Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1863-12-29
GREAT RAID.
Colonel Wells Cooperative
Expedition.
Rapid Marching and SkilfuI Man.
euyering.


commanding, their full ranks of young and 70
bust soldiers, their scrupulous tidiness ant
quiet demeanor, their quarters so clcanly an,
tastefully adorned, and their marvellous dres
parades on East Capitol street of a sunda,
evening. Some, who always connect ncatncs.
with eifcminacy, were inclined to ask, "wil
these men rough 1t successfully In the field p
But they were sent to the field, pretty rough
field, at the mouth of tho Shenandoah, wher,
rapid marches, heavy picketing, with all III,
alarms and watchfulncss, and occasional Skin
mishing of outpost duty, were the constan,
concomtants of the service. And nob,y did
they bend to this burden of patriotic duty, al
days and nights of fatigue and WEAKNESS hay,
attestcd; and still their bayonets CLEAN as
on dress parade, as ever.
Wei, started to detail very briefly the part
taken by the command of Col. Wells, In aid Of
the recent successful raid upon the rebel rail
road line at Salem, in the Valley of Virginia
force consisting of 400 men, viz: two rcgi
mcnts Of infantry, 400 cavalrymcn and a bat.
terry of six guns.
The plan of Gen. Kelley required Col. Scam.
mel to morct TO Lew isburg, in Grecnbrier coup.
ty, the mountain outpost of West virginia In
the kanawha region, and divert the attention
of the rebel bands of infantry and cavalry in
the adjacent valley; pushed Col. Wells and his
men away up the valley, through Winchester
on TO strasLurg, Woodstock, New Market, to
Harrisonburg, almost to Staunton, to threaten
that point, with orders not to fight unless at.
tackled, but to divert the attention of the enemy
and prevent dangerous concentration upon
Ayerill; while the raiders, under the lead OF
Gen. Averlll, were to press forward, penetrate
the valley, cut the railroad at Salem, DESTROY
culverts, burn bridges, play havoc with rebel
stores, and let loose the dogs of war upon
rebel subsistence and communications gener.
ally.
On reaching Winchester the little band of
Colonel Wells was entertained with diabolic
grns of rebel satisfaction at the near prospect
of their being gobblcd up. Bets were freely
offered at heavy odds with few takers by the
Wiuchesterians, that their journey would be
like that to the mystic "bourne" whence sno
traveller returns" The command itself did
not deem 1t prudent to invest very heavily in
these offerings.
1t was not anticipated, at the start. that INV
rebel force, except that of Imboden, of whom
no one had the least apprehension; but at New
Market 1t was definitely ascertaIned that Fiji
Hugh Lee, of Stuart's corps, was in the valley
and that Gen. Rosser's brigade, of Lees army
with infantry and artillery from Ewell's corns
was at Front Roy al seeking ford and chance
At our rear. Here was u chance for fight at
heavy odds, or foot race; but the Colonel saw
the necessity to b. more imprratiy, tban ever IN
relieve Avcrlll, and knowing that the shenap.
doah was high and delay in CROSSING very
probable, he determined TO pusb IN trust IN
Providence implicitly and keen his noweer
high and dry.
Our men shsr d fully in the bero;sm of tho
undertaking. and the dash or dosr...,,o, T.,
il NAV Lay, toned orr s,iri,s NJ, 20 ,,.
of cheerful confidence and de.perato darir,
II was evident /, all tba, NJ. ,,.r. Il, go
fighting trim. "vitb b,arts for arv ,.,o -
We reached Harrlsonburr on the potb III,
very dav speclf,d In our instructions w.
here learned that GepcraIs Ear,v w,,Lo. .ns
Fitz Lee were in our front seven ui,es .v.,
at Mount Crawford. with from seven IN ton
thousand men-opd vors, ain ,,., ,.a al.
nandoah WA falling Wa ,.arrod ton ,h.,
Ayerill had done bis work and oo,o hh,,o Nv
had accomplished ours ton and rorrd our
selves surrounded by about half of Lees army
1t was now our business IN 90, ou, or III.
trap without cur,aillpg our fair nronor,,ors, IN
fact, it seemed almost n miracle N g., IN, a,
all. But the prestipe of our succ.ss 80 r,r
would be dmmed by a capture or n rou,. NOR
did the relish of n recention In Ricbmord al,
to the charms of our position sowo conclud.d
to foil all our adv.rs.ri.s aud ,,o
back to IIarpcr's Ferry. Col WALL b,,ooL
himself to strategy. which has hcrore,imo
played 30 conspicuous part in the op,ra,,ors
of the Army of the Potomac. Al nigh, h.
built large fires. scattered his c,va,r, 10 oo.a.