Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-06-19
From he Richmond Dispatch, June l6.


From the Richmond Dispatch June 16.
,ul SMART Peetrdtes The .Enemys Lines Scours he
C,lnra IN his Burns three Igqnspors- Captures
10 Prisoners and 300 Horses and ~ @ 5 ne Ine,
maj in a Fair Fqht-Destroys Sz,UOO,0VO OF Federd1
pyyoDgrft ard Returns nth The Loss OF one Mon!
Il bng determined upon to penetrate the eRemy's iines
and make full and thorough reconnaissance OF their posi-
n and strength Gen J. Stuart ordered the lst SCol
w.! E1gb lee 9th (Col. F. n. Fitz Hugh ee) and 4th,
Tirgpia cavalry Cieut Gardiner commspdng) to hold
lnS1saves IN readiness. These regiments however, did
@ Brn out more than half their usual strength the 4th
t having than four companies in the neld 1Ae JeA
Bsyis troop were also incorporated in the detail as alao
@ nisces of stusrts Flying Artllerya 12pound howit
r and 6-pound Engsh rife pece-the Whole force not
1mberno moro than 400 even the total reached
5t nTnber On Thursday dawn this column proceeded
DOWN the Charlottesville (Brook church, turnpike and had
gone distance without moestaon when Inc Vanguard
aook some eight ten adventurous negroes journey
inc rapidly towards the Federal lines. These runaHays
we're secured and sent to the rear and as g1 was draw
near Dickes and videttes placed, and the column
campcd fer the night ashland, 1t oelng considered
mprudent to progress further towards morning signal
% 10 the year and as day broke the cavalry column
proceeded on march. Carefully and cautiously journey
no the Federal lines penetrated, when horse pickets
coveng cur vdettrT advancing, the vdetes hastily re-
tired according o.ders the main body concealed
nv woods and turn in the road. Being Hanover
court House. the Federals wont to proceed thther
daily foOrsge captured picket informed the men, but
an this occasion had orders to proceed far possible
towards Richmond. Is being thought possible to capture
The whole detachment dispositions accordingly made
ScomPosed of the Caroue Dragons Captain swan and
" Lees Light Horse" Lieut.. Hungerford commandisg0
nm
ty gaoped back, and their main body took fight, Cap
tain Swans squadron dashng after them down the road
making splendid race OF two miles at killing pace
Having proceeded thus far, and near the Court house. the
enemy seemed to have been reinforced aud made stand
ing flank them, and capture the whole force Col Lee Of
the lst proceeded round their position retreat
but the movement occupying longer time than desired the
I'd squadron OF the 9th prepared to charge And they
rOted towards the enemy the Federal leader could
plainly and heard harangung his troops urging and
logging them to act like men, and stand His eloquence
avail and the I'd squadron the eth increased
their pace and to them with flashing sabres the
Federal officer gaoped towards them thinking his
would follow. Not SO, however, and he wheeled his
horse again. upon him. and he fell shot
the head his men gave feeble voey with pistols and
soampered of the field IN udcrous STYLE leaving killed and
wounded behind and many prisoners Capturing ouposs
and ckes 10 great number and oVerakrg wearied horse
men, ascerained that the force engaged squad
Of the 9th o. s. regplars who had hard
Texas and the Indian countries AID had never refused
charge before. Their reported to be adjacent
and proceeding thher everything des eyed and put
the torch.
