GEN. BUTLER'S ARMY.; The Attack of the Rebels on Monday What was it for Reports of Deserters The Railroad Between Petersburgh and Richmond Fully Repaired.
This is the first day of many on which anything of a startling nature has occurred to break the monotonous silence which has reigned supreme. Toward evening some new batteries, known to our people only from the reports of deserters, opened heavily on our works. To say the fire was brisk would be to give but an imperfect idea of the rapidity with which the guns of the enemy were served. It was one continuous roar of cannon, the discharge of the guns being only equaled by the incessant flight and explosion of projectiles. Our gunners were not long in concluding what action to take in the premises, and were very soon busily returning their compliments to the enemy with compound interest. The fight lasted about one hour, not one person being hurt on our side that I have heard of. It is not known what instigated the enemy to make this sudden and furious artillery onslaught. One proposition is that they wished to get the range of the guns in this new battery, but the correct theory is probably that, believing we have sent away large numbers of men to the assistance of Gen. GRANT, it must necessarily have so weakened us that it would be an easy matter to carry our works. If the promptitude with which our fire was returned and maintained is any criterion from which to judge, they have probably concluded that their impressions regarding the decrease in our strength was erroneous. No infantry was engaged.
While the fighting was going on in our front, heavy artillery firing was distinctly heard coming from the direction of Richmond. The impression of many officers was that it was probably an engagement between our gunboats and some shore batteries of the enemy. I believe, with others, that it was GRANT's artillery. The firing was too continuous and was kept up until too late an hour of the night to be any other than field batteries desperately engaged.
From two deserters who came to our lines to-day, we learn that the communications between Petersburgh and Richmond are fully restored, and trains are constantly passing to and fro. Gen. BEAUREGARD has imperative orders to protect it from further damage at all hazards. These deserters also report that Gens. H.B. JOHNSON and HOKE are still with BEAUREGARD, but that HOKE's troops have left. They overheard a conversation betwen the Colonel and Major of the picket, wherein the statement was made by the Colonel that SHERMAN had been defeated by JOE JOHNSTON, and that LEE was fighting to-day. Secessionville, it was reported, had been flanked and captured. They complained bitterly of the scarcity of food in the army. A ration of only two-thirds of an ounce of bacon and thirteen ounces of meal were allowed daily. Many more had intended to follow him from the rebel camp, and we might expect them at any moment.
I very nearly forgot to mention that they asserted the rebel force in the works before us to be very small -- scarcely large enough to man the entire line.
A strange phenomenon in the way of a balloon-shaped cloud was to be witnessed last evening. It was first seen soon after the firing on our front had ceased, and moved from the direction of the rebel works over ours toward the landing. Being twilight, the illusion was not discovered until the cloud commenced breaking up. It was actually thought by many to be a balloon sent up by the rebels on a reconnoissance, which had broken the guy ropes, and thus escaped.
TUESDAY, May 31 -- 1 P.M.
No more fighting has been done at our front. Some heavy cannonading has been heard, though, from about the same point whence the heavy firing of last evening seemed to come.
http://www.nytimes.com/1864/06/02/n...monday-what-was-it-for-reports-deserters.html
This is the first day of many on which anything of a startling nature has occurred to break the monotonous silence which has reigned supreme. Toward evening some new batteries, known to our people only from the reports of deserters, opened heavily on our works. To say the fire was brisk would be to give but an imperfect idea of the rapidity with which the guns of the enemy were served. It was one continuous roar of cannon, the discharge of the guns being only equaled by the incessant flight and explosion of projectiles. Our gunners were not long in concluding what action to take in the premises, and were very soon busily returning their compliments to the enemy with compound interest. The fight lasted about one hour, not one person being hurt on our side that I have heard of. It is not known what instigated the enemy to make this sudden and furious artillery onslaught. One proposition is that they wished to get the range of the guns in this new battery, but the correct theory is probably that, believing we have sent away large numbers of men to the assistance of Gen. GRANT, it must necessarily have so weakened us that it would be an easy matter to carry our works. If the promptitude with which our fire was returned and maintained is any criterion from which to judge, they have probably concluded that their impressions regarding the decrease in our strength was erroneous. No infantry was engaged.
While the fighting was going on in our front, heavy artillery firing was distinctly heard coming from the direction of Richmond. The impression of many officers was that it was probably an engagement between our gunboats and some shore batteries of the enemy. I believe, with others, that it was GRANT's artillery. The firing was too continuous and was kept up until too late an hour of the night to be any other than field batteries desperately engaged.
From two deserters who came to our lines to-day, we learn that the communications between Petersburgh and Richmond are fully restored, and trains are constantly passing to and fro. Gen. BEAUREGARD has imperative orders to protect it from further damage at all hazards. These deserters also report that Gens. H.B. JOHNSON and HOKE are still with BEAUREGARD, but that HOKE's troops have left. They overheard a conversation betwen the Colonel and Major of the picket, wherein the statement was made by the Colonel that SHERMAN had been defeated by JOE JOHNSTON, and that LEE was fighting to-day. Secessionville, it was reported, had been flanked and captured. They complained bitterly of the scarcity of food in the army. A ration of only two-thirds of an ounce of bacon and thirteen ounces of meal were allowed daily. Many more had intended to follow him from the rebel camp, and we might expect them at any moment.
I very nearly forgot to mention that they asserted the rebel force in the works before us to be very small -- scarcely large enough to man the entire line.
A strange phenomenon in the way of a balloon-shaped cloud was to be witnessed last evening. It was first seen soon after the firing on our front had ceased, and moved from the direction of the rebel works over ours toward the landing. Being twilight, the illusion was not discovered until the cloud commenced breaking up. It was actually thought by many to be a balloon sent up by the rebels on a reconnoissance, which had broken the guy ropes, and thus escaped.
TUESDAY, May 31 -- 1 P.M.
No more fighting has been done at our front. Some heavy cannonading has been heard, though, from about the same point whence the heavy firing of last evening seemed to come.
http://www.nytimes.com/1864/06/02/n...monday-what-was-it-for-reports-deserters.html
