Editor’s Note: This article was transcribed by Jackie Martin.
THE SITUATION AT PETERSBURG.
The Petersburg papers of yesterday [report the?] capture of an entire Yankee brigade. The truth of the story we will probably have before going to press. The way the Petersburg papers tell it is this:
Prisoners who were brought in Wednesday night at half past eleven o’clock confirm the rumoured capture of twelve hundred of Wilson’s raiders—These men say that it was an entire brigade, and that they were captured at or near Stony creek.—They also state that General Wilson was with this brigade, and it is believed that he is among the captured.
These prisoners were taken in a fight Wednesday afternoon, near Reams’ station. We took horses, arms and equipments, and about four hundred negroes who were following the vandals.
The (illegible) heavy fighting Wednesday in the vicinity (illegible) commencing as early as 8 or 9 o’clock (illegible) and they were strongly posted behind (illegible)—against (illegible) open field a half—(illegible) and the enemy, closing around (illegible) Tenth and Fourteenth Alabama regiments [of?] Wilcox’s old brigade. (These regiments were (illegible)…equently re-captured—Ex.) We had but few cavalry during the fight at this particular point.
In the afternoon reinforcements came up, and another engagement took place, which resulted in the total defeat of the enemy, with heavy loss in killed, wounded and prisoners, and the RE-CAPTURE OF THE TWO ALABAMA REGIMENTS.
The guard represent that we have the enemy to the right of the railroad, with every crossing strongly guarded.
The prisoners were completely exhausted from long marching and covered with dirt, and state that they have suffered terribly from the heat, many of their men having fallen from sun stroke during the raid. Several officers have been rendered totally helpless by the heat and fatigue.
They say that the brigade reported captured at Stony creek, is commanded by Colonel Chapman, of Illinois.
General Kautz is in command of the raiders near Reams’ station.1
Source:
- “The Situation at Petersburg.” Richmond Examiner. July 1, 1864, p. 1 col. 4 ↩