The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-01

HEADQUARTERS Amy OF THE PorOMAC, IN
FRuNr OF PETBBsBUAG, July 80, a. M-Ihe
gIanC conflict commenced In earnest st iyg1t
this moruing. loud and continuous rpar 4
cannon all along the lines startled the whole
country from It's slumher, aud spre lding
thr, ughOu. our army the widest excitement aud
enthusasm.
General G ants new INK movement had on
tirely changed the aspect Of affairs here. By Il
he rgh was thrown on the north side of James
river, within ten miles nf Richmond, enalli1g
him TO switch his entire force upon either stle VI
the river In very few hours, thus compelling
the enemy to cover Richmond with q large force,
As well as Peter,b burg AID the entire line, whioh
! they could not do, and hence had TO risk gcne-
| raj engagement.
The thousand toned artillery duel progresses
magnhcently at this hour, the bowling shell
! bursting In wild prOlusiOn in Camp aud battery,
| aud among the trembling pines. Tue nJsGsCty
| have net yet come much into action, BAT the
| whole army is under arms and In line ofha'tle.
Ammunition trains are distributing their
| stores along the lines, and ambaluce trains are
! hurryiug up for the reception Of tho wounded,
| while the white coverlsts ofNthousinds Of hos
! pital eds are turned down, aud army Surgeon,
! with aprons on Their instruments at hand and
| sleeves upro'l,d, are quietly sw tting the bloody
! harvest of war. Considering tho cause che
| armies Bnd the position, IL i the grlndest spec
| taCle the world ever saw.
GoI0g 10 wOrk-WrbeI Fort BI0wu Up.
BFFoEE PETEBsBURG, July so, A. M
After three days Of mInUnvring, with m trch-
| ing ana some lighting, the grand assault uDou
| Petersburg vas mace az ID O'Clock this morning,
and is still progressing, II Is thought favOably.
! Tie movement OF Hancock and Sheridan %
| the left bai of the James was a tent to draw
! the enemy in tba direction, and WIS su ,ce>sful.
| Yesterday, tu confirm him in his impression
that Grant proposed % make the fight, three tralns
were sent over from here in his plain sight-the
| long transportation OF the 6th Corps being used
| for that purpose Then, nc dark last nigh, Han
| cock b,gan marching this wav, aud before day
I ltnh had in sIF,-..
Hunt, Chief Of Artillery, had o. guns aud 10 mor-
| taTs in y, siiiOn
| Tie explosion Of an immense mlue on Bnrn.
sides fr ut was the signal for hem 10 open. The
| ain attHck WA to be- from he centre, y h Och
| Corps, while the 10Th, and Turner's Division II
the 10Th, should BE- massed in the right re- ir Of thc
| 9th, and the Sth on the left Of the oh. Part Of
the Sd to take portion of tn, line near the river
| but n, ar!y all to support the 9th.
The mine had been pushed out 400 feet ra-
| diaipg into three hr nchrs beneath a Rebel
! fuur.gun battery. The powder cNplo ling five o
| fifteen feet under ground, was equal to chamber
train fifteen inches in diameter AMI 250 fret long.
| The world shook whon I was fired. A cDlunn
| ofy,llOw earth spouted into the air broad aud
| high ar the Bunker Hill Monument
The echo of the awful blast had not come back
| from the woods benind when the hundred guns
opened from the rising grOund'in Warreu's frOnt
| | could see the line of bel hing fire. the gre Il
volumes of white smoke, and hear the noise of il
| all. And the enemy angriy replied. Heavy
muskerry volleycd in the centre, only heard In
| the momentary intervals between the guns, hea-
West just when the suns bood-red disk ghirled
into sight in the east Was IL the sun of another
| Austertzi
Great masses of white powder smoke, hnggiug
close 70 the earth, reluctantly rising aud rest.
ing on the tret tops, oOs'ured the view. The
flashes Of the guns in the haze, pr jecting ma1y
teet fum the mnzzleS, could be seen moth ng
else. The church spires Of Petersburg were losi
fr' m the picture And he smohc 10 lged benin |,
and banked up against the sun till his great eye
was dim and bltarcd.
| At last, just before six q fresh breeze cleared
all the prospect as by magic. Each man now to
his field glass, and We strain our eyes, and sweep
the glass from point TO poiut.
In the group are Generals Warren, Hunt, Cut
Ter, and Ayres, and their staifs.
Still no word from the frontas TO how II is with
ours. There We can only look and eX1hau 90
thoughts and hopes and kno Rledge of what each
sees. At just six the Rebels are running. One
ana then another Is certain he sees them lying
The naked eye soon confirms that which was
"seeD through glass darkly,' and the rascals
ure running in greet fpcks.
One more glance from this point and then to
another. AT our elbow battery Is throwing
four and half shells, and the enemy occasionally
reply with those of equal metal and with good
ann. The Regular brigade is engaged 1t our lrfr
| A column Ot thick smoke rises from Petersburl
aud clouds in tho sky Indicate that the city /,
| burning.
signal station 10y battery hard 10 the from
IS waving meTriiy lis little ldg--tlig that talks
| DO not comprehend it. Generals Grant auC
| Meade he OF Burn ,Ide's be quarters. There
learn that the mne accomplished lis purpose.
| The explosion buried three OF the four guns
nbove II ana many men. While the earth still
trCmbied the 18th New York Artillery, 2d Bri
gade OF Ludlies Division. rushed upon the 500
| ana broke the enemy's line. Over 5JJ prisoners
were taken. Prisoners are coming In, 200 already
| There is 10 Struggling.
We have certainly car led some of the enemy
works. Here, a heauquarers, ihe Impression il
that ne shall, hetorc tho sun goes down. unfur
The flag IN Petersburg. There are still frest
noops enough at hnnd 10 pour new cOlumr
| npOn the Rebel centre every hour ill night, /
that shall be necessary.
or coursc no'hng is known yet in detail
no hing as O. the OsseS, and where they hly,
fallen heaviest SucrIdaus cavalry Is movinJ
round 10 our left, on The eHemy's right. Ia
battle has ragged four hours without cess lIion
How much longer OF this depends upon thu
Rem Is giving way, not on our giving up.-Neu
| York Tribune.