From the New York Herald, 7/4/1864
THE SITUATION.
The most important war news today is the account of a raid
by the rebels into Maryland. Mr. Stanton reports that the enemy were advancing
upon Martinsburg and destroying the railroad, but says that the news was
confused and conflicting. The press despatches of last night, however, affirm
that General Sigel, after a severe fight of four or five hours at Bunker Hill,
was compelled to evacuate Martinsburg, which he did in good order, and retired
to Harper's Ferry, where he now holds a position on Maryland Heights. It was
reported the attacking party was a portion of Ewell’s corps. The railroad
property and some supply trains for General Hunter were got off to a place of
safety. Great alarm existed in Hagerstown and Frederick. A despatch, received in
Baltimore at five o’clock last evening, states fighting had been going on all
day near Leetown, about ten miles from Harper’s Ferry and three miles to the
left of the railroad, between a force of the enemy that was moving in the
direction of the Shepherdstown pike and the command which General Sigel had left
there to occupy the place. Both forces engaged were small, and it is officially
reported that our troops there had repelled successfully all attacks. All
freight and passenger trains from the West were worked successfully through on
Saturday night; but no express train for the West left Baltimore yesterday
evening. At last accounts no injury had been done to the road or bridges. Mr.
Stanton announces a despatch from General Grant’s headquarters at nine o’clock
yesterday morning, relating to the results obtained by General Wilson’s late
cavalry raid to the Danville Railroad. He says that sixty miles of railroad were
thoroughly destroyed, and that the Danville road could not be repaired in less
than forty days, even if all the materials were on hand. He has destroyed all
the blacksmith’s shops where the rails might be straightened, and all the mills
where scantlings for sleepers could be sawed. Thirty miles of the South Side
road were destroyed. The despatch states that General Wilson’s loss of property
is a small wagon train used to carry ammunition, his ambulance train and twelve
cannon. The horses of the artillery and wagons were generally brought off. Two
of the cannon were removed from their carriages, the wheels of which were broken
and thrown into the water; and one other gun had been disabled by a rebel shot
breaking it trunnions before it was abandoned. He estimates his total loss at
seven hundred and fifty to one thousand men, including those lost from Kautz’
division. Our correspondents announce the arrival of General Kautz’ command at
the camp near Petersburg on Thursday, and of General Wilson at Cabin Point, on
the Surrey Court House road, on Friday morning. Intelligence, however, was then
received that Wilson lost sixteen guns, which had to be spiked and abandoned.
Our correspondent at General Butler headquarters says that when General Kautz
passed through, on the 29th ult., on his return, it was reported that
General Wilson had lost seventeen pieces of artillery, including four howitzers.
The full particulars of the expedition are very graphically given by our
correspondents today.
Additional news from General Hunter’s force yesterday
informs us that he had arrived at Charlestown, Va., with his whole command,
after a march of five hundred miles through mountain roads. His work was bravely
done. He defeated the enemy in five different engagements, destroyed government
property to the value of five millions of dollars of our money, including
factories, tanyards, mills, foundries and furnaces in the Shenandoah valley, as
far as Lynchburg. The most important establishments were a branch of the
Tredegar Ironworks at Buchanan, working five hundred hands, and the Virginia
Military Institute, at Lexington, with its capacious buildings and magazine,
containing a large supply of ammunition, arms, &c. All the railroads and the
canal on the route were totally destroyed.
The rebels made a night attack on General Ledlie's
earthworks, which are in course of construction in front of Petersburg, at ten
o’clock on Friday night. They charged in great force, but were driven back by a
destructive fire from our men. Everything was quiet next morning and still
remains so. A large fire was observed in Petersburg on Friday night, and the
fire bells were distinctly heard by our troops. The rebels are reinforcing the
city. A large corps arrived and got into position on Saturday in front of our
left.
A despatch from General Sherman, dated at Marietta, Ga.,
yesterday, was received by Mr. Stanton, announcing the evacuation of Kenesaw and
Marietta by the enemy, and the occupation of both points by our forces. General
Sherman says that General Thomas is moving down the main road towards the
Chattahoochie, and McPherson towards the mouth of the Nickajack, on the Sandtown
road. Our cavalry is on the extreme flanks. Marietta is almost entirely
abandoned by its inhabitants. More than a mile of the railroad iron has been
removed between the town and the foot of the Kenesaw. The fight for the
occupation of Kenesaw is said by our correspondent to have been very severe,
lasting two hours.
Our news from South Carolina is to the 30th ult,
by the steamship Fulton. Another rebel ram is said to have been launched at
Charleston. The rebel cruiser Alabama and three others were expected to make
their appearance off Hilton Head. Admiral Dahlgren had received information of
the fact. All was quiet in the harbor, the batteries at Cummings’ Point throwing
occasional shells into Charleston. Southern papers, which reached General
Foster, say that Mr. Memminger has been succeeded as Secretary of the Treasury
by a Mr. Furman, President of one of the Charleston banks.
Dates from New Orleans to the 25th ult. report
the starting of an expedition under General Grover, with ten thousand men, up
the Mississippi. When last heard from he had landed at Fort Adams and got
fifteen miles into the interior. The object of the expedition is not related.
General Marmaduke, with a large force of rebels - put down at twenty thousand,
but of course exaggerated p was on the Washita river, according to some reports,
while others affirm that he was crossing the Arkansas, with a force of eight
thousand.
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