The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-08-10
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
FROM GRANTS ARMY.


lines. It appears this fort was Of . formidable
character; and short distance beyond il .
was an elevation Of ground. surmountel by
a fort which commanded The city OF Peters
burg. and all the Qualifications. The plan was
10 get the first fort out OF the way by blow
ing it up in the darkness Of the night, and
during the darkness. surprise and conius-
ion q large body OF troops was 10 ascend .
+ the second hill swiftly, and carry the works
I by storm The plan was well conceived; .
but the project was Of nature liable 10
many contingencies. Il might be com
plete success, or it might be 2 total failure.
The mine was 400 feet long. constructed .
with two galleries diverging from the main
passage making three chambers. in which
$ coo pounds OF powder were laid in trains
OF Is inches wide and deep. The going
out OF the fuses twice delayed the explosion
from3 a NJ. to 1880, and to this delay may be
mainly attributed the failure Of the attempt.
There was no moon. and the probabilities
OF success would have been much greater
during the darkness than in broad daylight.
The concentrated ire OF all tie enemy's
works was poured without intermission up
on the troops who entered their lines aud
neither the white or black troops could
stand il without a speedy humiliation.
Gen. Grant gave orders for them 10 fall
back 10 our lines; but in attempting 10 do
50. great numbers were killed or wounded
by the entladIng fire OF the enemy: while
those who took shelter in the ruins Of the
fort were taken prisoners. There was no
advance Of the lines generally attempted.
1t was a local attack by a small part OF the
army, and was repulsed with large loss
for the numbers engaged The killed,
wounded and missing. are variously esti-
mated from ,. 500 to 4, 600 Had the pro-
ject been successful, 1t would have been
lauded as one Of the ablest achievements Of
the war; and Grant should not be judged
too severely by sensible men. because, al
ter every conceivable precaudon for success
had been taken, it failed on account OF a
+ contingency which was Incidental and could
not well be foreseen.
The enemy state their loss TO be about
500. but it is believed to be larger, As in
2 charging to recover their works they lost
!. heavily.
\ correspondent in the 10th Infantry.
D who was ia the front, and a spectator OF
; the whole transactions on the Both, writes,
. July 3lst: "O Our Michigan regiments took
a gallant part in the engagement and
i would have entirely routed the enemy. had
, it not been for the way that the battle was
shameiully conducted in bringing up col
ored troops TO charge in their front, and
When the rebels advanced on them their Of
lcers would not allow them to fire. This
caused them to break and run in disorder,
running over Michigan men and trampine
@ on them as though they were so many ami
d mails. leaving them to check the enemy un-
e der heavy fire Of musketry and artillery.
@ which cut them down like grass
When the fort blew up. YOU could see
a men and earth rise some forty feet in the
Y air. In front Of Us YOU might look at any
n point You pleased, and everywhere You
y would see mortar shells explode throwing
the earth ana men in all directions In my
>, time have seen many a horrible fight: bu
this cannot be described. 1t lasted from
30 in the morning till / in the afternoon
THE FLAG Of truce is ont which Gen
Lee has granted to bury the dead This Is
now being done, while the wounded are IA
ken to the h0snfals = GREAT numlor %
them that could not crawl Of IN the night
died from thirst to-day We applied Il
them three times for permission 10 bury
our dead, and got refused; but seeing th'
men die from hunger and thirst, they con
Guided to let Us take care OF them.
News from the Army of the Potomac al
to Friday has been received The rebel
exploded a mine near one of our works OF
Friday afternoon. They succeeded in get
TING within forty feet of the fort. but did moi
extend their digging sufficiently 10 damag,
Us when the explosion took place. Gen
Sheridan has been assigned to duty on th'
Upper Potomac Both the Union and rcb
el armies are active on their works an
each are essentially strengthening them.
New YORK, Aug T.
IN an interview under a lag Of truce
rebel officers admitted the total loss on tn,
3Oth July, to be 3 O0O, and claimed 10 have
taken 936 prisoners. The explosion mad,
a cavity 200 feet long aud % feet wide.
FROM GEN. sTONEMAN's COMMAND.
NASHVILLE, August 4.
Gen. Stoneman sent a large force of caval
~, Longs and Lagrange's brigade, 300
strong on the 10th ult, under command O
Gen Edward McCOok. TO destroy the Ma
con and Western road. They had destroyed
eighteen miles Of the road. and started Il
capture a train going from Atlanta to Ma
con or Columbus: Gen McCOCk captured
this train. near Newman. with 500 men. in
Guiding l27 officers. The wagons were ladeT
with valuable stores and private property O
Gen. Hood aud Others After possessing
themselves OF what they wanted the wag
Ons were burned. McCOOk started 10 re
turn with the prisoners and 5000 mules
but was Overtaken by rebel force unde
Gen. Ransom, 50 large as 10 completed
surround him. \ desperate engagement
followed. during which many Of McCOokl
men escaped and found their way 10 Mari
eta. y number of the Uni0nists were cap
tured This disaster is attributable 10 th'
troops partakng took freely OF liquor
found. We captured the train.
Forrest is reported at Atlanta with Hood
237 Confederate prisoners reached here las
evening. including eleven commissions.
officers.
LOUISVILLE. Aug. ..
Col. McCOOk, supposed 10 have been cap
tured near Newman. mas come in with !. 20
Of his men. 500 had previously arrived 4
Marietta as reported. He was very success
ful in breaking the Macon road capturin.
and destroying wagon and railroad trains
He captured - officers and 300 men. bu
was obliged 10 let them 20. His safe re
turn with 80 many Of his men reduces hi
!. his loss very materially. More viii prob
ably get in.
THE REBEL RAIDERS.
Tie rebel raiders have been peTambula