The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-07-04

Lee received at the War Department late
Friday night was made public on Saturday
morning
HFAno'Rs ARMY NORTHERN VA
July lst, 1861.
Hon. Secretary IF War:
Gen. Beauregard reports feeble demon
straion made by the enemy on portion ol
GSn. Johneon's lines about 5 M, yester-
day Ills skirmieher5, supported by two
Ines OF troops, drove in our line Of skir-
mishera, which WAS re established at dark.
In the various conflicts with the enemy's
cavalry III their late expedition against the
RAILROADS., besides their killed and wounded
LEFT Ua the field, ono thousand prisoners,
thirteen pieeos of artillery, thirty wagons
and aabuaaccs, many small arms, horses.
ordnance stores, aud severai hundred ne
groes, taken from the plantations on their
route, were c,ptured.
X. T.. LEE, General.
t9his confirms the news before received OF
The summary 'taliing OIL of Wilson raidiDg
party, and puts the number OF prisoners
about AS high a3 any previous estimate. As
known TO abound with Yankees, separated
from their mAn body, the captures will
probably Yet amount 10 an ',cntiie brigade ,
DUt, after all, there is but little satisfaction
ia iaah in,. prisoners OF thc6c men. Their
bet'!duw - expensive. and at some future
day Their exchange viii give theln = l!cense
10 come aud fight us again. IN vonei leTa-
tion OF the cuornity of The crimes of these
raiders, their pinndering, house burning and
de plating the country generally, it would
be in accordance with The rules OF justice TO
makc An example OF them, even to the ex
trcmest mode Of punishment, aud at the
same time fully IN accordance with the rules
of warfare which they have themselves insu-
gurated.
Among The prisoners brought ia Oh Fri
day WAS Col. Daniel j Crooks, of the I'D
New York cavalry. Also, one representa-
tive Of the Northern press, who gave the
name Of Ira B Van Gilden, reporter for the
New York TimtS and Philadelphia Pres
Rather an abrupt termination co the career
OF a newspaper man, but it serves him right
for being caught in such bad company.
All the facts we have learned in connec-
ton with the final event of Wilson's raid
er5 at Stony Creek confirm the account
given by our correspondent, and published
III Saturdays paper. A repetition ia. there
fore, unnecessary. SO severely were the
Yankees punished III Dinwiddie that they
" III haldiy venture upon L siuilai tXpedi-
licn again Tor some time 10 come.
On Friday night, shortly after 10 O'Clock,
hoinEabitauts OF Petersburg were aroused
by heavy Gring on the lines, commencing
apparently on our centre and extending
round TO the left. For some twenty or
thirty minutes The firing was very rapid, and
maDJ thought il general engagement had
again became quiet. On Saturday it was
that the principal irlng was
from batteries z and 10, and was occasioned
by ! supposed advance of the enemy. Moth
ny occurred on Saturday except the usual
5hclIing on the prrt Of the Yankees, which
las thus far had little effect beyond the
disturbing OF women and children. Ger
ainly, it has produced no impression upon
>ur soldiers i'll tho field further than to
leighteu their contempt tor race who
would engage in such dastardy business.
Yesterday morning the booming Of heavy
runs iii the distance Was heard in elevated
situations i'll Richmond, and straightway,
)eing Sunday, rumor set about explaining
he cause. 30 n report was soon husily cir
:ulatcd that Beuregard had opened upon the
enemy with at least one hundred pieces Of
artillery, and the impression was created
that the arlDiea in front of Petersburg were
having q lively time Of il. 1t was supposed
that Grant had anticipated his Fourth Of July
celebration by one day, and it WAS with some
Az Xiety that il crowd awaited the arrival OF
Ihe eaia at the Petersburg depot. The train
aauie ia nj hah past O'clock, and passeh-
gers were closely questioned as to the stu
alton. The reply was, universally, that no
thing unueual had occurred during the day
The firing in the morning was no more than
the customary shellipg, ana that ceased en-
lirely about midday.
\ gentleman who WAS at q en- Lees head
4
had advanced some portion of their line
about one hundred yards, but at what point
le did not exactly know.
1t is currently reported that the enemy
have contracted their line by withdraw
ing their left from the Weldon rail-
road and this has given Use to q conjecture
that Grant is throwing considerable force
over TO the north eide OF the James river
Il this BE so, The fact will soon develop it
self
The impression is general that the enemy
will make heavy attack upon our lines to-
lay This is predicated upon the supposition
-h..t 1raut will ess ~ to celebrate the 4th
1f July and the capitulation Of Vicks burg
Dy al attempt to capture Petersburg; but
le will find the latter somewhat harder
'old TO travel than the Que he walked over
year ago.
Many persons heard, or fancled they heard,
apid discharges OF cannon yesterday after
lOon, accompanied with musketry firing,
md Tumor was soon circulated that the
,Dsmy had made another raid upon the
Janville railroad, tapping it at the Toma-
.awb station, eighteen miles from Rich
nonsi. II is almost needless to add that
his report W9s un.ounded. The firing, IL
here was any, was probably the enemy's
shelling the woods down the