The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-07-05
THE WAR In VIRGINIA.
muE F1eHrs AROUND PETERSBURG.

contain news no: heretofore Puohshed.
Tho following is Gen. LEES. official dispatch in
rofsrance to the operations near Petersburg on
Wednesday the 22d:
HEADo RS ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
June 20, 1864.
Hon. James A. Seldom, Secretary of'War: Sir:
Since FRIDAY last there has been skirmishing along
the lines in front of Bermuda Hundred and around
Petersburg. The Federal army appears to be con-
centrated at these two places, and IS strongly In
trenched.
Yesterday q movement of infantry, cavalry and
artillery was made towards the right of our forces
and Petersburg, in the direction of the Weldon
.silroad. The enemy was driven back, and his in
fantry is reported to have halted-His cavalry
lave continued to advance upon tue road by a
route further removed from our position.
The enemy's infantry was attacked this alter
noon on the West side of the Jerusalem plank
road, and driven from his first line OF works to his
second on that road by Gcn'l Malone, with part
of his division. About sixteen hundred prison.
ers four pieces Of artillery eight stands of colours,
and large number of small arms were captured.
R. E. LEE, General.
The following are the telegraphic reports in the
Richmond papers,
PETERSBURG, June 22.-Hancock's Yankee
tcorps yesterday made attempt to strike the Wei
don road but after getting within half mile or 1t,
on Davis farm, two miles below the city, our arti-
lery opened upon them, and at the time our
infantry came into action, driving the enemy back,
capturing some dozen prisoners, and killing and
wounding number of the enemy. Our loss is small.
Grantswhoe army is now in our front on the
South side of the Appomattox.
JUNE 22-7 ?. M-Two brigades of our army
attacked and fanked Hancock's second army corps
this evening, about two miles south of this place.
The fight began at o'clock. The enemy made
considerable resistance, but driven back fully
two miles. Our men captured l,600 prisoners,
including 81 commissioned officers, four pieces of
artillery, eight stand of colors and two lines of
breastworks. The enemy made an effort to recap
ture the breasworks, but were repulsed. Our loss
is very light.
PETERSBURG, June 23-1O, A: M.-Our forces
after driving the enemy up to o'clock last even
ng for want Of sufficient force to go further, made
q stand The enemy soon endeavored to retake
the works which they had lost charging us desper-
ately four times; but without success-The fight
ing ended about o'clock.
Col Shelby, of Alabama, was killed in the fight
yesterday evening.
JUNE 23-7: 80 P. M.-The prisoners captured
yesterday evening number by official accounts, six
teen hundred and seventy-six privates and non
commissioned officers, and sxtysix commissioned
officers. Our loss yesterday evening was about
three hundred killed and wounded: that of the
ehemy is estimated at fully many one thou
sand. Over fifteen hundred stand of arms were
taken. The troops engaged were Mahone's of Vir-
ginia, Saunders of Alabama, and Wright's of
Georgia, the whole commanded by Gen. Malone.
PETERSBURG, June 24-1O A. MA portion
Of our forces last mig dislodged the enemy from
their Judgment on the Weldon railroad, six miles
below here, captured five hundred prisoners, in
Guiding twenty commissioned officers.
at
7 o'clock, began by our batteries in Chesterfield on
the enemys extreme right, and continued for one
hour and quarter. The results unknown.
Four hundred and eighty-three prisoners cap
tured by Malone last night near the railroad, were
brought in this morning
JUNE 24-6 p M.-General Malone, after dis
lodging the enemy from the Weldon road last
night pushed around their left flank and captured
the prisoners alluded to in despatch Of this
morning.
The affair on the City Point road this morning
an effort to retake some of our lost breast
works. and was preceded by heavy cannonading.
Hagood drove the enemy from the breastworks,
but other troops failing to support him, he fell
back. His loss is between and two hundred
in killed, wounded and prisoners. No shell have
been thrown into the city to-day and all has been
quiet since o'clock.
PETERsBuRG, June 25th, II M.-There has
been nothing done thus far and there is likeli-
hood Of any fighting to-day. The weather is in
tensely hot, and the roads oppressively dusty.
Scouts say that General Grant has told his men
that the fighting has ended, and the siege of Rich
mond has now begun.
From tie Raleigh Progress of the 9th
We saw 1t. Hoke, who is attached to the Pro
vost Marshals office of this city, who left Peters
burg on Friday morning Oath of June, and from
him obtained the following facts
Grants line extends from the James River
across the Appomattox to the neighborhood of the
Railroad, this side of Petersburg a few miles. On
Wednesday and Wednesday night there was des-
perate fighting along the whole line our army
forcing the enemy back from their position at some
points, taking large number of prisoners cannon,
colors, &C. On Wednesday afternoon 1O4 prison
ers were brought into Petersburg, and the same
night Gen Malone captured 1850 men and about
100 officers, pieces of artillery and 7 stand of
.colors, all of which had arrived in the city Five
hundred more prisoners were taken on Thursday
night in desperate fight which took place on the
railroad, the enemy's extreme left this side Of Pc
tersburg. Here the Yankees were driven back,
and on Friday morning when Lieut.. Hoke passed
near the battle field, the enemy's left vas within
about half mile of the road and fighting was
going on along the whole line
Gen. Lee was in Petersburg and directed the
operations of the entire army, and the citizeus,
officers and soldiers were COOL confident sanguine
and determined. Lieut.. Fl. assures us that no fears
OF defeat were felt by any one, and that the army
was never in better spirits or more sanguine. In
the fight on "Wednesday the 22d, some seige guns
that had been planted nv tho opep,y paor tbe o;tr