THE WAR IN AMERICA. (FROM THE "TIMES'S" OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Richmond, July 7.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2239, 23 September 1864, Page 6

THE WAR IN AMERICA. (FROM THE "TIMES'S" OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Richmond, July 7.

Once more have the shouts of the combatants and the roar of their numerous artillery been heard in the streets of "Richmond, and by the calm aucl imperturbable President of the Confederacy himself Onco more have the hills and valleys in front of the Southern capital been stained with blood and ploughed by cannon balls, and the night air made hideous by the wails of the wounded and the groans of the dying For one month the armies of the North and the South have been wrestling for the mastery — have been grappling each other in a death-btruggle. During thai; brief period torrents of blood hare been spilt, and thousands of hearts have ceased to beat for ever. And yet the Federal army, notwithstanding it has been handled so roughly, has marched with such rapidity, has made such numerous and desperate assaults, and has lost so heavily, is believed to bo not one wlufc nearer to tho goal ot its ambition than when it crossed the Jtapidan True it is not so far from the Confederate capital if you measure the distance by miles or leagues ; but if j'OU measure it by tho obstacles in the way — the steady hues and glittering bayonets of Lee's dauntless veterans —the Federal commander would seem to be as fiii* from the accomplishment of the object of Ins campaign as when he stood upon the red hills of Culpcpper. Looking back over the period which has elapsed since Grant put his largo and wellappointed army in motion, we are able to appreciate the merits of a campaign which now seems destined to end in disaster. The statements of Northern newspapers, the admissions of officers who have been taken prisoners, and the apparent confidence of Grant himself, leave no doubt that he fully expected when he crossed the ilapidan and turned Lee's right flank that the latter would retire upon Richmond, aucl that there would be a race between them as to which should reach there first If such were his expectations he was convinced of his error at the Wilderness and Spotsylvanwi Courthouse, whoie he found that the Confederates had not retreated upon tho capital, and that he with his far outnumbering army was not equal to the task of driving them out of Ins way. The only alternative left him, therefore, was either to abandon the undertaking or to imitate the crab, and advance sideways. He adopted the latter plan, and it must be confessed he has prosecuted it with energy and success, since he has at the same time both covered Washington and threatened Richmond. Iv this way he has avoided the necessity of leaving a considerable force in his rear to protect his capital, as M'Clellau did -nhen he placed McDowell at Frederick sburg in 18G2 with a column of 4.0,000 men It had been wiser, however, if he had declined battle at Spotsylvamaaud the Wilderness, since ho lost more men at those places than McDowell did at Frcderick&burg. Indeed, if he had detached tho same force to cover tho capital that M'Clcllan did, audhad moved with the main body of his army around to West Point by water, he might possibly have formed a ] unction subsequently with the detached column ; at all events, he might have saved the many thousand men that now sleep beneath tho soil of Virginia and crowd the fetid hospitvls of the North It is only his advance that can be characterised as having been prosecuted with vigour and success The plan of campaign itself is faulty and unwise to the last decree, as the result has shown Whatever his advisers may uigc in extenuation, the fact will remain that he might have 1 cached his present position without a battle or the loss ot a man On the lust instant General Lee, suspecting Grant would attempt to repeat what is known among the Confedeiates as his " crab movement," begun to manoeuvre for position. Kcrshaw's and lLokc's divisious of Andersons Corps (the latter temporal lly attached to the corps) wcio sent to the right to the old battlefields of Game's Jlill and Cold Harbour, with orders to occupy the eminences in that quarter They attacked the enemy in the fiont, and drove them to their entrenchments Uieclnnridge and Mahone of Hill's Corps -neve equally successful in gaming certain advantageous positions. In the afternoon tho enemy attacked lleth and were repulsed by Coolcc's and Kirklands brigades, also of Hill's Corps. Tn the meantime a force of infantry was pushed from tho White House up to Tunstnll's station on the York liivcr Bail way, on the Confederate right. It has since been ascertained that this force constituted a part of Butler's army, the greater part of which has already joined Grant. On the morning of tho 2nd it was discovered that Giant had edged away to the right as Lee had suspected he would do He had not gone far, however, for Leo hugged his lines too closelj r for lain to move except