, 1863-05-11
GREAT CAVALRY RAID.
THE IMMENSE SCARE IN
RICHMOND.

THE IMMENSE SCARE IN
RICHMOND.
Details from the Richmond
Papers.
The New York papers received last night
contain liberal extracts from the Richmond
papers, giving an account of Stonemau' great
cavalry raid. We make some extracts:
(FroEn the Richmond Examiner May 4tb.,
On Saturday morning the belief became
general In the city that Hooker had succeeded
inc upper waters Of the Rappahannock, and
Ind established himself on aline running from
Chanccllorsvil1e, on the Orange plank road,
ten miles west Of fredericksburg, to spotsyl-
vanla Court House, point twelve miles
southwest Of the latter place. Though it was
clear that our position hal been turned by
this movement and our army deprived Of the
Immense advantages it enjoyed IN the famous
battle Of the 18Th December, 1862, the admis-
sion gave rise to no nneasiuess, Entire conf
dencs in the skill Of our generals and the in
domitablc yalor of Southern troops precluded
any feeling Of painful anxiety. Still the pub
lie eagerness to hear from the army vas great.
Nothing was talked Of but the tssituation,''
and the demand for the latest news was unl-
yereal The morning, however, wore away
without anything transpiring beyond vague
rumor that o desperate moonlight fight Rad
taken p!nce somewhere, in which the enemy
had been driven f5om one to ten miles,
according to the fancy Of the narrator OF the
account,
But about IL o'clock the city was electrified
by the report that the Yankees, in immense
force, had taken possession Of the Central
Railroad at Louisa Court House, fourteen
miles southwest Of Spoteylvania Court House,
and sixty miles from the city, and, being unin-
track for miles. This statement being made
on the authority Of the telegraph operator at
1ouisa Court Uouee, who had only escaped
capture after perfortning prodigics Of pedes-
rianlsm, Was currently believed and gave rise
to yagrc but grave apprrhensions. On every
hand the questions were asked, "Where Is
Gen. Lees" "W'here is our armys" In the
course of an hour the abuyc story received an
detachment Of the enemy had appeared at Co.
lumbia, and, after cutting the canal at that
place, were making their way to the high
bridge on the South Side Railroad.
Al o'clock p. N. city paper issued an ex-
tra containing the following:
The telegraph operator from Ioufsa Court
House arrived at Frederickfs Hill Station,
twelyo miles this side Of the Court House, at
. quarter to twelve to-day (Saturaay.) He
walked from Louisa Court Housc to Ffedcr-
ick's HALL, bareheaded and withouta coat He
reports that the enemy. about one Thousand
strong, came into Lonisa Court House at
O'Clock this morning, aud hare since that
time torn up the railroad track for q distance
Of four miles in this direction, aud are still at
the work.
was for theopcratoT, vino made his escape by
the back door while they were searching the
house for him, He states that reinforcenlcnts
were coming up very rapidly, and prcsumes
that by this time their force must be greatly
augmented.
At Treyillian's, five miles higher up the
road, they appeared, 1t is reported, ten thon-
sand strang This, however may be IN cx-
aggeration. The report colnes,- We under
stand, from GoFdonssillc, via Lynchburg,
and WIS prohgnt 10 the former place by
courier.
The mail train on the Central road is now at
Hanover Junction, and will return to the
city. The freight traiu which left Richmond
this morning. at four O'Clock, is at Beaver
Dam, and will also return, we learn, as soon
IS some stores there can be loaded.
