Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1864-06-24
DIsPArcIIEs FROM SEC. STANTON

rcCcifcu O1 lulS 1(epdflEienl.
City Point June Is, via jamestown Island
$50 AN. June l6.-Smith with $4,000 men at
tackled Petersburg this morning.
Gen. Butler reports from his observatory nea
| Bermuda Hundred, that there has been sharI
lighting and that the troops and trains of th,
enemy were, as he writes, moving from the city
across the Appomattox- Hancock is not nea
enough TO render Gen. Smith any aid.
The Richmond papers have nothing TO indi
cate a suspicion -four crossing the James river
| They expect TO be attacked from the direction
| Of Malvern Hill.
City Point, June Is. $50 P. .M.-Our latest re
| port from Smith was at 2. NJ, he had carried
a line Of Entertainments at Beatty's House, the
colored troops assaulting and carrying the rife
pits with great gallantry, but he had not ye
| carried the main line. He describes the rebe
artillery fire as very heavy. He expected tc
assaultthe line Just before dark Hancock il
within three miles of Smith.
City Point, June l6, Z A. M.-At 100 p. NJ
yesterday Smith assaulted and carried the prin;
cipal line before Petersburg, taking l3 cannon
several stands of colors and between three and
| four hundred prisoners. This line is two miles
from Petersburg.
Hancock got up and took position on Smith
left at A. NJ. to-day. There sheavy firing
in that direction from TO 6 o'clock No re-
port has been received yet.
Don't Hard Landing, Va, June I6, p. NJ
After sending my dispatch of this morning from
the heights southeast of Petersburg, l went
over the lines with Gen. Grant and the engineer
officers
The works are of the strongest kind, more
difficult to take than was Missionary Ridge at
Chattanooga.
troops. The forts they stormed were the worst
Of all.
After the affair was over, Gen. Smith went to
thank, and tell them that he was proud of their
courage and dash.
He says they can't be excelled as soldiers, and
hereafter he viii send them in a difficult place
as readily as the best white troops. They cap
tureC' six out of sixteen cannon which he took.
The prisoners he took from Beauregard's COM
mas:sl. Some of them said they had Just crossed
the James River above Drury's Bluff do not
think any of Lees army had reached Peters,
burg when Smith stormed it. They seem TO be
making arrangements to hold the west side Of
the AppomattOx, the town they could not think
of holding as it lies directly under our guns
The weather issplendid.
City Point June l6, Ais p. M.-Gen. Butler
reports from Bermuda Hundred, that the enemy
have abandoned the works in front of that place.
His troops are now engaged in tearing up the
railroad between Petersburg and Richmond.
Nothing of recent date has been heard from
Gen. Sheridan, but the Richmond Whig of the
18th contains dispatch from Lee, stating that
Sheridan had been routed in an engagement
with Fitzhugh Lee and Hampton, losing 500
prisoners and leaving his dead and wounded
on the field.
From Gen. Sherman dispatch dated last
night at O'Clock has been received. 1t only
states the relative position of the forces. No
serious engagement had yet occurred.
E. NJ STANTON.
Washington, June I8, 10 P. Mo Gen. Die:
The following dispatch from Gen. Grant, dated
yesterday, IL A. NJ, at City Point, has been re-
ceived by this department.
The 9th Corps this morning carried two more
redoubts forming part of the defenses of Peters
burg, capturing 450 prisoners and four guns
Our successes are being followed up. Our fore
es drew out from within fifty yards of the enc
my's entertainments at Cold HarbOr and made
a flank movement of about fifty miles
marching, crossing the ChickahOminy and
James Rivers, the latter 1000 feet wide and "a
feet deep at the point of crossing, and surprised
the enemy's rear at Petersburg; this was done
without the loss of piece of artillery. And
only about $50 stragglers were picked up by the
enemy. In covering this move Warren's corps
and Wilson's cavalry had frequent skirnishing
with the enemy, each losing from fifty to sixty
killed and wounded, but inficting an equal if
not greater loss upon the enemy. The 18th
corps, Smiths were transferred from the White
House to Bermuda Hundred by water, and
moved out near 10 Petersburg. The night of
their arrival they surprised or rather captured
the very strong works northeast of Petersburg
before sufficient force could be got in them by
the enemy TO man them. He was joined the
night following this capture by the I'd corps,
which, in turn, captured more of the enemys
redoubts further south, and this corps was fol-
lowed by the 9th corps, with the result above
stated all the troops are now up, except seven
divisions covering the wagon trains, and they
viii be up to night.
The enemy in their endeavors TO reinforce
Petersburg abandoned their entrenchments in
front of Bermuda Hundred. They no doubt
expected troops to take their place before we
discovered it. Butler took advantage of this,
and moved force at once upon the railroad and
plank plank road between Richmond and Pc
tersburg, which hope to retain possession of.
Too much praise cannot be given the troops and
their commanders for the energy and fortitude
displayed the last five days, day and night has
been all the same, no delays being allowed on
any account.
Later unofficial dispatches show that at 8
o'clock this morning the enemy still occupied
Petersburg.
Major Morton was killed in an assault yester-
day.
Nothing to-day from Sherman or Hunter.
E. M. STANTON.
Washington, June ls, IL P. Mo Gen. Dig:
Dispatches from Gen. Sheridan have Just been
received. He reports a victory over the enc
my at Trevalain Station, on the Virginia Cen
tral railroad, few miles South of Gordonsville,
where General Lee a few days since reported a
HI The of41o,ol rov,ort Solloxrc.
have the honor to report to you the arrival
of my command at this point and also to report
its operations since leaving New Castle Ferry.
crossed the Pamunky River on the 7th inst,
marching via Ayletts and encamped on Herring
Greek.
On the morning of the 9Th l resumed the
march via Pole Cat Station, and encamped three
miles west of the Station.
On the 9th l marched through Childsburg
and Newmarket, encamping on Erie Greek near
YOungs Bridge.
On the 10th marched via Andrews Tavern
and Levanan's Store, crossing both branches of
the North Anna and encamped at Buck Childs,
about three miles northeast of Trevalain Sta
ton. My intention was to break the railroad
at this station, march through Mechanicsville,
cut the Gordonsville and Charlottesville railroad
near Lindsay s House and then march on Char
lottesville. But on our arrival at Buck Childs,
/ found the enemy's cavalry on my front. On
the morning of the 1lth, Gen. TOrberlet with
his division and Col Gregg, of Gen. Gregg di-
vision attacked the enemy. After an obstinate
conflict they drove them from successive lines
of breastworks through an almost impossible
forest back on Trevalain Station.
In the meantime Gen. Castor was ordered
with his brigade to proceed by country road
SO as to reach the station in the of the ene-
my S cavalry. On his arrival at this point the
enemy broke iptoa complete retreat leaving his
dead and nearly all of his wounded in our hands,
also 20 officers, 500 men and 300 horses. These
operations occupied the whole of the day, and
at night encamped at Trevalain Station, and on
the morning of the 18th commenced destroying
the railroad from this place to Lawrence Court
House. This was thoroughly done. The ties
were burned and the rails rendered unserVicea-
BILE. The destruction of the railro I'd occupied
2 oyoIool~ off this 1ou xubay ,',ronfod lIaY,