From several captured in and about these campo it
was asceained that several regiments waiting for
our advance up the road, aid as their pckets were
stronger and more numerous than usual it deemed
advisable to halt. The second squadron of the 9th
we're dismounted and thrtwn to the 'front.' ION the skirts
Of wood to the right and left Of TIE rOad) to
skirmishers and defend the artillery which was moved
up and took position commanding bridge In the boil
OW-tbe enemy's force and ours being screened from
view By rising ground at either end Of the road-Our
force being farther from the front than theirs. APP
bearing ia considerable force, the enemy advanced in
admirable order but suddenly facing to the right about
were quickly TetreaDg, when the dsmounted men pour
ed CALLING voley into them, emptying many saddles
and causing much confusion. Reforming they
second time reinforced and to the charge up
the rise in gallant style. Burning to distinguish them
selves the third squadron Of the 9h composed of the
" Essex Light Dragons" Captane Latane and " Mer-
Ger County Cavalry" Lieut.. Walker c0mmanding)
uuder command of Captain Latane, had received Or
ders to charge the advancing enemy and putting
ia CalIe olO he thp
brave Iatan fifteen PAGES in front Cut and thrust"
shouted the Federal commander i" On to them, boys"
yelled Latane and the meeting squadrOns dashed in
foil sock together The front men Of either column
were endorsed, and the tight became instantly hot
and bloody. Captain LataUe singled Gus the
Federal Commander, and cut of the officers
hat close to his head, but tLn Federal lodging
the cut rode past, and as he did s0 discharged
two revolver loads at Lataue killing him instantly =
The enemy rapidly giving way, our men shouted in
triumph, and cut right and LEFT, pstOng the foe with
irghttu accuracy and havoc, and seeing the Federal
Commander 10 pursuit OF Adutant Robins, (who was
himself in pursuit OF euemy private dashed after
him and Glove his skull in twain The battle between
the rival sqGadrOns though of short duration, was fierce
and sapguiuary in the extreme Scattered in all drec
lons and apparently parayzad by the relentless fury
this corps the enemy fled in every direction, leaving
killed. wounded horses, acCOutrements &c, in prOusor
upon the dusty roads, Successful pursuit being impos
sible their camps visited and destroyed wagons
route from Ashland, by Hanover Court House and Ole
Church, to Station No p (Tuustalls, beeVe,) OF
the York River Railroad, naught else but con
tnuous scene Of triumph and destruction. Commissa
ry and Quartermasters stores seized and burned
every turn prisoners and horses were captured and sen
to the rear aAd by the time Of their arrival at the rail
way station more than 81 100000 of Federal propert
must have been captured and destroyed besides score
of prisoners riding in the rear
Upon approaching the railroad cars were heard &C
yaneing and the whistle sounded By orders ever
man was instantly dsmouned, and ranged beside th
track Again the whistle blew, and thinking the fore
to be friendly one, perhaps, the steam stOppeC
when the Caroline Troop opening fire disclosed the rus
and putting on steam again, sped the train tOwarC
the OhickahOminy, and despite heavy logs placed on tt
track made good its escape but the carriages being bU
uncovered freight trucks and having soldiers then
the slaughter that ensued frghtful. Many of tt
enemy jumped from the train, and were afterwards
tured or killed, to the number of 20 The Ell
gineer was shot dead by Lieut.. Robinson.
Still adding to their conquests at every step, d
tachment was Immediately sent to the White House,
the Pamunkey and, discovering four large tranGpOr
moored there and some hundred wagons or more, vii
teams, &c, in a wagon-yard, all these instant
seized to the great fright and astonishment Of the Fed
20 - and the torch immediately applied to all thin
combn. 1tibe. One OF the transports escaped al
aoated dow the river. The contents OF the 9th
three were chiefly valuable Commissary and Quartz
master,s stores. vat quantities OF arG1y clohin
Grain 4rnits and setIer's stores. tempting
thew were ali things wee laid in ashes, the hors
led of, aud prisoners secured. Thinking that Il
enemy would send out overwhelming force IN Pu
suit an unlikely route was selected and the whole col
mand proceeded in triumph to New Kent Court Houi
New Kent G. Fl. being the rendezvous, the 4tn sqna
ron of the 9th, under command OF Capt hnIght, co
Bisting of the Lumenburg Troop aud Lancaster Cav
ry,) having burned the transports and wagons, JON
the column on its route thither Hab we got Rlc
mon yet boss 2" asks darke in corn tield turin
up his eye-balls in admiration OF the Maryland "a