The War news — operations on the Southside — from Gen Lee's army, &c.
The report from the Southside is "all quiet." With the exception of some skirmishing between the working parties on neither side, no event of importance has occurred for the past three days. Our troops still held the enemy in his entrenchments near Bermuda Hundred, where he has ample opportunity to ruminate over the disasters he has experienced during the present campaign. Gen. Bragg visited Gen. Beauregard's headquarters yesterday, returning about half past 5 o'clock in the evening. We understand that the interview between them was of the most cordial and satisfactory character.Information has been received that the Yankees have hanged an old negro named Columbus who for many years past has been in the employments of the Petersburg railroad company. Columbus styled himself the "Port Walthall agency." of the company. The negroes will soon begin to find out who their friends are.
The heavy firing on Monday night is supposed to have proceeded from the Yankee gunboats, practicing their usual amusement of shelling the woods down the river.
We have some further particulars of the operations of Saturday night. It appears that our forces were picketing very heavily, and so were the enemy. Upon our attempting to relieve picket the enemy concerned it into an advance and opened fire.--This roused our troops, who joined with the pickets in responding, and the firing because as general for ball an hour as though Serb armies were engaged in a struggle for the mastery. An occasional gun was heard during the night, but it amounted to nothing more than such random shots generally do.
During the engagement Capt. Marshall, of Fauquier, commanding Stribbling's battery, was painfully, but not seriously, wounded. A Minnie ball struck him in the mouth, carrying away two or three teeth and lacerating the flesh. This is the only casually that we have heard of.
At an early hour Saturday morning our troops succeeded in capturing one of the enemy's picket posts, and took twenty-three Yankee prisoners, who were forwarded to Petersburg.
Among the troops who did the hardest fighting on Friday, in the vicinity of Ware Bottom Church, and to whom proper credit has not heretofore been given, were the 17th and 18th South Carolina regiments. Led by their gallant Brigadier, Gen. W. S. Walker these regiments, in the face of a terrific fire, charged the formidable fortifications of the enemy, and carried them at the point of the bayonet. It was in this charge that General Walker, riding by mistake into the enemy's lines, was captured after his horse was shot, and himself wounded in the foot. Walker's brigade is the same formerly commanded by General Evans, of Leesburg fame.
Lieut. Henry C. Howlett, (of Petersburg,) 5th Virginia cavalry, was captured some days since at the house of a relative in Chesterfield. He was on furlough at the time having been wounded some time ago in a cavalry fight near Brandy Station.
We continue to receive accounts of the depredations of the enemy in his recent advance through Chesterfield county. Among the sufferers is Mr. G. P. Copeland, a portrait painter of merit, who resides to the left of the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad, two miles from Chester. Butler visited the house, accompanied by a body guard of eight hundred negro cavalry, and spent nearly the shole of one day on the premises. He informed Mr. and Mrs. Copeland that a battle was almost inevitable in that particular locality and that if they remained their lives would be in great peril. They were also assured that their property should be protected. The Beast had the duplicity to add to Mrs. Copeland, "General Butler, Madam, is a mate of his word — his pledge is his bond, and whatever he says you may rely upon." With this assurance, Mr.Copeland and Mrs. Copeland left their home and their all to the care of the robbers. Upon returning, they found that the building had been ransacked and plundered, and they despoiled of every valuable they possessed. Even a canvas, on which Mr. Copeland had painted the portrait of a child for a Brunswick physician, was appropriated by the thieves, and used as a streamer to bear from the field the body of some miserable Yankee dog. Mrs. Copeland's wedding ring was stolen from a trunk and every imaginable article of any value carried off. Upon ascertaining her losses, and how grossly the solemn promises of Butler had been falsified, Mrs. Copeland addressed a polite note to the Beast, reminding him of his assurances. This was handed to one of his Staff, who faithfully promised to deliver it, and at the same time added, "Gen. Butler is a gentleman and a man of his word, he will fulfill to the letter every promise; he is a man of strong feelings, but when a friend he is a friend indeed, as when an enemy he is an enemy of the most bitter kind." Up to Saturday last, Mrs. Copeland had not received one word of reply from the Beast, nor do we suppose she ever will.
From Gen. Lee's army.
The following official dispatch was received yesterday morning:
About noon to-day the enemy approached the telegraph bridge on the North Anna.--In the afternoon he attacked the guard at the bridge and drove it to this side. About the same time the 5th corps (Gen. Warren's,) crossed at Jericho Ford, on our left, and was attacked by Gen. A. P. Hill and his advance checked.
The telegraph bridge, mentioned in the foregoing dispatch, is the bridge on which the Richmond and Fredericksburg Railroad crosses the North Anna, some twenty-six miles from Richmond. Jericho Ford is a few miles higher up the river. We are informed that the bridge was defended by the 37th and 22d North Carolina regiments, and that the fight was of the most desperate character. Our men stood their ground manfully, and only retired after nearly all were killed or wounded. About a hundred of those wounded in this fight were brought to the city yesterday.
It is reported that heavy skirmishing was going on yesterday in the neighborhood of Hanover Junction.
Sheridan's Raiders.
It is reported, on good authority, that Sheridan's cavalry force has crossed the Pamunkey at the White House, and gone up the Peninsula between the Pamunkey and Mattaponi rivers, with the view of effecting a junction with Grant.
Our wounded at Resaca.
The Atlanta papers furnish the names of several Confederate officers wounded in the battle of Resaca. Among them we find the following Brigadier Generals Walthall and Manigault, slightly, Brigadier General Tucker, of Miss., severely in arm; Col. R. J. Henderson, of Ga.; Col. Graves, of Tenn; Col. Copers, of S. C.; Majors Hulsey and Camp, of Ga; Capt. Pichell, engineer corps; Capt. Blanchard, of Ga.; Captain Carnatcher, of Tenn; Lieuts. Weems, of S. C.; Raleigh and McKennie, of Tenn.Lieut. Gen. Hardee had his horse killed under him by a shell. Col. Demoss, of the 10th Tennessee cavalry, is missing.
