North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-08-24
Letter From th3 Army.
CAMP NEAR PETERSBURG, Va,
Ara1 st 4, 1861.

! days are slowly wearing away, and we can,
| in anticipation, at least, snuff the cool Sep
tember nights, when sleeping is 80 much
| luxury. The cool weather will be hailed as
blessing by the soldiers, who have endur-
ed every degree Of torture from the burning
rays of the sun, on the field and in the
| trenches.
Our Corps (the 6th) has not yet been re-
lieved from along the line Of the Upper Poto-
mac, and it is quite uncertain when it will be
Meantime we have been knocked around, on
detached service, from one part to another,
until We are heartily tired of the line of duty
and deVoutly wish for the time to come when
we can again be with our corps. We were
| frat hurried off to Baltimore, then to Wash
iDgton, then back to City Point, then from
point to point along the line. Last Friday
afternoon we were ordered to report to the
| 9th Corps, Immediately in front of Peters
burg, and accordingly went into battery in
the second line Of intrenchments. 1t was
pretty generally understood in the union
lines, that L. ght, that one of the Rebel forts
had been mined and was to bo blown up
early in the morning-the event to be fol-
lowed bv general assault and the capture Of
the Rebel citadel, if possible. Everything
looked favorable for such result, aud the
night was passed in anxious, hopeful expac-
tation.
Al sunrise, on Saturday morning, the mine
was sprung, ard tie fort blown to atoms,
burying many poor unsuspectng fellow in
its runins, At the same moment the artI-
tilery opened upon the enemy's lines and
the infantry advanced to the assault. So far
everything has progressed favorably, and the
fall of Petersburg seemed a fixed, inevitable
result but something always seems to in
terveae between this army and the accop-
plishment Of its purposes, when the prom
ises seem iairest and most certain. At one
time it is misunderstanding among Gener-
al ofIicer5-then the failure Of some column
to occupy desired position, and again the
inofiicency Of officers entrusted with import
ant commands. But the repulse in tie
present instance can only be charged where
it is properly belongs, for it occurred in plain
sight OF the army.
The first line of battle, in Burnsde's corps
after the skrmish line, was occupied by his
Division Of negroes, and it was supposed af.
ter the skrmish liue had advanced and taxi
en- possession Of the destroyed earthworks,
that the darkies could hold the position
against any force likely to be brought against
it, but events did not Justify the suppositon,
but proved, instead that our - fellow sol
diers" of African descent are not possessed
n the smallest degree, of the high soldieriy
qualities which has been claimed for them by
their special friends and admirers. Instead
Of wjths anding the shock Of the rebel charge
which immediately followed the successful
assault b. oar forces, they were driven, pelI-
melt from their position, in the widest con
fusion, and If the fate Of the army had de
pended upon their prowcss, we would all be
Numbered among the killed al wounded or
prisoners Of war.
The white soldiers have looked upon Sam
DO as quite an addition to the fighting mate
rial of the army aud were quite willing that
he should have an opportunity to justify the
high enconiums which have been passed so
unspairinsly upon him, whenever it was pos
sible to mix him up with passing events
without much regard to facts or the actual
fitness of the theme for the occasion. Now
the soldiers are supremelv disgusted with
fbo aYJ Ia - pai,bn- fruStnI
tolerated amongst thom- This was the mig
gers first experience Of actual battle, for
though they have spent months upon the
Skirmish line in the trenches and in being
drilled and disciplined, they have been to
we'll cared for TO be placed where more than
the ordinary daily dangers of a soldiers field
life would befall them. Now, it is a well al
tested fac t that our raw white regiments,
where they have the example Of veteran
troops befor them, almost Invariably make
their first fight their best, and there is not
single instance upon record wherein they
have not striven to emulate and ever Surpass
the veteran soldiers by whose sides and un
der whose eyes they were fighting. Your
gentlemen OF color, however. never stops 10
consider consequences, but without thought
obeys the first law of nature, and trusts only
to the virtue of his legs and the blind instinct
whicn leads him to the rear. As the fugi-
tives passed within easy canister range Of
our guns. our men were so eXasperated, that
verify believe it would have been pleasure
to them had they received the order to fire
INTO riI0 brOAyn, d. yi"o uIaeooe. I'D IN the
diggers" is now an EXPIRE ssIon common to all,
and if curses would Kill, there would not be
live niger in all the army of the Potomac.
That Petersburg is not now a Yankee pos
session and that the only result Of the wee ks
Of sweat and toll and careful engineering, is
the loss OF few thousand from our already
depleted ranks, is lie undOubtcd fault Of the