The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-08-23
A FIGHT NEAR RICHMOND.
The Yankees and Negroes agai" slaughtered

A FIGHT NEAR RICHMOND.
The Yankees and Negroes again slaughtered.
A severe fight took place on the Charles City
road. rear Whites Tavern, below Richmond. II
ensued from determined effort by the enemy tt
force our lines covering Richmond on those ap
proaches Several assaults were made upon oul
iines and at one time position was gained by the
enemy; but he was driven back and the position
was reoccupied and maintained. The enemy wa!
driven across White Oak Swamp.
This affair occurred an Monday the 10Th, and
Burnside's negro troops led the charge. They are
said to have been slaughtered furiously, the car
mage exceeding the late disaster at Petersburg.
Our loss was small. But among the dead are
Brig. Gen. Cbambliss and the brave Girardey
lately promoted to command Brigade in token o.
distinguished merit
From the Richmond Examiner of the 18th.
We have little to add to our yesterdays account
of the battle of Whites Tavern, or Darbytown, by
one of which names if will be known in history
The particulars come in slowly.
twill be recollected that the official despatch
from the battlefield, which We published yester
day, and which was written just after the repulse
of the enemy, stated that 'the enemy made de-
termined attack on our line between the Darby
town and Charles City roads, and at time broke
through, but he was repulsed and our original po-
sitions reoccupied." The enemy made "deter
mined attack" We call attention to this phrase
ology with purpose. The phraseology was
weighed and considered when the despatch was
being penned. A "determined attack" by great
army like Grants is a most serious, a tremendous
thing. That determined attack we repulsed, and
great cause have We to be thankful to the God Of
battles, who, through the means of our ever gallant
soldiers, gave the victory.
A portion of the Yankee press, that portion call
ing themselves the knowing and scientific, have
been insisting, since Grants failures to take Pc
tersb1rg, that the :Iue and only military route to
Richmond was by these Darbytown and Charles
City roads. Egged on by this learned Glamour,
Grant determined to try these roads. After much
maneuvring and demonstrating upon New Market
Hill and Dutch Gap, be sent the main body of his
forces all that could be spared from the garrison
ing Of his long line of ntrenehments, from Curles'
Neck north to these two roads, and on Sunday,
turning their faces west, made his grand advance
upon our lines at Whites Tavern and Darbytown
We received him in hastily and recently con-
structed line of breastworks By sheer force OF
overwhelming numbers he for time gained de-
cided advantage. He broke through our line and
took possession Of considerable extent Of our
works. He had enjoyed this possession but very
brief time when our troops, having been massed
for the purpose swooped down upon him and
drove him out.
We expected him to renew the attack, but he
did not, as We learn from an official despatch re-
ceved at the War Office at late hour of the night
of the battle. This despatch states that "the
my did not renew the attack our lines after 4
o'clock yesterday evening. His force on the
Charles City road, after advancing to within two
miles of Whites Tavern, was driven back across
White Oak Swamp. Our loss small"
The advance Of the enemy on the Charles City
road, here alluded to, is an advance made subse-
quent to the battle which terminated at O'clock
He advanced as if to attack, but we, having fol-
lowed him after the battle. met him and drove him
across White Oak Swamp, which crosses the
Charles City road some three miles east of White
Tavern. This terminated the affair of tina. day.
We have no means of ascertaining the loss of the
enemy in this latest exp eriment for the capture of
Richmond. Soldiers from the field, who were en-
gagged in the battle, say we killed seven hundred
negroes. 1t is fair to presume that We killed at
least half that Der of whites. We make this
difference between the estimate of the losses of the
whites ard the negroes because it is we'll known
the negroes are put by the Yankees what they,
with horrible Righteousness chose to term the post
of honour, which simply means the place in which
the unfortunate Africans to be slaughter
ed. The Yankees know the negro can only be
brought into action when he finds himself in pref
~ much the situation of the famous Light brigade,
with bayonets to the right of him, bayonets to the
left OF him, and about double many in his rear.
When We hear of the slaughter of these black
wretches it adds additional zest to our pleasure
to know that they are accompanied into action by
certain white fends, who act their officers, and
who the Yankee newspapers always say, and say
truly, "sufer terribly" After the fact that we
beat Grant on Tuesday, nothing gives US half so
much pleasure as to announce that all the priso-
ners taken say that General Febrero, the dressy
dancing master and puppy who commanded the
negro brigade at Petersburg and in this last fight,
is killed.
We took in this battle about six hundred priso-
ners, most of them have reached the Libby
Among the number was negro who belonged
TO a gentleman of this city, who gave him ire
mendous thrashing on sight.
Of our loss in this battle We have been unable
to learn anything beyond the statement of the off
clal despatch, quoted above, which says it is
"small." We have to mourn the loss Of two of
OUT gallant Generals-B rigader- General John R.
Chambliss, of Virsi MIA, and Brigadier- General V
J. B. Girardey, Of Georgia: = : - -
FROM PETERSBURG.
The occasional discharge of rife was all that