Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-31
War News Fifty Years Ago

John NJ. Daniel. the widely known and re-
nowned editor Of the Richmond Examiner ex-
yesterday morning. lie had been i'll for many
weeks but the immediate cause of his death was
tEphoid- pneumonia. In the death OF Mr.. Daniel
pion.
between and 10 o'clock night before last
neaNE cannonadfng in tho direction OF Peters,
ourg. From parts. OF the city the blaze OF the
guns could be distinctly seen through the black
and murky night With every moment the fire
q"ickened and increased. and continued for
more than two hours After midnight the Gun
hInS siackened, but was renewed at intervals
uhtii daylight. 1t the general opinion that
great nattie had been Joined on tho Peter sburg
H.'.s ana had been brought by attempt
OF the l'ederals TO force our right on Hatcher's
rum ana reach the Southside Railroad.
early yesterday morning the city OF Rich
,, , was refreshed with Il goodly report
pianatory OF the hurry -burly of the light before
m s,a' was to the effect that the Tcdcrnls had
attempted to burst through General John b.
Gordon's lines. but had been seven times re-
pulsed with terrible carnage.
DELAYED dispatch from the Petersburg front
'"Iis us that the terrible assault that was made
on 'ordohs lines and that successfully re-
pulsed every time was Immediately In front ~
me scene OF last Saturdays battle. 1t is re-
ported that the Confederate loss was less than
n, mh'iI, because of the desperation of their
thousands NV VIC
ne afternoon papers yesterday were all
"h!"ze with accounts of the terrible battle on
inc Petersburg front The Petersburg papers
received here late in the afternoon gave graphic
REPORTS cf the heavy cannonading. the conster-
,'ation OF the people and the inability OF any
body in the Cockade City to sleep but none OF
them gave any account of the results Of the
supposed terrific fighting.
The late night edition OF tho potcrsburr I,x
press SAYS We have just officer from
me front who declares that the Fcderals
charged right up TO the very muzzles Of our
guns, mat is to say, within ten feet ana were
literally moved down The slaughtc, is known
reveal it's extent"
THE LATEST: At o'clock this morning we
laHI me lttest In regard to the so-calcd big
battle in front OF Petersburg The whole him,
can be disposed OF in few words The Federals
discovering, or imagining that they had dis
covered some movement among our ,,iclat. ~,
Gordon's front that looked like a prcpor,tio,,
foi renewal of the attack of last Suturd,,
opened upon our lines with all their batteries
ne Commentaries, believing this cannom;td. was
designed to assault bv the eno,uv
opened with all Of our batteries. and each side
olazed away fast and furious for hours The
expenditure of ammunition was immense ana
the Eoise stunning. but We have not yet learned
that all OF the serious damage that was al nrst
reported was done on either side
1t Is not at all surprising that all of the people
or Petersburg thought night before last that
great ana snnSunary battle was in progress
for since the beginning OF this war. there has
never been heard in Virginia such a prolonged
and terrible believing OF big guns
THE VERY LATEST: About 10 80 o'clock ,,s,
night, ana after the most OF the above was In
type. the War Department received from General
Lee the dispatch published below, and gave n
to this paper at o'clock this morning; "Heod-
quarters. March 30-General Gordon reports that
the enemy, AT ii J.. NJ. yesterday, advanced
against part OF his limo. defended by Brlgadier
General Lewis. but rcpulsed. The nrc O,
artillery and mortars continued for several hours
with considerable activity. No material damage
To our lines has been reported.
tSisnedD "R. +. LEE. General"
Another official dispatch that came at n ,ate
hour last night, or rather at early hour this
morning, reports heavy diminishing and some
hard lighting near Dinwiddic Courthouse
There is longer any doubt TINT tba
Federals arc moving against the Southside Rail-
roau. Out General Lee has long anticipated this
movement and Is supposed to b. preparcd for II
Northern papers tell us that gold continues IN
go down in New York At last accounts il was
selling at l55. $3.50