, 1864-10-30

In THE FIELD Oct. 27-9P- II. {
The long looked:for advance Of the armies
place. Itsterday the final preparations were
completed by the withdrawal Of the greater
part Of the Army OF the Potomac from the
trenches, and Massing It in the rear ready
tor the move. The first division OF the ed
Corps, part Of the 5th and 9th Corps held
rInht to some three miles west of the
Weldon Railroad on the left ALI baggage
Point. ' - '' .'A' ~ o4''
At two o'clock this morning General Han.
cock, NTH the ID and Sd divisions Of his
corps, moved along the Vaughn road, ran
1iDg sonthWe est, and after crossing Thatcher q
Run, found the :rabels intrencned Ia ne WY
made works. General Hancock. at once
charged them On the flank, and drove them
ont md took some twenty prisoners, mostly
cay airy.
The 9Th Corps took tho Squirrel Level road,
and found the rebels posted at it's junction
from the Vaughn road to the Boynton road.
From this they were driven by our sklrmish-
ers with some loss, the 1et division having
about thirty wounded. The Sd division Of
this corps took the advance, and crossing at
Ihatchtrs Run, connected with the al
Corps. Meantime Hancock advanced along
q by:road. driving the rebels before him ttll
the column halted and formed line OF bat.
tie, the le!t reaching some distance west Of
the Ioad, ar4 the right extending to thick
On the right, the 9Th corps had also formek
and advanced through the woods two miles,
hut the LETT of:the liz: tallst. to connect WITH
the right OF the ed corps.
The 1ebels tel back as we advanced until
the line reached Thatcher's again, when the
rebels were found behind strong fntrench-
msnte, and brisk fire ensued, but without
mukh loss on either side.
At about 1 o'e1ock, afternoon, the rebels
taking advantage Of the bresking ogthe line
between the I'd and 9TH corps, mas5ed Gen.
Andereon's division OF Hifi's corps, and
charged the right Ming Of tho 2ed corps,
which gare way and Tell back short dis.
taDce, bat, being reinforced, charged and
checked the advance OF the rebels, aud cap
tured number OF prisoners. Our loss In
the affair ia Lot known, but is not believed
to be heavy.
4 few minutes after the rebel cayalsy,
which lad been cut of on the BoYntoa Road,
made an attack on Gregg's division, directly
in the rear Of the I'd Corps, and for a time
fnax dn1e SDa5P tha 1krmfR a Vas Kept up Gregg
In the charge made on the I'd Corps, tvo
guns were said to have been taken by the
rebels, but 1t is stated they were subsequent
II rccaptured. Fighting continued on this
part OF the line until after darK, when a hea-
" rain ended the fighting for the day. The
9th Corps occupied the right of the advance,
but did not gain much ground. The object
was to allow the LEFT to get fairly around on
the Boynton plank road, before the right ad-
yapced.
The colored division Of the 9th Corps
had some skirmishirg with the rebels, but
nothing approaching tight. They had
few wounded.
Gregg's cavalry had sharp fight with the
rebels in the forenoon, when they attacked
the rsar Of his column. He charged and
drove them back, capturing q nnmber Of
prisoners, and from eighty to one hundred
wagons loaded with supplies, and also some
horses, mules, etc.
The troops which occupied the country
over which we passed day, were Boteler's
and Youne's divisions OF South CAROLINA
and Georgia troops, with part Of Wllcox's
brigade
Our lett wing gained about fifteen miles
Of country to-day, and Is now IN position
to attack the enemy's works On the funk.
General Warren lad narrow escape while
riding along the line to-day, a ball grazing
his cheek and making slight wound.
Tie number Of prisoner5 taken yesterday
is about 500.