, 1865-03-29

ted arrangements deemed requisite to enable them
to take and hold the detlrabe position u taey
had ne} wopd havs
prived us Of ai1 chance Of obta1uiug supplies Te
hs sr s1ss; oh 81 tsasEE o9 %
ons'rntloa though not tie weakest part Of our line
possessed advantages found no where else along
army, on the south eide Of the Appot1ittox anu
where the shape Of the ground afo1dtt excellant
facilides for rapidly ,ntsenchng and securing II;
the line Of military railroad and perhaps ran
dered onr position here untcnable. PeterBDurs
would have been freed from our grasp: and Rich.
mond released from its present precaFtous eon1f-
The Asca1Gs 9Th corps speclal. desssiteing ing
Of the 1ne d Vork. thrown up ior tie protection
bounded over them rnp,dly, cutting gaPs IN their
Gs4ds one % ns 81 tue x6 Inc
corps: The attack beng totally u9espeeted and
nsae IN overwhelming force. ean.ea our n1a s1a5m1aa
port It the rebels pressed on and succeeded In
breaking our line just this side OF Fort Ste1mao,
this Blde Of the Appomattox river. On the front
line are two strong works. than comes Fort Nc
GllverT, and to the ctt Of the latter arc batteries
50, Fort Stedman, battery No. !, mortar battery.
and Fort Haskell: This embraces frontage OF
this line that the whole Of the fighting was done.
Reaching our abatis. the enemy poured ap q ter
11ac rolley, while their pioneers. under heavy
So es.y f pssses sG q es Sose II Peops
WAS hut The work Of verJ few minutes fof Them
to force cur MAN line, which they did, mixing q
man. Breaking through On he left Of this work,
the enemy passed round to the travelled road and
csp'ared ,he Fort BY CHARGING from the re..
this accomplished that tho officer In command Of
the Fort, MAI Randall. together with Gen. Nc
Laueh1ln and number OF men, were taken ps1s-
Mclaughlin, who had command Of The line just
to tho left Ut where it was forced, hurried into
Eort St dmsn and ~ ~ etDE ordes. snd cheer
10 gaining Fort stedman the enemy extended
bis line Of battle rom the Fort along the hill,
later. Al the a,me lime the guns Of Fort Sted-
man were turned upon battery No 10 and our
men hastily 5Iiv:n ont When e1, ths rebel ins was
e4senaieg Re b bis line 1' Il Il h. ~" direction :!
Meade station and the railroad: Anotherl rebel
Eight and Nine. The enemy got within. two hun
dred yards Of battery Nine. and five hundred yards
Of battery Eight. During the att1ck telling Gre
Tas Rsa5ss IN o p
fsom Gen. Harstuf1'e command The Sd division
Of the 9th corps having been formed for action,
Gen. Hartstuf received orders to move On ana
reeapture the lost ground; Ashe did SO terriae
DIRE wab opened on Fort Stedmau and Battery 10
from one Of our reserve works aud from Batteries
and and Fort McGilvery. The charge By the
intantry was admirably executed, and the firing
from the hstteriee remarkably precise. Tho
rebels could not remain under the heavy DIRE from
our runs and when they finally commenced to
fall hack, the lnfantry danked the fort aud cut oil
iarve number Of rebel troops, who, 1nclndtng
many officers, fell into our hands.
Personal.
Can't Fox, Assistant SecretarY Of the Navy. LEFT
to.tlay for Savannah, on business connected with
his Department.
Later from Sherman.
A Newhe1n letter Of the 9Th says: Tho enemy
captured three guns on the first d,y Of the hattle
at BentouviIle but on the ARRIVAL Of the 11th and
18th c3rpe, the enemy were driven IN all aitcc'
tionR, leaving these three gun. and Others. be-
sides 7,0hD pr1: oners and their dead and wound.
ed. Desert r are coming In in large numbers.
Sherman. with the Junction of Terry and Scho.
field. IL now strong enough to Rweep everything
teforc him. Sherman courier has arrived Al
Kinetcn for supplies, he will report anu be ready
TO move aga1n aoon, with Goldsloro as his base.
Shcrman'4 ounded will he brought to Newbern.
The people along Sherman's and Schoaeld* Is routes
gave the troops hearty welcome,n