The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1864-06-22
WAR NEWS.
WASHINGTON, June

the Jtl, Wnon OUV men WeTe scut III tHc
advance, and passing through Ripley,
they captured several small parties of the
enemy On the 9th, our main column
passed through Ripley, moving south
west. CO the 10Th, our cavalry moved
in the direction of Guntown, leaving the
infantry in camp. After proceeding a
few miles, they encountered the enemy's
pickets, and soon the battle became gen.
eraI. The cavalry dismounted and drove
the enemy some distance, when the lat
ter were reinforced, and our men fought
for four hours with the greatest despera-
ton, and against greatly superior odds.
Another large body of the Rebels arrived
on the railroad just at this time, in sight
of the battle, which was now raging furi-
ously, all our forces being engaged. 1t
soon became evident that we could net
withstand such attacks, BY vastly superior
Numbers, and our men began to fall back,
contesting every inch of the ground. 1t
is said that the colored troops fought with
| the most determined desperation, and
were the last to give way. Our forces
retreated to Ripley, 25 miles, that night,
after burning large portion of the sup
| ply train and destroyed ten pieces of ar
tillery, which they were unable TO move
forward through the swaups. On the
l1th, the Rebels made desperate attack
on our infantry, which was repulsed, but
the attack on our infantry, which was
repulsed, but the attack was shortly after.
ward renewed, and considerable portions
of our infantry we're cut off and captured.
/ It is stated that after the ammunition
had become exhausted, many OF the me-
gro troops boarded the ammunition train
as it was being destroyed, and filled their
bosoms and pockets with cartridges. and
that others of the negro troops gathered
ammunition from the castaway aecouter.
ments of the white troops, and thus were
enabled to keep up the fight until they
reached Memphis 1t is also stated that
one body of 1900 infantry, which were
cut off and supposed to have been cap
tured, were defended by 200 negro troops
from the repeated assaults of the Rebe
cavalry, and arrived at Collierville seoI
after the main column of our forces ar
rived there. Another body of 300 negro
troops escaped by various roads. AL
brought their arms and aocoutermeut:
with them Our loss is now estimated al
1875 negro troops killed, and IA pieces o.
artillery. About 1,500 men, all of The
59th United States colored troops, have
come in. There are 200 men and 6 off
GERS missing. Three hundred of the 55tf
United States colored troops are missing
MONDAY, June 20.
Advices from Gen. Grant are to nine
o'clock yesterday morning. A previous
!, dispatch announced the capture of tw'
redoubts by Burnside, with prisoners ant
four guns. Taking the two accounts to
gether, it appears that the whole exterlo
: line of the defenses of Petersburg, from
; the river to point indefinitely south, hat
: been carried The enemy, however, hat
either constructed or strengthened an
other line nearer the city, which they
held against successive assaults on Satur
day, so that on Sunday morning, although
: our forces had gained ground, they were
still confronted by formidable works.
The doubtful point in this morning.
news is the position of affairs in front o
the Bermuda Hundred peninsula. Gen
Grant telegraphed Friday that Gen. But
Ter, promptly discovering the retreat o
: the enemy from the intrenchments in hi'
front, had seized the Petersburg anc
Richmond Railroad, (Which" he adds, 81
hope to retain possession Of" But it i!
plain that large bodies of troops from Lees
main force have since gone down from
, Richmond to Petersburg. The distance
is so short that they might have marched
by roads to the west, bat it is asserted, il
an unofficial dispatch, that Gen. Butler
had been attacked and driven back withir
r his intrenchments by Lee. The silence
of the official accounts possibly goes tt
con6rm this statement, and it is still more
strongly supported by the apparent ne
, cessities under which Lee labored. L
he decided on holding Petersburg ht
could not suffer the railroad to be perma
nently broken, for the presence of an en-
emy on its line both interrupted his most
expeditions communication with Rich
moDd and exposed him constantly to at
irruption on his flank. In view, there
fore, of the news from Petersburg, W.
incline to think the railroad is in posses
: sion of Lee. But still it is difficult tc
believe that the main force of the Rebe
! Army is to be put to the defence of Pc
tersburg, for while Bermuda Hundred ii
held as a base it is always in Gen. Grants
power to withdraw his troops silently from
the south bank of the Appomattox, con
centrate them on the Bermuda peninsula
break forcibly through the enemy's in