Litchfield enquirer., 1866-01-04

TIT f|TS 7 K6< pn 1lGndsiios T IF essstry. Fl
 ez6l ill ' ' - of n PolSSI,'S . .T6; 2d corps senmdhesd ssoasine th& Jams. riyer cn ths morning of IL l4th 5 i.ssy bo.t. $, u Mi!eqsA l.edis he lsyins el tls poutoon hrtdss VT conpleted about midniehs of tb. llth, andt s6s1ins ef ths bsispcs of ,bs army vss sspidly pslSsd iorsasd by both brides md l1ffys
 ktsa sAsa eaossisg had eonn1encpd, pro. eeedsd hy stesmsr to Bsrmuda Hundred so give the necessary orders for tho immediate capture Of Pe,ersbure. ". \. x
 The instructiepata Gsperal Bntler were yer bal, and were for hin to send General smith innsdistsiy thaf night with all the troops .Ahet .coplJ eive, him without sacrificing the position hs then hsld.S I tSld him hat would return at oncs, 10 ihs sfmY ofths Potomac, hestsuoiisk cfesGins, and throw it forward to sP PstsissurE kp divisions as rapidly-as it could e.done that we could re reinforce our armies more rapldIy there than the enemy could brng troops ssaipst us General Smith gut of as directed. and confronted the enemv's p,ckets near Petersburg before daylight next morning. but for some reason, that I have never been < able to satisfactorily unders,and, did not ee, 2 ssady 10 assauit his main lines unti near sum- down. Then, with . parr of bis consnund only, he anadeihe assault and carried the lines nor,l,- east of Petersburg fio,g the Appoma,,ox river, for distance "f over swo and half miles ca D. turing fifteen pi4crs of artillery aud lhrer hun dr-d pFisonrrss This was abau,sT r. M. Be tween fhS line iha> cap'arld d. and Petersburg there were no works, ard th.rr was s.s evdenca thStf fh-ansfty had re--nforced Pet-rs!nrp with 6 single briead4afron any source. The eight was clear, he moon shining brightly. and f- vorable to farther aope,niions., General Han cock with two divisions of the 2d corps, r.ach- ed General Smith just after dark and offered the.service of these troops as he (smith) might wish, wsivinR rank to the named commander. wh0 he patesal5 supposed knew best he posi- ton Of affairs. and what to do with the troops. But instead of taking these troops and pushing at oncevints Petersburg. 4le requested General HsDcoskto relieve part of his line in the cap. tursd works. which waa done before midnight. .
 By the time arrived the next morning, the enemy was in force. An attack was ordered to be made at o'clock, that evsring, by the troops under Smith, and the 4d and 9,h corps. llt required until that time for the 9th corps to get up and get iDto position. The attack was made, as ordered, and the fighting continued with but little intermission until o'clock, the next morning. and resulted in our carrying the advance and some of the main works or the en- Tsnyto the right tour left) of those previously captured by General Smith, several pieces of artillery, and over four hundred prisoners.
 The 9th corps having got up. the attacks were renewed and persisted in with great vigor, on tbe l7sh and 18th, but only resulted in fore ing tbe enemy to an interior line from which he could not be dislodeed. The advantages gained n position by us. were very great The army. then proceeded lo envelop Petersburg towards the 6outhside railroad, as far as possible, with. ? out attacking Notifications.
 On the 9th the enemy to re-snforce Peters. bug, withdrew from . part of his sntrench. msnt in front of Bermuda Hundred. expecti ng no doubt to get troops from north of the James to take the place fthoss withdrawn before we csnld discover it.E General Butler, taking ad- vantage of this, at once moved a force on the railrcad between Petersburg and Richmond. - Assoon as Lwas apprised of the advantage thus gained, to retain it I ordered two dvis- ions of the 9th corps, General Wright com. handing, that were emba,king at wilcoxs landing, under orders for City Point, to report to General Butler, at Bermuda Hundred. of which General Butler was notified, and the iu- sportancs of holding position in advance of his pr~sspt line urged upon him.
 Abopt 2 o'clock is the afternoon General Butler was forced back to the line the enemy had withdrawn from in the morning General Wright wifh his two divisions joined General Butler on tha forenoon of the l7,h, the latter still holding with strong p,cset Iine the ene- my's ~prks- Bat'inss.ad If putting these ili- evisions iuto the enemy's wo,ks to bold them, he permitted them to hal, and rest some dis,apcs gsin therear ef his own line. Between four nd Eve o'cL'ck in the afternoon the enemy attack cd and drove in hls pickets and re.ocuupied his old line. tt
 Op thelnieht If the 20th and morning of the Fist ! lolement was stf-c,ed by General But. 1kr, ~ithnne hris ada of infantry on the north haekspffhe James, Ut Dep Bottom. and con- nect'd the psntooa bridge with Bermuda Hun. .Dnihs lsth1 General Sheridan. on ahis re. turn From his expedition against the virei,ia rsptrel rsllroad. arrived at the White Hou.e jsss ss ,he enems's cavalry was about to attack It. and compelled tito retire The. result of sthisiexhibition was. that General Sheridan me, 7 tb0 epenysS fnvaltv nasr Tv.v;ll:.,. c..: