GENERAL GRANT'S CAMPAIGN.

 

          On the 30th ult., as stated in our last report, our advance was within ten miles of Richmond, having on the 28th beaten the enemy's cavalry, with a loss on his part of 1000. On the morning of that day (30th) our army again advanced an average march of four miles, occupying nearly all day, brought the different corps in connected line of battle close upon the enemy's intrenchments, Warren having the left, Hancock the centre, Wright the right, and Burnside the reserve, though the latter subsequently assumed a portion of the line. Warren and Hancock pressed the enemy's skirmishers from the first. The former crossed the Tolopatomay without serious opposition and intrenched in three lines. A little after dark the enemy attacked his left, first falling upon Crawford's division and forcing a part of it from the first line, but reaching the second line, or rather a line further to the left and so practically a second line, held by Kitchen's brigade, late heavy artillery, they met a terrible repulse. This line was concave toward the enemy, with a battery at each horn of the half moon. Early's division rushed into this snare, and speedily went back, all that was left of it. The repulse was complete; our own loss was trivial, the enemy's terrible. Crawford and Kitchen lost perhaps 200 killed and wounded, and they buried that number of the enemy's dead, took over a hundred prisoners, exclusive of over a hundred rebel wounded left on the ground.

          Meanwhile Hancock had been not less successful in gaining the position he wanted. By noon he had pushed back a heavy skirmish line so close to their own works that Barlow's division planted Arnold's battery within 500 yards of a rebel battery. An artillery duel of an hour silenced the rebel guns first engaged, but disclosed others right and left. During the evening while Warren repelled an assault Hancock made one. Barlow's division charged and carried a range of rebel rifle-pits, thus advancing the left and centre of the corps line equally with the right, and cutting off an enfilading fire which might have troubled us. This advance was under cover of an artillery fire of a dozen guns and eight Cohor mortars.

          On Tuesday afternoon (31st) General Sheridan, discovering a force of rebel cavalry, which proved to be Fitz Hugh Lee's division, at Cold Harbor, three miles from the Chickahominy, advanced to the attack, and, after a hard fight, routed the division, together with Clingman's brigade of infantry, which came to Lee's support. Sheridan, who remained in possession of the place, took a considerable number of prisoners, many of the rebel dead and wounded also falling into his hands. The position being one of some importance, the Sixth Corps was ordered to occupy it, and late on Tuesday night moved forward for that purpose. On Wednesday an attack was ordered to be made at that point (our left) by the Sixth Corp.., the troops under Smith, who had come up from York River, Warren, Burnside, and Hancock being held in readiness to advance in their respective fronts. The attack was made with spirit about 5 o'clock P.M., continuing until after dark, and resulting in our carrying the enemy's works on the right of the Sixth Corps, and also the first line in front of Smith. The latter, however, were commanded in the rear, which made those carried untenable. The enemy made repeated assaults on each of the corps not engaged in the main assault, but were repulsed with loss in every instance. Seven hundred prisoners were taken. During the night the enemy made several assaults to regain what they had lost, but failed. At one time Warren was assailed after the old plan of hurling massed columns upon his lines ; but having his infantry well posted behind earth works, and his artillery well in position, the enemy was repulsed in three desperate charges with frightful slaughter.

          On Tuesday night, 31st ult., while Sheridan was fighting on the left, General Wilson with his cavalrymen had a fight on the right, near Hanover Court House, with Young's brigade of rebel cavalry. The enemy were routed, with a severe loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners. On Wednesday evening our cavalry entered Mechanicsville, after scouting about the old battle fields of the Chickahominy.

          On Thursday there was but little fighting, but on Friday morning at 4 o'clock, General Grant made an assault on the enemy's lines, driving him within his intrenchments at all points, but without gaining any decisive advantage. When Barlow's division charged the enemy's works he succeeded in getting possession of seventeen guns and taking two hundred and fifty prisoners. But, not being supported, he was exposed to an enfilading fire, and was compelled to evacuate the works he had as gallantly captured, and also had to abandon the guns. General Grant says: "Our loss was not severe, nor do I suppose the enemy to have lost heavily. We captured over 300 prisoners, mostly from Breckinridge." Another later official report, not from General Grant, estimates the number of our killed and wounded at about 3000. The following officers are among the killed: Colonel Haskell, Thirty-sixth Wisconsin; Colonel Porter, Eighth New York Heavy Artillery; Colonel Morris, Sixty-sixth New York. Among the wounded are: General R. 0. Tyler, seriously—will probably lose a foot ; General John R. Brooks, contusion in stomach; Colonel M'Mahon, One Hundred and Sixty-fourth New York; Colonel Byrnes, Eighth Massachusetts probably mortally; Colonel Brooks, Fifty-third Pennsylvania.

          On Friday evening the enemy suddenly attacked Smith's Brigade of Gibbon's Division. The battle lasted with great fury for half an hour. The attack was handsomely repulsed. Smith's losses were inconsiderable. At 6 P.M. Wilson, with his cavalry, fell upon the rear of a brigade of Heth's Division, which Lee had thrown around to his left apparently with the intention of enveloping Burnside. After a sharp but short conflict Wilson drove them from their rifle-pits in confusion. He took a few prisoners. He had previously fought and routed Gordon's brigade of rebel cavalry. During these fights he lost several officers; among them Colonel Preston, Filet Vermont Cavalry, killed; Colonel Benjamin, Eighth New York Cavalry, seriously wounded. General Stannard, serving in the Eighteenth Corps, was severely wounded on Friday.

          Our entire loss in killed, wounded, and missing during the three days' operations around Cold Harbor will not exceed, according to the Adjutant-General's report, 7500.

          There were no demonstrative movements by either army during Saturday. A desultory cannonading was heard on our extreme left, in the direction of Bottom's Bridge, but it soon ceased. The day was cool, and rain fell in sufficient quantities to refresh, and not deluge, the men in hospital, on picket, and in the trenches.—On Saturday night, about 8 o'clock, the enemy made his accustomed night attack in a furious assault upon Barlow, but, as ever before, was repulsed with severe loss. About midnight he attempted to drive Hancock from his position, and again signally failed. Hancock's lines were brought within 40 yards of the rebel works. The enemy lost 300 in killed and over 1000 wounded. The rebels were very busy on Saturday constructing intrenchments on the west side of the Chickahominy, at Bottom's Bridge, and toward evening threw a party across to the east side.

          On Sunday there was no fighting, both armies seeking rest.

          About midnight on Monday the rebels made a fierce assault on Burnside, but were successfully repulsed. On the preceding afternoon a hundred picked men of the enemy made a rush to find out what was the meaning of Hancock's advancing siege lines. Nine of the party were captured, and the rest killed or driven back.

Several letters have passed between General Grant and General Lee in respect to collecting the dead and the wounded between the two armies. General Grant, in the closing letter, regrets that all his efforts " for alleviating the sufferings of wounded men left on the battle-field have been rendered nugatory."

          General Grant's new base is now completely established at the White House, and wagon-trains come and go regularly.

          A large number of rebel prisoners have reached White House. Several hundred arrive daily from the field of Grant's operations.

         Reinforcements are constantly going forward to General Grant.

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