The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-10-29
THE VAR NEWS.

TIE VAR NEWS
Our account published yesterday, of the move
ments and attacks of the enemy the north side
on Thursday, was in the main correct. visit to
the front yesterday has put in possession OF some
additional particulars.
During Wednesday night the enemy massed on
our left, on the Dalbytown and Charles City roads,
and the Eighteenth corps, which, up to that time,
had held the line at, and in the vicinity Of Fort Iar
rison, was withdrawn ard marched across the Darby
and Charles City roads and in the direction of the
williamsburg road, the object being, by overlap
ping our left to get possession Of works on the
latter road Fort Harrison and the position vacated
by the Eighteenth corps were entrusted to a small
force of newly-arrived troops mostly artiiieIistS,
who, to Judge by their general appearance, their
new knapsacks, &c, are recent conscriNS
About nine O'Clock Thursday morning the enemy
made heavy attack upon our lines on the Darby
ROAD and, being repulsed, renewed the assault re-
peltedlv, but each time with the same result Ihe
fight here kept up for two hours more and the
enemy's loss i'll killed and wounded was very sever
Our losses have before stated amounted to almost
nothing. We had few men wounded. Though
this attack was we'll sustained and determined; and
though, doubtless the enemy would have liked to
have broken lines there yet We think 1t was but
| a demonstration to cover a much.m0rc important
movement, and one upon which, no doubt, Grant
counted largely 1t was designed to engage our at
tenton while the Eighteenth corps passed to the
Williamsburg road and seized our works there. But
again Grant was thwalted by the skill Of gen.
| erals and the yalor of our troops.
Owing to tho small quantity Of rain that has fallen
during the summer and fall, the Eighteenth corps
| were able to cross the head of White Oak swamp
and reach the Williamsburg road, about four miles
| and half below this city. On reaching the road,
they formed into line of battle and advanced to-
| wards our works, thinking, evidently, that they
| were held only by few cavalrymen. Neryed by
this delusion they came forward in fine style un-
der the fire Of our artillery; but on get
| ting within musket range, and being met
| by a wel-directed volley from numerous body Of
veterans their ardor abated visiby Still they came
on, though unsteadlly, our troops still rsking them
| with both cannon and musketry. When within
one hundred wards of our 'front.' they broke, and the
greater part fell back i'll disorder. considerable
body took refuge under the crest Of hill, in front
| Of our works. and there stuck. II was lor Il tmt
| believed by us that they were preparing TO clargC
upon our position. After firing Ira 1nel at then
for IL considerable length OF lime without dSlodSlng
them Captain Lyle, with forty Of our men, salllet
| out on reconnaissance. He went down upon th
| Yankees at a pas de charge and drove them out o
| their position, capturing four hundred prisoners
| among whom We're several commissioned officers
| and seven stands of colors. Night coming on, W
made no pursuit of the main body.
About five o'clock the same evening, our mel
| in front of Fort Harrison, desiring to knoy
| what the Yankees had there, opened upon the for
| with mortars Our bombs fell splendldly, every on
= | of them entering and bursting in the fort. Ih
first one fired blew up Of the classmates OF til
0 fsrt making breach almost big enough to drive
y wagon through The fort replied with three r
o guns, but without much show of spirit. Their I'll
d WAS perfectly harmless. Not one OF our NEIL Wei
struck, all of the Yankee shells, except one, hyi
q clear over their heads The one shell alluded
u struck upon parapet dislodging three or io'
. shovelsful of earth This duel lasted over an hou
% | OFFICIAL REPORT OF THURSDAYS oPERt
TIONSy
: The following report was received from Gener'
d | Lee yesterday morning
= uHp,nor.RTERs ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGISIA,
October p, lS64
James Il.
h "The movement Of the enemy against our leit I
70 day was repulsed. Two attacks upon our In
xa,a maae-one between the Henrico Poor-hou
| and Charles City road, the other on the Wliiianl
IT | mrg road. Several hundred prisoners and 10
r ! stands of colors were captured. Our loss Is We
d | slight.
| "On the 25th Colonel Mosby, near Bunker Hi
captured Br gadier-G General Dufie and several 9th
Is | prisoners, a number of horses and killed numb
II / Of the enemy. He sustained no loss.
ar. E. LEE
: The number of prisoners taken on the north 81
that had been received at the Libby up to last mig
C. | was five hundred and sixty-hve
c. All was again quiet on the north side yesterdi
Grant had, on Thursday, withdrawn most OF
force from our right and centre and nassed them
our left, say from the Darby to the Williamson
stage road inclusive. Yesterday he was oeheVed
be moving them back, his attack on our left haVi
/ failed incIoriously. By some 1t Is DeileVed the
. II tack and attempted flank movements Will De
III moved with greater rgor at an early day We cam
' see any reason for this opinion If Grant could
,S attain his object ON Thursday, delay Will not
81 nrove his chances in an undertaking where eyel
~ Il thing denended upon surprise of our troops.
Il
% account to Lincoln for it. He will most prooa
90 charge his failure upon the rain storm OF Ihurso
5a 1 evening and night
90 SECOND OFFICIAL REPORT FROM GENEh
90 LEE-GRANTS SIMULTANEOUS AIIAc
N ON OUR RIGHT AND LEFT ON THukSp-
90 DIsGRACEFUL FAILURES.
90 The following dispatch from General Lee was
o .o ceiyed last night 1t will be seen that urant
- badly beaten on Thursday-eyen worse south Oh
tersburg than ON this side Of the river. lie
s pushed into these fights by desire to aid HIS mas
ate Lincoln, in the coming election, but he has
a helped matters much. He had better have tru'
it the eleetioneering TO Sheridans gasconading'
AK give General Lees report:
osf aHSApouARTEas ARMY NoRrHERs ViReIsII
~ October %, 1854.
- Hon. Jamss 4. Seldom, Secretary 0 Var:
re- General A. p. Hill reports that the attacl
Ith aenarsl Heth upon the enemy upon the Boyd