New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-12-06

Nav General Crook, who had the in mediate command
of The Kanawa expedition divided his fIrces into two
columns giving G, composed Of cavalry, TO General
Az rI They crossed the tans b. separate
Avcrl struck the Tennessee and Virginia railroad near
Wythcyile the 10TH and proceeding to New river
and Christansburg destroyed the road several import
ant brd .es AID depos ncud New river bridge form.
ny junction with Crook Mt Union on tae 18th. General
Sill noyed ND tho Shenandoah valley, met the enemy at
NV Market on the I5h and afer severe engagement,
was defeated with heavy oss and retired behind Csdar
creek Not regarding the operations OF Ge'erm slgs'
=, s,tisfaciory | asked his removal from command
and Major General Hunter was appointed 70 saIerseae
him III, Instructions were embraced In the following
dispatches to Major General H. W. haieeK' Chie' oi
staff OF army - ,,,o zoe,
NEAR srcrrsrLvAsrA COrEr Housa, VA, May 20 1864
eThe enemy are evidently relying for supplies greatly
ON such a. aro brought over the branch road ruh'ng
through Stanton On the whole, therefore, u,'hh
would be better General Hunter 10 move IN lhat Oh
Vile II no does lot meet too much opposition Ii ne can
hold at hay force equal TO his ow1i ne WIZ W 'o'
good service. y, cox,t
| Major General r. w HALLEoE." -
"JEriCHo FoRD, Va, May %, loo4
"If Hunter possibly get 10 Chariotles.lhe r,u
railroads and ial should be destroyed heyOnd POSE,
biy Of repairs for weeks Completing this, he coula
find his way back to Mia original base or from aoou'
az. s. GnASr, Lieutenant General
1 "Major General II W. HALLgcK.T
! General Hunter Immediately took up the offensive,
ON the 9TH Of Jun, at Piedmont, and after battle Of ten
hours routed md defeated lin, capturing on ne n
OF battle 800 men, pieces of artillery, and go stand
OF rra, arms On tae sth Of the month he formed
! JUNCTION with Crook ard Ayerll at s.aunion, from
which place he moved direct Lyncbburg, via Lexing'
TON which place he reached and invested the 18th day
of Jane Up 10 this time he was very successful ana
but for the difficulty Of taking with him suincicnt ord
nance stores - long march, through bosiiie
country he would no doubt have captured tha 10 Inc
enemy mT point. The desruct on OF the enemy
supplies ard manufactures wac very great 10 nee.
|
force perhaps equal 90 corps par of which reached
! Iynchburg q short time before Hunter AMER some
diminishing on the l7h and 18th, General Hunter ow
Ing % want Of ammunition to give battle retired from
before the place Unfortunately this want oil ainhun
ton left him no choice of route for his return but by
way of Kapawhs. This lost to us The use OF hs troops
! for several weeks from the defence Of u north 80
i Had General Hunter moved by way Of Charottesville
instead Of Lexington, his instruct ons ooht'mpiIeu
be- would have been In position 10 have covered the
Shenandoah valley net the enemy, shoud tne loce
he met have seemed to cndangcr H. II 1t do no ne
would have been with easy distance ofihe James fYer
! canal, on the main line OF communication between
Lynohbufg and the force sent for liz defence nave
never taken exception TO the operations OF Gclern
Hunter, and | am not now disposed 70 hh1 liu,
Il what he conceived to bc the spirit OF nus inSFuc-
tons and the Interests of the service. The promp'
tiudc of his movements and bis galantry should en-
title tim 10 tbs communication OF MS COUNTRY
u To return The army OF the Potomac Inc ~ corps
commenced crossing The Jane. river Oh the n'orn .
OF tie Iith by ferry boas ut Wilcoxs landing me
LAYING OF the pouioon bridge completed about mid
rght OF the lit and the crossing OF the balance OF tie
army rapidly pushed forward by both or'dge anu
ferry 49,,
After the crossing had commenced proceeded by n
steamer 10 Bermuda Hundreds TO give the necessary
orders for the immediate capture OF Petersburg.
The instructions 10 General Butler were verbal, and
were for hin t. scni General Smith mpiedIaley tina.
nght, with al the troops he could give nun Without
sacrificing the position .e theA Ls.1 told ha 'ha !
