New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-11-10
THE GREAT CONTEST.
vROru rHn ARMY OF Tmn rOTOmAc
The Eneny wake aa Att"cs-A Brisk
Fiahs-h Bead Here.
hoIp Our Special Correspondent
HpoRs. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. !
Sunday Night, Nov. g. 1864

Sunday Night, Nov. 8. 1861
The enemy has again yentured one OF his
steathy cat like night attacks nPon line, and has
again received SOLITARY lesson in the shape OF hana
sone rcpnlse. The point whore tho assault occurred
mes between Forts Morton and sedgwick southeast q
Petersnorg and directly in front Of the Rebel WORK dow"
np last Summer by the explosion Of the Niue OWING ~
the close proximity OF works TO those of tAe eDe
picket firing this point has never been suspehueu
since oar occupation Of present me- anu ho"e'er
TRANQUIL other portions Of the line the EeSei pckets
have aways exhibited an unappeasabie isroc'y' keep
ing up night and day an incessant fire uPones men
hing within The short range Of seventy five yards This
circumstance s Undoubtedly owing to the fact that the
eity of Petersburg here is but mile from our main
>rorks and That the utmost vigilance is doomed lsccs
asry BY the enemy. -
The ,pecial object Of thSRebelo "A this instance vas
a. obtain and hold possession of picket line, from
which their shsrpshooefs could efectnay silence She
sups OF Forts Morton and Sedgwict, the ls'tor GEM
monty known Fort le and, possibly. TO compel the
abandonment OF line and the assumption Of another
farther to the The punishment they Sustained N
Che loss of killed and prisoners but poorly compensated
by the temporary success which crowned their nTst
sssault
TEE ATTACK.
At midnight last night, six hundred chosen men OF
A. p Hills Corps, accompanied by large detail carry
ing intrenchng tools. silently moved upon our
picket posts occupied by detachments from the brigade
Of Col. McAlister, OF Gen. Motifs division MasSlDg
His troops the enemy moved cautiously until discovered
by our men. and then with yell swept down impetu
susy upon the pckes Of the l20th New-York and nth
NswJersey. The attack though Sudden, found our
men on the alert, and gallant resistance was made
she men on post fighting sometimes handto-hend with
aheroic determination hold their position Possible
Bot against the furious assaults Of ten times their own
Numbers protracted resistance in vain, ana they
retired fighting from pit TO pit leaving the enemy In
sossesson Of ten or twelve posts the works OF which
khey Immediately set about reversing, with the nen
don OF permanent occupation Of orr original line
In the mean time, ali along the line men were IN
fer aims and ready for any contingency and the guns
fom our works opened yiyorously and were answered
briskly By the enemy. The midnight cannonade was
ineessant aud the grand and iDpocing. Inc
bursting Of shels the hollow moaning Of bombs as they
slowly mounted far into the dihly lighted sky and then
asscended. marking their course by feTy tIain the
eashes of musketry oil contributed to render The scene
one Of awful grandeur.
As the enemy wGs now in nil possession OF an i'm
portan portion Of lDe it became evident th't we
nst dislodge him frcm the works which every moment
we're being reversed and strengthened. On being div
near our msin line from which they commenced gall
ing fire upon The enemy who evinced no disposition to
advance further from the works which thoy had cap
Jared From this ravino il was determined 20 charge
che enemy and three companies ofhe Tooth n Y were
accordingly ordered to move by tho Gank, and ct all
hazards drive the enemy fcm their works. Tic rsarce
vas made and at the point Of the hayoDet and with
sbo binding flashes Of the enemys guns full IN their
hoes our mon, after desperate struggle. were egaln
h possession Of Of their former line. few posts
However were still persisterty held BY the enemy until
asybreak when their exact position discovered they
we're again assaulted by and at six o'clock tbs
morning we bad reganed every post, and the enemy
had been driven back with the loss bic side OF zen or
twelve killed and left the field. number wounded,
ard forty five prisoners, among them commissioned
sficc, Our loss is four killed thirteen wounded.
and five missing supposed TO have been taken prison
ers. Among the latter is Ad Michael Boucher Of the
lith Mass, who, while accommodating, fen into TIE
hands of the enemy. The men captured by us were all
members Of South Carolina regiments.
A DESPERATE LITTLE FIGHT.
The struggle for the possession of tie works our
poket line ia represented having been desperate in
fac extreme Frequently determined fight would
occur across the works and in one Instance so close
we're the combatans that Of men. member Of
Che 10th Eew-York was pulled bodily over on the
Rebel sde ,where after being beaten until apparently
Had with the breach OF musket lie robbed Of bis
watch money and boots. He made his escape this
morning minus the articles mentioned end plus very
sore head. The faces OF the killed and OF many
wounded bear witness to the eaanry Of the Struggle
Che skin, in instances being literally black with
the powder from the enemys muskets.
A dad HERO.
In the list Of casualties which moose appears the
name of Thomas Mcbride Of the sth y. j. Battalion,
who was killed while charging with our men to recap
trre our works. This gallant fellow Orderly 10 Col
NcAIlister commanding the brigade. when it was
known that picket line had been attacked begged
permission to accompany the detail carrying am1nun
sion TO the 'front.' and arriving and learning that
were about charge the enemy entered the ranks Of
che Assaultne party and killed willie fighting
berocally in the front ranks Al noble as is the ex
ample of tie dead soldier Mcbride many in the ranks
Of the Union army have fallen and destined yet to
fa possessed of patriotism exalted and bravery
ss sublime as his The following is a ial LIST of our
casualties last night
&ps5 RS.'s p sGI b. Corr Pt ss5Hs H.
Corn. Jno. BOyne. Ii. 'ND Corp Richard O. Shutter B.
Jpo Byrnes, X. james e. Wheeler r.
llTHE.J.
Henry Lent severely "a b Mo9s1.;o H. g Sa
Augustus D''n0'' "-' i'm Mass is +''''r-'''
Henry s. Brown, =. wrist. Alex. Hall, =, hand.
Corp rho. riunsy. c. .is5 1A fbS O. N Raymond c, arm
Corp. s.ta.a. wsppe.n;s:sa,psS &C. A. l2oSY.
Corp jaime. $. Welsh; Co ,, i2oEY.
Robert vsndenburs. Co D. i2oNY