The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-11-08
THE FIGHT AT PETERSBURG
On 7HursdaY, Oct. 9Th.
Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.

! Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.
PETERSBURG, October 3d. 1861 g.
| The battle of BURGESS mill, which was fought
Yesterday, deserves to be chronlced 10 detail as an
engagement rejecting great credit on the Confed-
crate arms, and as showing the signal failure OF tic
enemy in their flank movements towards the
Southside railroad. As early as Wednesday night
! it was known to our authorities that the enemy
were in motion, but for what point was uncertain.
Early Thursday morning all doubts were removed,
when it was ascertained that the enemy had moved,
! by long detour, from Poplar Spring Church
their then farthest advanced position on the right
to the Quaker road, and thence down this road
to the Boydton plankroad, driving in cavalry
and occupying their captured camps. They did
not halt, but pressed on until they reached the
south bank Of the Rowanty stream, on the heights
of which they halted and fortified, their progress
being too holly contested to enable them to go
further. This position about eight miles south
east of Petersburg, on the Boydton and Petersburg
railroad
| This was about l 2 o'clock noon. Hampton had
gallautly fought them all the morning, but was
forced back by the great odds he was contehding
against, namely six picked divisions of their in
fantry, from the Second, Fifth and Ninth corps; a
division Of cavalry, and full complement of
artillery. Matters rested in this condition until
about p. NJ, when Malone, having gone around
on their flank, striking off the plankroad at point
five miles below the city, and passing, by a blind
PATH through dense woods-more dense, if any
thing, than the Widerness-he struck the enemy
about p. NJ. A fierce cement ensued, aud
the enemy driven back. AT the same moment,
Hampton and his cavalry having passed entirely
around the enemy, fell upon them like thunder
bolt from Heaven, and pressed them in every
direction. This is the opportune moment for the
grandcst victory of the war but Mahones men
meet line upon line, and are forced back. The
force of ours who are engaging the enemy IN front
of Rowanty fail to the stream in front
and disodge the enemy there, thus relieving Ma
homes flank movemert-and so the three brigades
Of General Malone This own, McRae's and Saun-
derss old brgaoe) fail make the work efectual
as it might have been had Malone been permitted
to have carried an adequate force on this flank
movement New troops are sent for by
General Malone, and ordered to him by Heth,
who was in supreme command but before their
arrival darkness supervened and 1t was impossible
to do anything.
During the night the enemy taking counsel Of
their decentralization and fear, abandon the battle
field and retire. leaving over three hundred Of their
dead on the battlefield upwards of two hundred
wounded in charge of three surgeons, in hospitals
the battle ground covered with the debris Of
abandoned camp, such as blankets, overcoas and
the like, besides large amount of cham aigne,
Holsters, sardines, fresh beef and everything else
that was palatable Over two thousand stands Of
fine Springfield and Enfield muskets have been
gathered from the field to incoming con-
scripts. The people who were temporarily in the
lines Of the enemy say the enemy carried off their
ambulances laden down with dead and wounded
Mahone's men took from the enemy four rieces of
artillery, but, owing to the density of the woods
could not bring them off.
Our loss will reach, all told, not seven hun
dred and fifty, of whom some four hundred were
taken prisoners by the enemy. This happened
thus as Malone advanced, part of his line, in
stead of pushing on, halted the enemy's cavalry
swooped around and gobbled them up
The enemy's loss H. prisoners, including wounded
left in our hands, amount to over seven hundred
among them three Colonies. Mahone's gallant
brigade also took from the enemy three stands of
colors.
Grant commanded in person, and expected great
results from this move. The fruits to US in this
affair the dislodgement of the enemy from the
plankroad, which put them in uncomfortable prox-
unity to the Southsde railroad, and their great
generalization all of which we accomplished with
force, when compared with that Of the enemy,
astonishingly snail Had larger force been put
on the flank movement, we should have achieved
victory which would have astounded the universal
Yankee nation and caused them t. bite their lips
in vcricst rage
\ little after dark last night, the enemy came
up to Wise's lines, the Baxter road, and by
some strange luck actually got inside Of breast
works, which they occupied only for short while,
when they were dislodged. They managed, how
ever, to carry eff Lieutenant Coionels Harrison and
Wise, and some thirty others, as prisoners. We
took about dozen prisoners. Later in the night
they captured and drove in our lines on the Jeru-
salem plankroad, but about midnight this picket
line re-established, and matters are now an
stotu quo
OCTOBER 3l.-Last night, about 10 o'clock,
Major General Malone, having made the necessary
preparations, determined to surprise the picket line
in his front and capture it, Accordingly, he
started forward two regiments to accom- psh this |
work, to the right and one to the LETT of the
picket line capturing the vdette posts and, sweep
ing down the lines. brought in every mothers son
of them-sone two hundred and City in ALL After
accomplishing this they retired. Somew hat later,
the Yankee long having been beat, an immense
force was brought up, and they charged with yell
where their line had been, dscharging whole |
volleys; tut, 10 no rebels there. They
charged imaginary foe. The Yankees belong
to Hancock's corps, and say that Mcclellan will /
get the whole vote if any is poed, but that Grant
has ordered that there shall be no election. X
TExAs-The people of Texas seem to be GET
ting on well Crops were abundant
The Confederate Commissioners for the State have
fixed the prices for bacon, for September, at ffy
cents pound, brown sugar severity five cents, and
other things in proportion The Telecranh irIir