under cover of darkness. The Confederates were put m motion, on a parallel line, while Early, commanding Evrell's corps (lE well being sick), swung round late m the afternoon and took tho enemy in flank, drove him from two lines of entrenchments, took 700 prisoners, and inflicted a heavy loss in killed and wounded, his own loss being trifling Gordon, who lias been made a majorgeneral for his gallantry at the Wilderness aud Spotsylvcinia, was conspicuous for good behaviour on this occasion. Night put a slop to the conflict. Meanwhile, 33rcckenrulge, supported by Wilcox, proceeded under orders to attack the enemy on Turkey Hill, on the extreme right, and drove him from it after a sharp combat, thus securing a very strong and important position whiclrthe Federals had already occupied. This hill commands the approaches from the north and east to tho military bridges which M'Clcnnan threw over tuo Chiclcahominy. It was evident that Grant was aiming for these bridges , consequently General Leo continued to move his army to the right on the evening of the 2nd, until he had thrown it right across Grant's imth, where tho latter supposed he had comparatively a small fovco Great must have been Grant's surpiisc, therefore, at half-past 4 o'clock on the morning of the 3rd, when ho moved against the Confederates, to find thorn in tho greatost force w here ho expected to flu d them weakest, and standing firmly up to their work behind some rude breastworks which they had thrown up the preceding night. Ilis assault extended along the entire hue, except on tho extreme right, aud was everywhere repulsed with heavy loss. It was not repeated on tho left until near the close of the battle, when it was again repulsed. Tho chief attack was made upon Kershaw's, Field's, and Hoke's divisions of Andersons corps in the centre, and upon

BreckinridgD's and divisions of Hill's corps next on their right, the heaviest and most determined assaults being directed against Kershaw and Hoke and the left of Breckinridge. In many respects the battle was a repetition of that of the 12th of May at Spotsylvania Court-house. "While he kept up a threatening attitude along the whole line, Grant massed a very heavy force and. hurled it again and again with tremendous violeuce against a single point. For afewminutes he broke over the breastworks at a salient on Breckinridge's left, and captured three guns ; but, in less time than it takes mo to narrate the circumstances, General Firfhegan rushed into the breach with his Floridans, and sweptthe enemy out, retook the guns which they tiad just finished loading, and turned them upon their flying columns. Seven different assaults were made upon Kershaw's front, each one of which, as were all those made against Field, Hoke, and Breekinridge, was repulsed with a slaughter that has no parallel in the war except at Spotsylvania. It is true that each succeeding assault was feebler than the one that preceded it ; but the Federals came near enough each time for the Confederate marksmen to cut them down in wide blue swathes stretching far across the field. The slaughter was sufficient, one would think, to satisfy even Grant's thirst for blood. The battle raged with great violence until half-past 10 o'clock a.m. — just five hours — when the Federals retired, beaten afc all points, and took shelter behind their entrenchments near at hand. But few piisoners were lost or taken by either side. The loss sustained by Grant m killed and wounded is estimated at 15,000 men. The loss sustained by the Confederates does not reach 1,000. At first I was disposed to discredit the latter report, but a visit to the hospitals, to the medical chiefs of divisions and corps, and the medical director of the army, has removed all doubt. The testimony of officers in the trenches is confirmatory of the reports derived from the medical men Brigadier-General Law, who received a painful though not dangerous wound over the eye, states that up to the time lie was wounded — 9 a m — but three men in his entire -bugade had been hurt, including himself. No people wore ever more thoroughly in earnest than the people of these States. The schools have all been closed except for boys and girls of tender years , women who have been delicately reared willingly forego the luxuries and comforts to which they have been accustomed all their lives, and give up their linen and silks for the coarse fabrics produced by the looms of the country ; they perform the postal service in many parts of the country, and may be found at the wayside " homes," the hospitals,"the "sewing establishments, and, indeed, wherever there is work to be done or suffering to be assuaged. Wealthy planters and thrifty merchants and bankers gladly take their places in the trenches, and bear all the fatigues of the campaign equally with the poorest ; ministers vacate their pulpits to preach in the woods and fields, and greyhaired fathers send their sons to the camp and take their place afc the handles of the plough. And now, when the army is engaged in mortal