Wod,d return At once 10 ,hc army o! The Potomac hasten
TIA crossing, and throw II forward to PETERSBURG "
visions rapidly "a II could be done ina, we euuo
roptli
could bring against IA. General smith got on rs
directed AID conlroted the encmy's pckets near fc-
tcrsburg before daylight next morning. but for some
rea.On that have been able TO sal s!acsosy I'M
dcr-iand, did get ready to assault ms main hn'
until near sundOwn. Thrn with part OF his command
only he made the assault and carried the ines nofta'
ea.t OF Petersburg from the AppOmaox river Tor dir
tancc OF two and half miles capturing hitsen
pieces OF artillery and three hundred prisoners ms
vas about D. IN. Between this line thus captured
and Petef-bur. there 10 other work. e"d there
Wa evidence that tho enemy bad r"eniorcrd 10
tershuTg with n single brigade rom any source
TIE night WAS olear-ihc moon Ginning nrlght y-ahd
.syo-sb1 to further operations. General liancoeE VAIN
two divisions OF tho "a oorp reached Gen.rai smih,
just AFTER dafk, and oieTei TIE serNice OF tLe.e
iroop~ he (smth) might WISH waving rank To the
named commander, Who 10 naturally SUPPOSED knew
best the roson OF s!sirs, and what TO do with the
troope But instead of taking these troops ana pun
into Petersburg be requested General iial coo
to relieve part Of HE lac 10 iLe captured "ofAs "eh
was done before midlght
\. By the time 1 arrived The next morning the enemy
,v. i'm frc, In attack was ordered 10 DO made ~ q
- ook thai evening ~ the troops ulder Smith and tho
y ~ sr5 OH cort- Ii fequrod until that the 9th
60. =, ,t M, AID INTO roson The attack made
ordered a o. igDg eoatinaed with but ltile teins.
sion until Scock the next morn n.y. ana rcsuei 10 orr
carving the advance and some OF the main WORKS OF the
10 Tic RICH. (lur LEM II those previously turrG
by General smith, several pieces Of artillery and over
four hundred pg.rOlcEs. q,
auI persisted h with great vlgor tie lth and 18Th,
but only resulted In forcing Tic enemy to IN Interior inc
from which he could not lie d-loiscd The advantages
in position gained by US were very great Inc army
In e. ~ Dper.l.sly
sonhslle railroad far possible, without atiae. ing
lortiicaions. g.,
drew ffoSa part OF hs INFRINGEMENT 10 NOT OF Der
muda Ilurl-o expecting doubt 20 get troops nom
north Of the james 20 take the place OF those hdra"n
before We could discover It. General Butler taking ad-
vantage OF This Al moved force on tho alroad be-
tween Petersburg and cnmoDd As soon as was ap.
pyiscd Of the advantage thus gained to retain ordered
two divisions OF the 9Th corps, General Wnght com
mandny, that ombarkig at Wilcox landing under
orders Tor city Point 70 report to General buler AZ
Bermuda Hundreds Of whicn General Butler was noti-
III d. ana the importance OF holding position In advance
Of mis- present line uryed upon him
About 2 O'Clock IN the afternoon General Buter was
forced tack 20 the line the enemy had withdrawn from in
the morning General Wright, with his two divisions,
jo ed General Butler the forenoon OF the I'm, the
latter st holding with strong picket line the enemy
works But instead OF putting these DIVISION MO the
cncfnys worke 10 hold them he permitted them 10 lat
ard rest some stance ~ the rear Of hs own line. Be
tween and o'clock e. the afternoon The enemy attack
cd and drove in his pckeis and rcoceuped his old nc
ON the NIGHT Of the Goth and morning Of the .lst a
,odgment was effected by General Butler with one brit
zade Of infantry the north bank OF the James ~
Deem Blttom aud connected the pontoon bridge with
Bermuda Hundreds.
On the 10Th General Sheridan his return from his
expedition against the Virginia Central railroad arrived
M Inc White House iust "a the euemy's cavalry
about 10 attack IT, and compelled II 10 retire The result
of this expedition was, that General Sheridan met the
onsnys cavalry near Trcvilan Station the morning
of tho 18th June whom be attacked and after an OBJ
stnae contest drove from the ned IN complete ront.
lie le his dead and nearly all his WOUNDED IA our Names