New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-10-08
rfcsrospectfve-Indomit Vnlor Of Our
Negro Troops-visit from Gen. Grant
Distant View Of RichmOnd-Iiow Lee
Spreads Himself - Bufler's Canal
News nv Deecrtrrs.
News by Desertcrs.


IN TIE FIELD Six Miles from Richmond. Oct. 6, 1904
Never did tempcst-tossed mariner more ear
nesy yearn for mcorings In his desired haven than ala
your correspondent To get 10 the outer world after the
long weary days and nights Of watchngs marchings
and fghtngs which signaled our course from Cupepper
TO Cold Harbor. II is two months and more since
the quiet Sabbath morning which Witnessed the depart
ure of Grants AMY from Cold Harbor to its present
positions on the Appomattox and Jancs-ong months
Of impatient expectation, Of mingled and alternate
hoping and doubling the part of the great mass OF
the people Of the country. Yet the doubling and the
gloom that have mysteriously and spasmodicaly
moved the good people who stay at home, and do all
their ghtiBgs for the Union the steps OF the city
Exchange at the counter OF the village grocery
have for a single day let fall its dspriting spell
upon these noble men, who, with few words but win
many gaping wounds haye barred their breasts to the
steel Of the traitorons foe during the memorable his
toric campaign Of the Of 1864. And he must be
superficial reader Of history indeed who can.
not discern in all this seeming inactivity and delay
actual progress made for our side and great work
accomplished
In all waiting Grants armies have been growing
rapidly stronger whir the foe has been growing as
rapidly weak In every sctual movement made, with
the single exception OF the failure TO follow the success
which should have attended upon the explosion OF the
Peerb burg mine (Which in itself defeat. and no
disaster worthy OF the term every movement has
been crowned with signal success On the other hand
every effort Of the much auded genius OF Lee to shake
us of has been either fced or with Early, visited
with utter and signal disaster For this reason. was
your hun bic correspondent more eager 10 escape
from the unpatrotc senseless gloom which so recently
covered the hearts Of the loyal Of the North with
the pail Of hopeless dependency and return again to
his woned associations with these earnest faithful and
trne Of the Union army. who terribly and IN
egoafly in earnest in what they DO and who are not
down by every frivolous cloud which msy chance
70 fit the horizon Of their hopes
Probably the mos, important success which has
crowned any Of our efforts touched the banks
Of the Jsnes. not even excepting TIE selling Of the
Weldon Road Ia the recent admirable movement
ceyed and executed by Gen. Butler the north bank
Of that river and which brings lines within four or
FIVE miles at most from the heart Of the Rebel capital
fun account Of which the telegraph has borne you
many dys since The glorious results Of that achiey
mcr and the small loss ut which it obtained. s
constitute the chief topics ofcap talk and discussion
The many exciting unique, and even udicrous Incl
dents Of the charge oftho negro troop. upon the prtDc
pal point Of Rebel ear,hworks would Ill half your jour
nal and could they all be faithfully Transcribed would
well repay peru,a White troops never behaved more
bravely acquitted themselves with more credit TO the
cause their commanders and very properly are they
on all hands. complimented and commended.
While fr the black troops. aud what they did let the
lips OF deiracon and LEE be forever pasied before the
sublime record Of hundreds Of them charging in line
while their nfe's blood was streaming from bullet
wounds received they hurled themselves upon the
foe Of scores Of others. who halted mpa.lcntly only
TO get their wounds bandased and then flying 70 their
places In the ranks again II impeed by irressti
bic pulse Of heroism and utter Indifference Of wounds
or death One poor black coming ont Of tho charge
with seven wounds in his body-a ffghtfal bayonet
stab in the side an arm shattered his skull fractured
his flesh torn scarce able to crawl to the rear-was
seen lugging bis muskei aud accor.remens along. and
was asked why he did not drop his guni by gar
wouldn't take fifty dollars for dat masket masss and
on he went holding TO Uncle Sans property with
fidelity il il dsparagemeRt 20 assert, never wit
messed among white troops. Crown all this with the
two hundred and fifty cold but sable corpses which lay
strcwn beneath the Rebel earthworks. and upon The
parapets they had assaultedand carried and then We
bastard Coyporheads. who have sent out there poor
creatures 10 substitute you In the army lie them dow
with fasehood and ngrattud backer than their skins
sneeringly assert that these will not fight" you
cant
The looks OF fright and despair Of the flying Rebels
as these black fellows pressed over the parapes Is
said have been at terrible aud ludiorous II Is
explained by the idea they entertain that tho colored
troops massacre every inately-suggested
no doubt By their reproaching conscenccs they
recall Fort Pillow and other similar bucheries of their
men.
To-day we have had visit from the Lieut. General
and staff The agoftruce boat has gone up tho river
loaded with parties for exchange under the fathery
charge Of Lieut. Col Milford. sable member OF the
Rebel force upon the Confederate ironclad Richmond,
now lying less thnu mile up the river has reached u.s.
having left bis " friends" at ten o'clock O. m, and
winning the James to get in. He was Intercepted
AZ TO the condition Of things in Richmond, when he
responded in true African simplicity; "Dey begins
tink do ting bout done gone up wild EN-. sar."
Just across the river our boys smuse themselves by
climbing up high signal tower and looking over into
the doomed city, while ever and anon shell salutes
their ears in honor of their aspiring attachments.
Lees line now runs circuit Of about fifty miles in
bis effort to cover both Petersburg and Richmond. and
i, graphic and practical iteration Of the spread made
BY the Yankee hen which tried to cover the twelve
dozen eggs oil at one sitting. In their grand skcdaddle
from this line the Bebs le tents provisions. blankets
and all the little .tcetera Of the most npromptu and
srpedltious get up and get Of the army The cooks
and walters about headquarters are now iuxuratng
beneath the canvas shades OF these captured tents
recently the abode Of Rebel generals.
In one of the charges this line last Thursday Cor
poral Murphy l5sth n. Y Vols. was tho first man In
and losing his musket he rushed upon hebei color
bearer and seized the coors with his hands Wrestling
them from their possessor For this gallant conduct
~ shaan