struggle with a multitudinous foe, pious people everywhere, of every sex and condition, in public meeting and private devotions, offer prayers day and night without ceasing for the success of the cause and the safety of their loved ones. Can such a people be conquered? Ought such a people to be subjugated.'' Even boys of 14 and 15 years of age run away from their parents to join the army." And what are the horrors from winch these people are striving to escape ? The inhabitants residing on either bank of the lower waters of James Hiver had already suffered all the evils which usually follow m the bloody track of civil war, but it has been reserved for General Butler to impose new burdens and practise additional barbarities. In some instances the men have been shot down by drunken black soldiers or scourged to death, and then nailed to trees and gateposts, and their neighbours, for asking permission to inter their remains, have been forced from their homes and transported to distant prisons. Where the men have been made to suffer thus, the reader may imagine, though I shall nob attempt to depict, the unmentionable horroi'3 to which tender women have been subjected and under which they have actually perished ! Meanwhile the world looks on with folded hands, and grayo European statesmen even desire the success of the party one of whose trusted officers is this wretch Butler ! Grant renewed his attack on the night of the 3rd and 4th, and again on the night of the 5 th, but without result ; each assault was repulsed with heavy loss to himself, and but little to the Confederates During the night of sth ho retired Ins right wing about two miles, and placed it behind a swamp, which protects both tke {Link and front of this wing of his army. Not content with this security, he has thrown up stiong mtrenchments around his flanks and along his entire front. It should have been stated before that the- battle of the 3id was fought upon the same grouud as the battles of Games' Mills and Cold Harbour in 18G2. It was at Cold Haibour that Jackson first attacked M'Clcllan's flank and rear in his first grand flank movement, a fact well known to the Confedciates, and from which they drew fresh inspiration. The position of the armies was levcised in some respects, the Federals occupying nearly the same ground the Confederates held in 1862. In the engagements of that year at Games' Mill and Cold Harbour, MClellan, though strongly intrenched, was driven fiom his position with heavy loss. Thus far Grant has found it impossible to dislodge the Confederates from the same ground. The latter availed themselves \ipon some parts of the field of the works from which they formerly drove McClellau. Among the killed on tho Confederate side are Brigadicr-G-eneral Doles, of Georgia ; Col. L M. Keitt, of South Carolina, formerly a distinguished member of the United States House of Eepresentatives, and Col. Edwin Wilhs, of Georgia, a late graduate of West Point, and one of the most promising officers in the Confederate army. Among the wounded arc Brigadior-General Law, of Alabama, Kirkland, of Georgia, and Lane, of Iforth Carolina, the two first slightly. Major-General Breekinridge had his horse killed under him "in the night attack of tlie 4th. On the evening of the sth General Grant sent a communication to General Lee, proposing that when the armies were not actually engaged either party may, upon notification to tho other, succour its wounded and bury its dead. General Leo replied that ho preferred the custom common on such occasions— to wit, that the party desirous to remove its wounded and inter its dead should send in a flag of truce and ask permission to do so, adding that the burial party should be accompanied by white flags. To, thlq Grant rejoined, affectiug to understand Gene-, ral Lee as accepting Ins proposition, and informing him that lie would send forward a force b.etwoon tho hours of 12 and 3 o'clock p.m. of the 6th, to care for the v, ounded and killed, and that they would be instructed to carry flags of the kind designated by General Lee. The latter immediately informed him that he had misunderstood him, and that if he, Grant, should send out a party for the pvu> pose indicated without first obtaining permission, under a flag of tmce to do so, ho would causo the party to be warned off by the pickets. T am not informed whether any further comraJL^ cation has been reoeivod from Grant. His dead and many of his wounded still remain in front of the Confederate entrenchments, the one poisoning the air by their stench, and the other vexing it by their cries for help. The Confederates cannot discharge the duties of humanity on account of tho firo of tho Federal sharpshooters, and Grant is unwilling to solicit permission to do it, since it would imply his defeat. Thousands of his dead were left untuned at tho Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court-house for the same reason. P.S. — I understand that Grant has made the visual request for permission to bury his dead, and that Lee has granted it.