The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-08-31
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch.
NcDondid'S CasaJry Regiment
CANE Gu \

CAMP xEAs CHARbFsrowH, VA
August 22i, 1861.
propose communicating a brief detail of
sne movements of McDoneld's Regiment of
Conft derats States Cavslry.
l must first say, however, that though this
is termed McDonalds regiment, the Justly
celebrate and distinguish 1 Turner AshbY
the Lieut.. Colonel. il the soul of it. The men
Of tine regiment repo-e the most explicit CONT
dence in him, aud are dsvot ID = him.
The re .5imsnt is comp d Il of the very best
material If young mea of the fr5t order OF
intelieot--the sons of Vhsinia's fist and no.
bic Z citizanE -b,1ve and gallant - ie ster
Ashby is noble eproc en'at.ve of their char
3 aeter-is the very F)ui of chivairy--rd they
are proud OF ana deliyht to tefve under him
On last Saturday det" shEcent of this regi-
ment, under the command of Ashhy, left
Winche tier abou: 2 O'Clock, end took the
roe lea ling TO Ha"per's FeIly. There were
in al, pre iume, come one hurdis and fifty
men. beins pr.vat, in rse ranks, /, of
coul-e, knew not TO what point we were to
march. Many were the corls ,tures that were
me ae, but all ,nled to concur in the belief
that we were goirg ID the Fe,iy. At nighs
we encanlpt at this pi~ce. Eo-iy the next
morning, (Sunday,) we were gsin put urou
the march, taking, es We cid ine morning
before, the road E ling - the Ferry
We were now sati2fi1i that we were goir G
there. Nothing could have pl e. the svs
,ttor. The probability Of brush with the
enemy Sc emed to ct them Fl dntic with delight
coking around upon my comlade in arms,
" Q
count enauce. The joy of mf eting With the
Yankc s seemed already to ro--s every one
We s. fiiiy continued on our mcrch, giving
no h Cd I, the ten thcuE Ind ee ger ajvfrers we
met by the way, who wagne us not II 20 to the
Ferry; that there were "me slzc batteries ;,
at this and that place, and that if we did ven
ture int, the town we would e,rta;ily r all
d stroy d. Nothing, however, could daur
the intrepid Ashby, or tuI him from his pre-
dete, mined cour1e. He knew the men he
commando lat least a portion of them-lnd
knew them to be brave: They had fought by his
side on kelley's Island, and he well knew they
would fight with him aeain. With the cour-
ege Of the " Mountain l.ergers." the corps he
long commanded, he wa5 thoroughly nc.
quainted and with them by his sire he felt
sure of success, let him encounter any odds.
Fortunately for us, perhaps, we marche
into the toSc without encoprteIinE an ything
whatever. There was not a single Fe5el al
soldier to be 1aen OF this side of the river
We soon discovered, however, several on the
opposite shore, where it YVES reg orted they
he 3 battery of one gun. This we did not
believe, from the fact that they would have
opene fire upon US as we marched into town,
If the gun, as reporte 1, had taen there We
soon commenced a diligent search in town for
any stra sgling soldiers that might have been
lett there. Not succeeding in finding any, we
ventui11 doWn to the river, where we had
the plee sure of exchanging shots with the
Fedsrals. The distance fire 1 was considera-
BILE, yet we ara confident Of having killed or
crippled some four or five. The only damage
Il
tenant in the Shenandoah Rangers was riding
him.
The firing continued tolerably brisk for
some time. The di stance being so great, how.
ever, there was little exc ,ution done on either
eide. We remained several hours in the
town, and then march / back to thil place
Though we f-i no lighting OF any conse-
quence, yet / conceive our march into Hsr-
psr's Ferry Iens -kable for daring and bold
ness. We knew not but that the town was
fpil of Fc derai soldiers. We were certain
that on Saturday evening there We're six
companie there, and we supposed they were
there still. We were also confident they had
q battery on the Maj ii and he ,yhts, and fal {
sure they would open upon us. Yet, in the
face OF all this, about one hundrs1 and 1fty
gallant and brave boys, in broad daytime,
marched into the streets of the town, ard
venturcd fer enough even - FIRE at them on
the other side, killing or wounding several.-
We have the pleasure y know that we were
| the first Southern soldiers TO venture into
| the place afts ire evacuation by Johnstoa
Since Sunday, We have bs ,n scouting this
entire country. / am confident there is not
now a FEDERAL soldisr On this side the Poto-
mac about here. They sometimes venture
over In the night. a mill near Shephar5st 1vsn
was burnc ] some nights 9yo, and last night
they destroyed q mill at HaIf ,<'s Ferry. We
an ficipate some rar0 sport in few days. Oi
cur further movements. shall be plessed to
inform ycu. SoLDHxR.
Il