The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-05-09


The main body Of The enemy who landed
at Bermuda Hundreds are cntreaching three
or four miles from Port Walthall j JUNCTION
in an eastcrly direction from the Richmond
and Petersburg railroad.
The position Of alf,irs on the south side is
now regarded as favorable. Indeed, no Sc
rious fears have been entertained. from an
advance on Richmond fro,n this t.iecc-
tio1, is we are Satisfied that our ady..n
tagcs OF position, with the large force W.
have operating in that quarter, e:.a repel, il
not annihiiate, any force the enemy cal,
bring.
Butler, together with his staff, narrowly
escaped being captured by our pickles oi,
Friday evening last. lie ycnturea cutabout
dusk beyond his lines, and got near sa,ne q
Cur pickets, but managed to escape. His
Orderly was captured, aud when cur gallant
men were appriscd of the nature Of the
game that had eluied them their morsiiic ca
lion is said to have exceeded all measure.
LBy Telegraph
PETERSBURG, May S--A battle WIS fought
in the vicinity of Port Walthan On Satur-
day. 1t ragged from eleven to hal:-past four
O'Clock, with an intermission of hal. an
hour. The enemy greatly outnumbered us
but were handsomely repulsed aud retired
from the field, leaving some dead and wound.
ed. The heaviest fighting was on our left,
near the railroad, where chiefly South Caro-
linians were engaged. Oar casualties are
l75-ahout thirty killed. Prisoners taken
sly they belong TO Giimcre's corps. and are
recently from Florida, and that Butler com
manded i'll person. The enemy lost heavily
prisoners say 1900.
All quiet to-day, save Slight firing from
sunboats in tie Appomattox
BRILLIANT ATFAIR-DEs FRICTION or THE
GUNboAF suWANEE-CAPTURE OF WHAT
WAS LEFT or HER CREW.
On Saturday last very handsome affair,
resulting i'll the destruction Of the eunboat
Suwanee, took place at Cus,es Neck. She
had landed party who had fred the build
ings On Nj. Aliens place and was lying in the
stream oil Pickett's farm. About IL o'cIocl,
she was attacked by four companies of dis
mounted cavalry and S;alle's battery OF
Light artillery. 1t appears that the crew were
at dinner and the second shot bursted the
boats boiler, causing scene Of terrible con.
fusion. Every one that could scrambled for
the deck. When they appeared on deck Q
heavy nusketry fire was poured into the
crew, driving all who were not
killed Or wounded below the deck she
then surrendered, all her officers having
been killed by the lire except the masters
mate. The boat took fire from one shot ana
only about thirty prisoners could be gotten
Oil her. All her wounded were burnt up, il
being impossible to save them with one smal
boat, which was all our men Lad. Tie Su
vance carried one 80 pounder rif I'd piece
forward, and two howitzars aft. This sam,
vessel had land5d party during the day am
burnt thc dwelling CT Mr.. Robert Taylor
We learn that CO. G, OF the City Battalion
Capt. Bass, was engaged with the dismount
Cd cavalry in making the capture.
While the Sawanee was Burning two gun
boats appeared around the bend in the river
crossing pieketts field with the prisoners
but without any eiIctt.
or TIE ENEMY ON THE BLACKwA
TER.
body of>l sukee cavalry, under the ca.a
mand of the notorious Col. Speara, at
tempted to cross the Blachwates river yes
day at Broadwater Bridge, near Iyor.-
They were handsomely repulsel by apor
tion Of Gen. Clingtnan's brave North Caro-
lima troops, and retired out OF sight. Oai
scouts frou, that section report this body ol
cavalry as being quite formidable in mum
bers-some estimating it as high as 1000
At last accounts they were heading around
towards the source Of the Blackwa:er, il
Prince George, and may endeayor to effect /.
junction with the enemy now at City Point
We fear that the Sussex and Prince George
people will suffer greatly from the deprcda
tions Of these vandals.
TUE PENINSULA.
There is no movement, of importance /,
report on the Peninsula. The latest intelli
gence brought by gentleman who yester
day morning left point in New Kent, 2
that there are no troops as high as that. Th'
marauders who are in New Kent and vieinit,
We're negro cayary. They captured Mr.
Bali, citizen, and carried him OF. the,
also Visited Rural Shades, and destroyed th'
dwelling house there. The residence .
Theodore Lacy was burnt, aud the dwelling
of Allen Roane, in Gloucester, was also de
stroyed.
BURNING OF A RAILROAD BRiaE.
Stony Creek bridge, on the Petersburg anf
Weldon railroad, was burnt by the Yankees
On Saturday night. This was done to pre-
vent reiuforcements being sent to Pickett q
Petersburg, but it came too late.
DEATH OF BRIG. GEN STAFFORD.
Brig Gen. j. Ii. Stafford, who was wound
el at the Wilderness, died yesterday mornin
at 10 O'Clock, at the officers hospital, in thi
city. He fell while gallaatly leading hi
brigade, the ID Louisiana.
CONFEDERATE STATES CONGRESS.
The Senate was not in session on Satur
day.
House Of R.pressntatiees.-The House me
at IL O'Clock. Prayer by the Rev. DIR. Dun
can.
The Standing Committees, appointed b
the Speaker, were announced.
A special committee was appointed to in
yestigate the charges against the Hon. Wi
liamson Il. w. Cobb. Several other specis
committees of minor Importance were ais