Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-25
The Situation.
[From the Richmond Examiner May 49,

| [From the Richmond Examiner May 49,
The battle near Drury's Bluff was i'm
perfectly appreciated In Richmond till yes
1 terday. 1t was, during the time it lasted,
one of the most terrific combats that has
been known. Confederate valor never had
a more splendid illustration. The nerve OF
Smith or Buffers large army was concen-
trated on the hills behind heavy fortifica,
tions, which they had strengthened with all
the appliances of unlimited labor and in
exhaustible ingenuity. A world in arms
would not have moved Beauregard from
such place. The vast army of Grant has
been lately broken on some hasty breast
works, thrown up in night by Lees troops
with their bayonets and tin cans. But a
small force of brave Southern men moved on
those forts, not in drunken rush, but with
the steady Spartan step of true discipline
and inflexible resolution. and went through
the blaze of ten thousand guns, straight to
their mark.
Although completely successful, they
suffered considerable loss in killed and
wounded. 80 make an omelette, one
must break some eggs" is the proverb of
French armies. But we are inclined to
think that the numberis exaggerated; for
there is this evident cause of eXaggeration;
that the brigade which bore the brunt of
the battle contained great proportion of
young men from this city. Many houses
here contain wounded brothers and sons,
and hence the popular Imagination in Rich
mond increases the total loss beyond real
ity.
Yesterday grand field day under the
eye of Beauregard (Felir) was anticipated.
But at day break the whole show of the ell
emy had vanished. Butler had stolen off
in the night to the shelter of his gun-boats.
10 Sc IN ha IN asf
was unequal. Butler against Beauregard.
| A buzzard to fight great gyr falcon
| Infantry are now landing in consdera-
BILE numbers on the other side of the river.
They are believed, with much show of rea-
soa, to be Blu RS men. He Is not safe
| till he puts the river between himself and
Beauregard, and he knows it. But as the
truth will be known this morning we re-
frain from further supposition.
All is still quiet along the lines of Spott-
| sylvauia. Grant has gone clean away
| from the scene of the late slaughter, leav-
ing his dead and dying on the field, with
five THOUSAND stan(s OF arms, many caissons,
gun carriages, &c. The guns were conveyed
away to make vain trophy. But it. will
not counteract the effect of his retreat. 1t
is impossible to cave over the crown of
victory now. Lee remains on the field,
master of the field; therefore, the victor of
that bloody field. 1t is possible that Grants
army will stop awhile at Fredericksburg to
plaster its hurts. Grant has already re-
ceiyed two reinforcements one Of thirty
and the other of forty thousand. He has
lost them, and must have more before he
can come up to the new lines which await
him where he will find them.
.r The War News.
Yesterday was the NEST quiet day Rich
mond has experienced for the last week.
The news came in well from the TRANSMITS
sissippi Department and other distant points
in the theatre of the war, but the public
mind is so deeply absorbed IN the crisis of
Virginia, that it failed to excite more than
passing interest. The great demand was
for news from Lee and Beauregard, upon
whom now rests the hope of the country,
but nothing could be eheard. Scarcely ru-
NOR circulated, and nothing could be OBJ
tanned until night when we were able to
gather up the following summary:
FROM THE SOUTH SIDE.
At the close of Mondays fight the enemy
was left at Proctor's Creek, about two miles
and half from Drewry's Bluff, having
been dislodged from his position, and driven
over two miles. Every one looked Ior the
fight to be renewed yesterday, but when
morning came it was discovered that the
enemy had fled to his intrenchments on the
river, and under cover of his gunboats.
This is equivalent to his defeat, and the
abandonment of his operations to lay siege
to Richmond. Driven back now to his line
of Notifications, our army has only to hold
him in check, and prevent his advancing
from them. He can do us no harm in his
present position. If we can do this the
whole movement Of Butler will be foiled.
on ha
side Yesterday. Both armies were quiet. 1t
was rumored that the Yankees were cross
ing some of their forces to the north side
of the James river, short distance below
Chaffin farm, but there was received, up to
last night, no official information of it.
Information was received yesterday that
the Yankees had made another raid on the
railroad between Petersburg and Weldon,
burning the bridge at Bellfield, twenty
miles this side of Weldon. 1t was reported
that they were coming this way, and had
declared the intention of again destroying
the railroad bridge at Stony Creek. 1t Is
feared that they may cut the Piedmont rail-
road or strike the Danville railroad again.
FROM GENERAL LEES ARMY.
| No later official information had been re-
ceived from General Lees army by the War
Department up to last night, and, as re-
markable exception, with this absence of
news there was not rumor floating around
Yesterday of the armies in Northern Vir-
ginia. All we have from that quarter this
morning is the dispatch of the Associated
Press, which is given underour telegraphic
head.
BATTLE FIELD NEAR SPoTTsYLvANIA G..
H., May 16, via MILFORD, May H-5 A. NJ.
The enemy during Saturday abandoned
their front on our left, requiring new dis
position of our forces. This move OH the
part of Grant was evidently for the purpose
OF building up and covering the railroad, in
order to use 1t for transporting supplies.
| The enemy thus far is reported to acknowl-
edge the loss Of thirty-one general officers
and forty-five thousand men
The enemy left in hospitals their wound-
ed near Yellow Church on Sunday, contain
ing about seven hundred OF their men and
few of ours. They left large number of
their unburied dead on our left and front
when they retired.
There was no general engagement to-day,
only slight skirmishing and some cannon
aiding. Late this evening the Yankee cav
airy came within mile and half of GUM
ea's Station. The enemy also left in our
front yesterday thirteen caissons and twen-
ty-one gun carriages. This shows that they
left this part of their line hurriedly.
General A. p. Hill was not in command
of his corps, but was on the field lending
the aid of his presence to Gen. Early.
Large quantities of arms were left by the
enemy on the battlefield. They have been
appropriated by our men and taken off.