The War news.
At eight o'clock yesterday morning our forces advanced on the enemy's lines in front of
Fort Harrison.
After pushing forward some distance, the enemy sent out a heavy line to meet us, and the columns met about a mile from
Fort Harrison.
Our troops pressed their attack with great vigor, driving the opposing line in confusion back to their works, inflicting severe loss upon them.
On arriving at their entrenchments they made a stand, and, being well supported, our troops were brought to a stand-still, but retained their ground at last accounts.
Battery Harrison is said to be a most uncomfortable position for the enemy.--They are subjected nightly to a gunboat shelling, and during the day the inmates are regaled with round shot and shell from land batteries, while our sharp — shooters besiege them so closely that no one dares to show his head above the parapets for fear of the deadly aim of our men.
As an instance of the fatality of the firing of our sharpshooters, we were informed by a gentleman, who was witness to the fact, that one of them killed eleven of the enemy in one day.
A rumor reached the city last night that we had, by a flank movement, isolated
Fort Harrison, and that it was now completely in our power, all communication with the main army being cut off. This, however, is doubtful, and, at least, needs confirmation.
Simultaneous with the advance above mentioned, our troops, in the vicinity of the
Darbytown road, were put in motion, and pressing on with their usual alacrity, compelled the whole line of the enemy to give way. Following up their advantage, our men continued to advance, the
Federals retiring stubbornly at first, but finally breaking into a double-quick, they were soon in confusion, and abandoned in their flight nine field pieces, which our men took possession of.
After a brisk march of about two miles--the enemy all the while retreating before us — we came upon their first line of earthworks of any strength, having already passed two temporary lines, at which the enemy made but a short stand.
Here, however, the entrenchments were held by fresh Yankees, and they poured into our ranks a terrible fire from cannon and small arms.
Unfortunately, at this juncture, one of our, brigades faltered, threw our line into confusion, and thus stopped our advance.
Here we lost most heavily.
Charging the works with fury and dogged determination, we endeavored to regain our advantage, but in vain; and finally, falling back out of range of the enemy's guns, we established our lines two miles in advance of our position of the morning.
The track of battle led to the right of the
Darbytown, and in the direction of the
Newmarket road, our extreme right finally resting in front of the line of entrenchments thrown out from
Fort Harrison, and about a mile and a half north
of it. Our loss was not very severe, as a whole, but some of our best officers fell,
Brigadier-General Gregg, commanding the
Texas brigade in
Fields's division, was killed.
His body arrived in the city last night.
Brigadier-General Gary was wounded;
Brigadier-General Bratton, of
S. C., seriously wounded;
Colonel Haskell, Seventh South Carolina cavalry, painfully, but not seriously, wounded in the head;
Major Haskell, South Carolina artillery, wounded.
Some of the local troops, among them some of the War Department clerks, were slightly engaged, but we hear of no casualties.--We captured, besides the nine guns, about a hundred horses and some three hundred prisoners. Among them,
Major A. S. Ashe,
Kantz's adjutant-general, and a number of the staff of the notorious
Spears, who, it is said, narrowly escaped capture.
The engagement was renewed last night about dark, but we could obtain no particulars.
Some little skirmishing took place yesterday in the vicinity of
Petersburg, with some heavy firing.
A number of deserters came in yesterday morning.
General Lee's official Dispatch Relative to the battle of yesterday.
Last night an official dispatch was received from
General Lee, stating that, yesterday morning,
General Anderson attacked the enemy on the
Charles City road and drove them from two lines of entrenchments, capturing ten pieces of cannon, with their caissons and horses, and a number of prisoners.
The enemy were then driven to the
New Market road, when, being found strongly entrenched, they were not pressed.
Our loss is small; that of the enemy unknown.
The brave
General Gregg died at the head of his brigade.
The Yankees Burn Rapid Ann bridge.
An official dispatch from
Gordonsville last night states that Yankee raiders burnt the railroad bridge over the
Rapid Ann yesterday.
From the Valley.
A dispatch from
General Early to
General Lee, dated the 8th instant, says: "
Sheridan's whole force commenced falling back down the
Valley last night along the pike."
Our cavalry were in pursuit.
Mr. Powhatan Weisiger, company E, Fourth Virginia cavalry, was severely wounded in the foot in an engagement at Waterbridge, near
Staunton, on Sunday, 2d instant, but is now here, doing as well as could be hoped for.
It was rumored last night that
Hood had defeated
Sherman in a general engagement and captured several thousand prisoners.
