Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-06-25
LATEST FROM THE UNITED STATES.


IFrOn tie Petersburg Express Of Friday
We announced in yesterdays Express the receipt Of
the Philadelphia leo urer Of the 20sh, last Monday
The late hour at which it was received on Wednesday
night prevented our giving more than paragraph or
so from its columns We avail ourselves OF the oppor
tunty afforded this morning, to give copous extracts
from its columns It's caption on tire hrst page Is as
follows:
The Great Contest-Petersburg Not Yet 0urs-A Por-
ton of Is Dsfences Captured-Rebels Hold their
Works on the Right-Rspeatsd Assaults by our
Corps-Burnsde Carries two Redoub,s- Guns Pri-
soners and Oolors CapturedB lliAnt Fighting Of the
Eighteenth COrps-Colored Hoops Win LAurels-
HTdee Reiniorces Gen. Lee, &c, 81.
rHK ATTACK on PETKRsBuRs-A vIEw OF IHE CITY IRON
TIE CAPTURED FoRrIFIcATIoEs.
special correspondent Of the Philadelphia Inquirer
writing from before Petersburg, Juns l6, furnishes the
following.
From an elevated Loint on the line Of the captured
Notifications have just viewed the spires OF PeeIs-
burg visible through the foliage of surrounding timber
lands at the distance Of only two miles Here and
there little cloud of smoke bursting suddenly into e1-
isence and followed after several seconds by the boom
ing cannon, marks The position of a rebel battery.
Most of them opposite our right wing and on the
opposite side of the AppomAttox river, line Of ba
lie extending in front and in PLATA sight Of the city, the
18Th corps forming the right wing, and the I'd corps
the left The othsFcorps are not yet up and in line,
morrow morning the entire army will probably be in
posiiCR
Yesterday at this hour the strong bresstworks on
which l now write garrsoned by rebel troops.
From mere is obtained magnificent view OF the sur
rounding country, spread like 4 panorama, With
fields hills and valleys dotted with camps of two op
posing armies with the river and city in trout Look
ing at their thick brsassWorks deep bitches, and strong
rsdoubts commanding the opel ground in their front,
il takes se elaboration to decide that an assault on
such position must have been very serious under
taking.
Eve thousand men ought have been able to hold it
against twenty thousand or larger number but
they did not hold it. although attacking force did
not amount to anything like the number just mention
ed while il is presumed the enemy had fully i've thou
sand men for their defence. This outer defence was
taken a. about seven P. n. yes erday, and with it If
teen guns and from three to four hundred prisoners
number of small arms, aud camp and garrison equip
age Of the Rebel troops; another gun had been cap
tured 10 the earlier part of the day. making in all six
teen guns all in good order, and riaed ordra brass
twelve Founders.
/, was a good days work, Whether We consider the
value Of the captures or the importance Of the position
gained To "BlldJ" Smiths Eighteenth corps is due
the glory attached to it. This achievement, added TO
the splendid fighting of the Eighteenth Corps in the two
battles Of Cold Haroor makes their record in copjunc
ton with the Army Of the Potomac an exceedingly
brilliant one.
This corps embarked at the White House on Monday,
little more than foityeght hours before the assault
Petersburg. They passing up jams river, oppo
site Wilcox Landing, on the afternoon and evening OF
and dsembsrked at Point Of RocIs They
we're Joined the sans night by General HiRks division
Of coored troops and yesterday before Daylight we're
en- route for Petersburg Szirmishing commenced be-
fore 10 a. H. from the main line OF Notifications and
A. point two and half or three miles from these
works the enemy was fou I'd to have line OF rife pits
in which they look position and resisted our advance
With obstinacy, holding back for an hour more,
during which time there quite sharp fight bat
tery OF two beng vigorously piled.
Kinks colored division was in the advance, and final
II charged the pits took them and guo which the
" Grsysaeks" in haste to get out Of the way, had to
abandon. The Twenty second United States, cOlOred
regiment is mentioned that led this charge and
los. considerable number Of men. At several other
points on the road the enemy contested the ground
warmly with our skrmishers and not until near
evening that the corps deployed into line of battle be-
fore the Notifications of Petersburg.
Before the assault made sbarpshooters ected
positions from which they could pick off the Rebel gun
ners with unerring aim, thus very nearly sencng their
batteries and greatly reducing the difficulties of the
charge The grand assault made about P NJ, and
was equally successful along the entire line. Gen. Mar
tindaes division the right, its flank near the
river General Brooks, with his division and two
brigAdes of Ames held the CENTRE aud Kinks colored
div sion bad the extreme left.
TIE most formidable Of the works taken were in
{ he coored troops made the charge well as their
general conduct throughout the day. elected the high
est commentator. The experience Of yesterday adds
another to the proofs already furnished that negroes
will fight At the Eighteenth Corps Hospital saw some
wagons Of the Christian Commission, and number Of
its agents present administering to the wants Of
the wounded.
The Sanitary Commission is also represented here,
aud among th;se phlanthropists at the front noticed
Mr. Marshall Of Massachusetts,, Mrs General B,r-
4 nj. e.
captured form the left of the rebel re around Peters
burg, next TO the AppomAttOx rver, and at that point
there are no other works Of importance be-. aud
the city, but the hills across the fortified and
the enemy s bold the right c their line on this side
and although it would be impossible to prevent ad
vance into the city, it would not under these crcum
stances be tenEbe Il is supposed that at the time of
this attack no portion Of Lees army had arrived rein
frcements TO the garrison were on the way and near
At hand but did not arrive in time to take any part in
the Hghi.
LATER-AH ASSAULT UPON TIE REsEL POSITION
BEgoRH PETERSBURG, June 18th, P. M.-Durag the
past night there has been very severe 6ghtisg, the
bright noon being tculAry favorable for night ope
ratons The Ninth Corps came up yesterday afternoon
and took position on the left of hancock thus making
three corps IN line Of battle around the CITY, charge
was ordered to be made at P. NJ to get possession of
the Notifications in front OF HAncocks Corps an attack
being made by other corps their parts Of the line at
the some time Some ground gained but the posi-
zion Was not takea Several other charges were made
during the night and this morniug.
Burnside has gained important advantages on the
left capturing several hundred prisoners and seven
guns-s large proportion OF the prisoners belonging to
the SD Tenn Regiment of Hardees Corps flom which
fact il Is inferred that reinlorcemeats have reached Lee
from the West. Although our advance reached this
point few hours in advance Of Lee there is doubt
hat ere now We have the entire rebel army in front of
Is.
fHB LATEsT-yURfER DETAILS or TIE ASSAULT OF
EzuRsDEx-A SPLENDID BAYoEnF CHARGE.
Near Petersburg, June lT--Evenings The two days
lAaad around Pafaahur9 have haan marked BIZ aaYara