Clarks First New jersey bat
terry which posted in the breastwork further to the
right opened the enemy and contributed considerably
to check his further advance The rebels quickly turned
upon the captured guns and at the time
trated an Internal fire Of twenty other pieces
Capt, Cark's single battery. The epaument in which
this battery placed well battered by the solid shot
which came pouring over in quick succession from the
Notifications of the enemy The filled with burst
ing shells and death dancing wildly every where in
that vicinity
corps part of the rebel attacking column which by this
time had been depoyed in ne of battle, still pressing
down upon the left The interval between the right of the
Sixth Corps and the left of the Second was gradually
growing greater from the fsct that the mpered TANKS
thus exposed to the my slowly melting away when
Gen. Mes's brigade of B,rows division, which in
reserve, up on the double quick aud regiment
sent forward through the woods to check the
advance whilst he remainder of the brigade formed
behind the breastworks to fill up the interval in question
At the same time Lieut. Roders battery Fourth United
States artillery, wheeled into position with commendable
ceerty and the try and artillery checked the
further progress Of he enemy at that point
Scarcely mad these dispositions been effected, however,
before the rebels made another attempt pierce lines
little to the right Of that locality but the attack
successfully repused We took few prisoners at this
time, and among them several wounded The casualties
not heavy however either side because the rebels
did not attempt to the open field in front of the
breastworEs b hind which our men were posted
About seven o'clock 10 the evening effort made
by Gen. bbcn with one of his own brigades suppor
by from Gen. Grifns Of the Fifth Corps to retake
the lost guns of the Twelfth New York. The attack was
very sharp and spirited but failed accomplish the desr
ed object Another effort attended with similar re-
suit.
Later in the evening Gen Meade ordered an advance of
the Sixth and Second Corps Tor he evidently exceed
iDgy DESTROYS of developing the continuation Of the chain
Of Notifications for the defence OF Petersburg the sixth
Corps swung round to the left pushing back line of rebel
skrmshers butsppaenty moi meeting with any formidable
force for the firing soon ceased in that direction. Stimuli
taneOusy with the movement OF the Sixth heavy ne of
skmsnrrs pushed FORWARD IN r0nt OF the Second Corps
In the thick woods through which the lines had t. ad
vance, this heavy cloud of skrmsbers is desirable
than close line of battle, because it at gives
for the to and exposes fewer troops 10 the bull
let's Of the enemy And thus lines advanced this
evening meeting with stubborn resistance but still press
ing onward, until most OF the ground which lost has
been reRained and reoccupied Our lines being
by The construction of bresstworks and the
planting of several batteries OF artillery The skrmshers
on both sides however, fir ng away at each ether at
this late hour The casualties in the Second Corps through
out the day will number only few huDded but the loss
by prisoners cspiured by the enemy will fear exceed
perhaps a Thousand.