All the trllis At and west of Gordonsyille
have been stopped, and none are between
Beaver Dam ard that point. So the enemy
cannot ipjure us much IN tue Way Of destroy
ing cars: We have also the gratifying infor-
nation that all the stores that were ut i'll tho
railroad stations accessible to the enemy, have
been removed, in anticipation Of this raid. 1t
will therefore prove I" them fruitless move
.ment, except the injury to the track, which
can be repaired in less time than it will take
them to tear up the rails. There are no
bridges nearer them than those over the Ri
wanna River and Moore's Creek, which are
about two miles east Of Charlottesville, and
nineteen west OF Gordonsvile-
The above. coolly translated, seems TO
mean that tie 1ankt cavalry, no doubt in con-
siderable force, left Spotsylvanfa Cour. House
On Friday night with the intention Of tapping
the Central Rail Road at Louisa Court House
and Treyillian'e, and arrived at the former
PLACE about three O'Clock in the morning;
that the telegraph operator, being aroused
from his elumbers By the announcement that
1lc Yankees were upon him, slipped on his
I'antaloons Tor did not slip them on), and fled
wildly for the next station. His statements
OF the force OF the cncmy and the damage
done by them to the railroad arc worth moth
ing, o. it Is very clear from his own account
that be didn't even wait to sec whether the
report OF the advent Of the Yankees Was true
Or false: He said be walked to Frederick'e
AnlL II Is IN more likely that he ran the whole
ed the railroad, not far from the telegraph
mans story, but, because being near Spotsyl-
vanla Court House, there was nothing to OBJ
Etruct their raid.
lFron the Richmond Examiner, Mar 4th,1
The Confedcracr las never received an in
suit SO notifying and provoking as that
which It suffered yesterday and the day be.
fore. The Federal army had reached and
taken possession Of spotsylyanfa Couri
House From that point they have not only
attempted and executed the mannuyre sug
gcsted as probable in our last issue, but ::
great deal more. Leaving the body Of thu
army stretching in line from that point to thu
Kapidan, their cavalry, under Gen. Stoneman
has pressed on to the Central Railroadand Gu
1t at.Ircylllian's; then penetrated to the road
between Fredericksburg aud Richmond, au'
cut that too at or near Ashland, aud at tn
moment We write is believed to be carcerin
unharmcd in the open country ten miles frou
Richmond, in the rear Of Lees army, haein
passed lis communications with the city an
shut of for the moment bis source Of supply
That this audacious raid will hare any se
1ious effect on the great battle or battles no'
fighting, Or fought, in spotsylvanla, Is no
possible The trifing damage which thcs
= cavalry hare done to the railroads can be II
paired sooner than it was effected But th
event throws An upleasant light on the i'm
providence of those who control the militar
powers of the country. It's success show
that they arc blind to the character Of tn
man now In command Of the Federal forces
He is no longer an able, prudent officer, max
Ing war according to the rules Of the science
but reckless gambler, who has nothing II
lose and is ready to play on any chance, how
ever desperate. Such adventures as these AT
precisely what might have been reasonabl
expected Of him. But further, in the iuvestj
eating committee Of the Federal Congress
General Hooker, while stating what he though
should have been done by Burnside, laid dow
In SO many words this identical cavalry can
1'asgn, Ms part Of his programmed The Sontl
e7n Government and General was forewarue{
Jet would not be fortnrmed.
The lines Of telegraph between Richmon
aud Fredericksburg being Of course severed
We are unable to give any authentic INTEL
Eence from the scene of real action. It
generally believed that decisive battle VT
engaged, If not concluded, on yesterday, Wit
success to the Ccnftdcrates on all points BIT
one; but crcn rumor docs not furnish d.
Tall beyond the circumstance that the bray
and able General 4. P Hill has been wounf
ed.
{From the Richmond Examiner, May5.1
At an early hour yesterday morning sever:
persons reached the city who were on til
ambulance train at the time of its capture b
The Yankees on Sunday evening. From on
OF them we obtained some particulars of th
affair. AS the train ncared the hote1 at Ash
1nnd, q couple Of shots were fired at the CT
flhe, which Was at once stopped. The Tar
kees we're the 18th Illinois regiment, fy
1tnofcd strong, and commanded BY Colon
DAVIS, VINO said he y as originally from Kin
George county, Virginia, aud claimed kin wit
:. ftesldent DaS3e. By order Of the Coloue
the engine was uncouplcd and burned. 4
the sick and wounded and passengers we,
then pnroled.
Nointerfercnce was made with private pro,
erty. Just as the train was first hailed by ii
Yankee cavalry several persons who were
the back car, among them = bearer Of de
f-,- $,+.,,v 3nfFn ~.