Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-08-12

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aud Tunstall's were conflicting, out generally
indicated small number. Prisoners were
captured at very.step and including officers,
soldiers and negroes.
The rear now became Of Us nuca !uteTess
and Importance as the front, but the duties OF
the rear guard devolving upon the JEFF. Davis
Legion. with the howitzers attached, KS con-
duct was entrusted to its commander, Lieut..
CO.. Martin, in whose Judgment and skill! l
had entire confidence. lie vas not attacked,
but at one time the enemy appeared n his
rear bearing Tag Of tue, and the party,
twenty-five in number, bearing it, actually
| surrendered TO his rear guard, so great vas
| the CONSERVATION produced by our march,
An assistant surgeon was also taken.-he was
! en- route, and not in charge CT SICK.
Upon arriving opposite Garlick's, ordered
q SQUADRON from the 9Th Va. Cavalry to de-
stroy whatever could be found at the landing
on the Pa.uunkey. Two transports, loaded
with stores, a2G large number OF wagons
were here burnt, and the squadron rejc:ncd
the column with number Of prisoners,
horses and mules. \ squadron OF the ist Va.
| Cavalrv Gia:1mond'5) assisted IL The dest-uc-
| ton.
\ few picked men, including ray Aids. EurE.e,
Farley, aud NosleT, were pushed forward rap
idly to Tunstail's &c cut the wires aaa secure
the depot. Five companies Ct cavalry, e2-
cort:D. large wagon trains, were il sight, and
seemed al trs. d:spased 20 dispute cur pro-
rres=, but the sight Of cur column, LED ny
Lee, OF tae 9th, boldly advancing to the
combat was enough. Content with distant
REV, they lied, leaving their train N our
hands.
The party that reached the railroad at Ina-
stal's surprised The guard at the depot, Ill
| teen or twenty Infantry, Ca psurcd them wlinor'
their firing Ein, and set about oossructin5
1 the railroad, but before i could be thorough
4 " done, and just as the head Oh our column
reached il, u t,ai, Of cars came laundering
! down fEoul the "Granc Army 1t hsc-t troops
on board, and we p'enarca &c attack IL. Inc
train swept of the distractions without oelnf:
thrown scon the track, but cur lire oeh'e1ca
at only few rods distance. either killed or
caused to ieicn death every one on hoarc,
the engineer Icing one Of the first victims from
the uacr-ing FIRE of Capt. farley. It Is ;:iF
TO presume that serious collision took place
on lis arrival at the White House, for 1t made
extraordinary spcel in that direction.
Tn. railroad Bridge oTer Black creek was
| fired. under the direction OF Lieut.. Burke,
and It bvirg now da.l: the burning OF the M
rner,e wagon train AID the extricst!aS Of the
t.ams involved much labor and delay, and IL
Illuminated the country foT niles, The roads
a. this pcin, were FAR worse :h::a ours anu
the artillery had muck difficulty in passing.
! Our march was finally Continued by n?:si.
moonlight to Talleysvil!e, where We halted
three and a half hours for tina column 20 close
| up. at this point we passed alaSg: hospital,
Of ere hundred and ifty patients deemed
/ It proper not to n.olest the surgeons and al
PENDANTS in charge.
| At - O'Clock al night, The march vas co.,
! tiaue,i, without incident, under the mos. la
voraaie auspices, to Forge Bridge, isiGht
r7!:rs) ger the Ch'cEahonllEtT, *heTc NC ar
rived just st daylight.
! Lee, Of the Ninth, b: personal experiment,
| having foucd the streGt.i :aot io-dao!c, axes
were sent ior. ani every it!eaa; taken 20 over
come the difficulties hy rDproY!sed bridges
! and swinu:i:;r Immediately dispatched to
you infornati4i oi ny situation, and ;--k"d
::or The diversion already retrrr'; 20.
The progress ii crossing was yer? slow ct
| the no!nt chosen, iu.t abnvc Forge EfdS",
ans! learning Thar, att =. bridge proper, enough
of the debris Of the CID bridge remained to ~
ci:tate the construction Of ano;h"T -Inate7lat'
Tor which, we're Afforded b? q l2Tge warehouse
adjacent, lno-ed TO tina, point at once.
! Lieutenant Redmond Burke, Sho, il eTsT57
sohere, has rendered most valuable service,
/ and deserves the highest consideration at the
hands OF thu Government, SIT &c work With
O marty 70 ccrs,ruc: the bridge. = foot
bridge vas scga. i-nprorised. and the horses
were crossed ovsr Is rapidly as possible oy
! swimming. Burkc's york proceeded Ike
magic; IN three hours Il vas ready to bs7r
artillery enG cavalry, aad as half CT the Ist-
ter hsd not ret cross -, tbs b-i1i;s enabled
the whole to reach the o01er pank by .
o'clock, P. n. Another branch CT tie Chick
aoominr, still further OF, vas, with some
difficulty, fordcd. and the march YES coz
,inued without interruption towards Rich
/ mond.
LAYING passed the point Of Gange7, I left
| the column with Coz. L1c, Of the Isl, ant
rode on 70 rapport in person TO you, reaching
vou- headquarters IL daylight next morn
! ing.
Returning u Ely command soon aiier, the
prisoners, che hundred ana siy:T-:ire in
number, we're transferred TO the proper an
=! thority two hundred and sixty mules aad
! horses captured, with more or less harness,
were transferred to the QuartermasteT De
| partments OF the different regiments, and the
| commands we're SCI. to their respective camps.
! The number o: captured arms has lot Deen
IS yet accurately asceT,ained.
4 pole vas broken when obliged cs TO
abandon = timber this SIDE Of the C:.icA:a com
my.
| The success attending this expedition will no
doubt cause ten thousand or fifteen thousand
men TO be detsched from the ene1ny's main
bodT to guard bis communications besides
accomplishing the destruction OF millions Of
dollars worth Of property, and the inter-
ruptioa, Ger a ,ir1c, u MS railroad comnunl-
f, cations.
The three commanders, the tTo Lees and
Martin, exhibited ire characteristics OF skill
full commanders, keeping thei. commands veil
il hand, and managing theul with skill aod
good judgement, which proved them worthy
of higher trust. Their brave men behaTed
with GOODNESS and intrcPid;ty il danger, I'm
swsrying resolution tcfore difficulties, and
stood unepalled before the rushing torrents
Of the Chickahominy, with The probability OF
an enemy at their heels armed with the fury
Of a t!-ress robbed OF her whel2s.
The perfect order hnd Systematic DISPOSE
ticn ior crossing mainta:Dcd throughout Inc
psssaEe, ensured is success, ard rendered
it the GROWING feature OF E successful expe-
dition.
Ihope. General, that your asaae of delicacy,
so manifest on former occss,oas, will NOT
prompt you TO award to the two Lees Gour
son and nephew; less than their full measure
Of praise Euibalured in the hearts and atec-
tious Of their regiments. tried On many occa-
sions requiring cooiness, decision end bravery,
everywhere prescn. to sni;neto, direct and
control, theJ held their regiments in their
grasp, and proTed themselves brilliant cavalry
leaders.
The discipline maintained b. Lieut.. Col.