The Last Day Before Petersburg

Froto the New York papers, wo uollale the following, giviug the pa; ünuliii'ö of tuo conspicuous part takru liy the gallant Gen. Willcox and bis brv"e Miofigaü troops in the capturo ut Petersburg. TflË B ATT LES 01' SUND.'.V. The opcrations of yestcrday out the ii'bi'1 irrriy on the soütll of l!jj A.pyciinaUo." iu twaiu. The figh ing lif il. e Niuth, Sistl1, and T'.veiit_y-friii !i iförps guined for us an cutrunoü uto und pTssession of tho rnaiti rebel works (fr'est b'l the liaxU-r road, leading into Poters burg, w'.th tlieir guns and sn immense uumler of pi isouers. Ï1IU STAML'KM. Pressing our lidvantage on í be right, wc were rapidly doubling tho rebel lint-s up when night interponed, giving tlieui au upportunity of wltndrawing, Wni'ch they diii, leaving their gnns, tunts and wo.ks as they bad used and oeou)ied thein, oxoepiiug suoh as wo had previou ly captured; aud tlie road was left fpr our advunce iuto thu city, whlcli was made at hult'-pa.;t four o'eloek this moruiug by Ooi. Ralph Ely's 2d brigade of brevet Major-General Or'aod.o B. Wil cox's lst división of' ihe 9th corp-1, Major Guneral ParSer cíiiDmaiidiiiíj;. The )cit Michigan Sharpshootors are tho u:didputed olaimanta of the houo.r oí the tirsl eutry iuto the city. THE KINTU n.DBl'3. The line held by tho Dii corps ex toiidod troui the Áppoiíialtos lo the Mr.;!;!(u I'.iad, a dis'ancj of fuüy fifvii miles confroiited at all polista by the strougoül worka of Lhü rbolü, inouiited uith their heaviest artillery. These ai e tho opposing linos, the extending and .strcuglbening aud pèrfectiny cif whieh hive ocwupled two annies si;u;o vn: las; nummer. Tliey aro whüt, iü ay aptly teviu,:d ";ho bbniy ' JJL'twsen tho.ii have tiiieu Í iitt tl'è batiiés fhat L.ive üaciij'réd ia i'iout of Petersbarg. willco?:"s i,im;s. Tho lst división ot the Oth corps, un der command of Brevet ?'j r (ieneia! Orlando B. Willcox, held. the esti-enu' right, hayitig as its parlicula-r lerritory the line fauin tlio Apj-UüKi'f'iX tu JF$vi Einory, just w.'sl. of the Baxter rond. Mjuioüiing over two iniles ia t;ji;ttili;t l'q this por. ion of the line I attaehed rTiysèlf, aud the íiiífoTtaüt cípératiütis neré tlibcted 1 will ïelutf. a !v:monsïkation. At ïuidnight, ön Saturday, Genera! VVil'cox reoeived orders to uiake a demousiratiou uu hi.-) exlreme right, iu order to draw us inxuy rebels as posdible in that diréetion, a:id thus as itst Ac uitaeks th;it had been plannod for the followmg raoruiug. Tho domonstratioi; was maae with g'reat earnesiness, at the samo time that Adiniral Purter washamuieriug away with hits gunbonts up tbs James Kiver. Amid tho noise and smoktí the skinnishers kopt steudily on uieciiug witía so iittle oppositioa tha they wero enablod to cross the rebel fines, enter their works, capture príson ers in uuaibers greater than their owo, aud fiaally advaueed iuto the outskirl.: of tho towu, whero they mei a sïroög body of rebels coming out to reinforco the portion of the line that had just been captured. A brisk engagement was fought here, wiihin the limits of the eity ; but our uumbers Mere so small that é were üuJ to withdraw, and reluetanily ieii back to our oivu lines. General Wilieux was very aexious to so ehange the character of the aöair ; but at the oritieal moiuuut ho received orders to attack at the earlieat dawn iu the morning ou his left, so thut he could do nothiüg more at this timo fn the QiOTutr.eut we lostafew msu only. amonc them Jieuteuunt Colonel NieLols, of tho First Miohigau tihurpsiioucora, Kcriously v. oauded. AN EAU.NESI ATTACK. So soan as the affair v;as over, Wiüeox begao inasting iiis few avaüable men for thü appointed uttack on the lelt. Tins was tu ha & oombined a;id dolerïuiued attuck oa the rebel fruut so far aa our troops, prupedy fornied oould attack. Tho ubject was twofold : - FiiVi, by i mtïti earnest demonstr:iliot) to reoall a greater portiou of ihe ebels vvlu) Wüie iaassed on their extreme ;f,:'. ; Liid aucoLu, i j&iuie, to torce theír linea. ÏOilT MAÜONJJ. The part of the attack lissiuoH to Geaör-al Willcox, was to ciny Fort Uüione, one of thu mast forü. dable works on the rebel linos, situated at the poiat wheru liue crosses the Jerusalem plank road, aud direcLly iu iVoni of Fort Etnpry, where the lea of Willcox's división rested, THK ASá.Yi. l.ï. Colonol iLurimuu advanecd at oücü A tsiiiull detachmdnt Of hls brigade was ilirotwn out in advauce :s Bkirmisb tü'B, hile t!u rest cKe afftr i'd line of battle with fixed buyonuU. A puiiuul Büasoii ui' Btigpttw folJowed. PeeBCOKtijJ a niuskoi is hoaid, tiká notliei', and stioi) a yatiftjf, They havu ieaoheJ tliü vch.ii (,u ,jt iiuc. N,)W a lieatt ib enrd, i'uüusvod by a 1-U..I of n.usktuy. A scontl „hour "ua a Bticoud volley tV.ui our akini .i and tbo gallaut ilan-.uiiiii gáq lljq ,.- dor. "Oh;;r;:o biivunu-.s !- (,:' (,i.,v - euA,. uuay ti,o nublo félíojvya went ovrer breastworks', i-iiie pits. ulatti. chevaux J: Ji.-r, l!i.: .. Qc io .;i.ui toni .nd tho doe;! lö icuwmpliilied. Tho glory of the íir.-.t cníraiioj intu tliü work is üiáj.uted bv tiq 2ïtu Mich fgaii Volunítíprs and tUo L-:t C'oüüccUcu; Ko'avy artilféry. Tlíe Fui úiú'r ha'J colora with tUonij wli;.';, ;ere Uk bot uppn Uio , ... ti(,.. havo Uii' prwi oí' i run,, ,.