NP: June 17, 1864 Raleigh Confederate: The News, June 15 (From Richmond Examiner)

Editor’s Note: This article was transcribed by Brett Schulte.

The News.
From the Richmond Examiner June 15.

From the Chickahominy.

Counter movements to those of Grant were being energetically made on yesterday.  No collision of importance is reported to have occured between any portion of the two armies.  Grant can now hardly be said to be making a desperate move; his desperation expended itself at Cold Harbor, and no better field will present itself hereafter–certainly not on the South-Side, whither it is evident part of his army is going.  He begins now virtually a new campaign, and his plight is that of a defeated man, though like McClellan, he will not acknowledge it.  Various surmises are afloat as to his new course of operations, the most popular of which seems to be that he will make a grand attempt to advance in three columns–one upon Petersburg from City Point, one upon Drewry’s Bluff from Bermuda Hundred, and one upon Richmond from Malvern Hill.  The only official intelligence from the Chickahominy on yesterday was the dispatch from Gen. Lee, published in this paper on yesterday.

Sheridan’s routed forces had reached Polecat Station, on the Fredericksburg Railroad on Monday night, en-route for Grant.

Movements of the Enemy.

We are informed, by a gentleman recently from the White House, that fourteen steamers left that place on the night of the 13th, laden with negro soldiers, being the last of Grant’s troops at the White House.  He reports Grant’s troops greatly demoralized, wandering about in the neighborhood of Old Church, stealing provisions and jewelry, and burning the houses of poor people.  Some of the troops openly avowed that Grant has no possible chance of capturing Richmond.  Our informant heard one of the Yankees say that “Grant might as well try to take h–l as Richmond!”

The slaughter of the enemy by our cavalry is said to be immense.  Rosser’s cavalry alone, have killed over fifty Yankee offi[c]ers recently.

The damage to property in King William  is reported to be very slight.  But few houses have been burned, and the losses by robbery are thus far very small.

From the South-Side.

Affairs on the South-side are daily becoming more and more interesting.  The Yankees in that section are continually in motion.–It is well known that on Bermuda Hundred Peninsula they have erected an elevated observatory, which commands a view of the country around, and even of the city of Petersburg itself.  This lookout has reached the height of over one hundred feet, and towers above the trees around it.  It is situated on Cobb’s farm, in Chesterfield county, and can be distinctly seen, with the naked eye, from the Petersburg Court House and the surrounding hills.  With the aid of a small glass, the sentinels are plainly visible.  This observatory is erected of scantling and is not yet finished.  From its top the Yankees seek to pry into all of our movements.  Two or three days since a pi[e]ce of artillery was placed in position to play upon it, and, we understand, succeeded in striking it once or twice, but before much damage could be done, the enemy’s batteries compelled its removal.¹

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