Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-05-14
sroNEMAN,s CAVALRY RAID.

mas Deem IurntsneQ 10 the SUNDAY ChTontcie py d
correspondent who accompanied the expedition
KELLYsyILLE, RAPPaHAssocK RIVER, MAY 8. Z
One of the most successful military enterprises of the
kind undertaken terminated to-day. refer to the
raid oour cavalry to the of the rebel army and
within its lines.
On the 18th Gen. soueman with portion of bis cava
y command, moved up the left bank of the Rrppaban-
mock with the intention OF piercing the eDemys lines at
the favorable opportunity then if possible cut bis
line a Communication aud destroy public property wher
ever found On the 4h the first of series OF rain storms
commenced causing the river to become NO swollen as 10
render crossing mpracticabe until the 2Sth umo aud
even then ponoon bridge used Thus tho weather
detained the expedition for fifteen days In the mean time
the fods at different points were tested fraRng parties
were sent the river and several tkmishes took
place without any important results aa ~
ON the goth ultimo the whole force wss again put in
motion aud crossed the river at K-ys Ford without OPP
position Gen Averil immediately moved bis division to
the Orange aud Alexandra railroad where two regiments
of the enemy met and skirmsh took place term
mating by the eneuy retrn2 towards Gordnsvlle 10
this encounter only two Of our men We're wounded
Gen Sto, eman moved the main body of his command
across Fleshmans and encamped for he night in open
field during heavy rain srorm. At thsPoint the enemy
made dash upon pckets but did not alarm the camp
Thursday morning early Gen Buford the Rapidan
two m les below the Raccoon Ford. (Motons Ford and
advancing up the opposite bank c.ued force OF sixteen
".
10 great haste fri m Raccoon Ford, where after Gen.
Gregg crossed with his division Here aieutenan and thr
Teen pryates If Fl bel artillery company were captured
Near this point array beef contractor overhaued
and 1928 600 in Confederate bonds taken from him. A
Re- bel engineer with wagon load Of material also cap
tured the read The whole force encamped at night
i one mile from the river
Friday morning BIZ ard cannonading the right which
proved be Gen Av+rPs command having little fight
with The enemy at Rapdan STATION, on the Orange and
1 Alexandria railroad hls was the last den Stoneman
| heard Of Gen. Ay-rll.
Next day. close upon the heels Of large rebel force
Orange Springs, who {" escape, aosnd ned wagons
provisions &c captured ieuenapt of Jacksons staff
returning leave of abr nce. At night camped at
Greenwood, Just outside of Louisa Cou t-house. The
ewn was surround and Col Fitzpatrick tonk possession
Of the plat at 6 o'clock May Cd, wiih ut oppos-
tan capturing few rebel soldiers The chzens We're
astourd to find the place in possession of the Yankees
| aud Ijoyed when they became convinced that the
Yankees were really civilized human beings and that they
had not come to murder men, women, and children In
co blood firmly believed aud supplied the troops
| freely With vicfuas and drink
The trak Of the Virginia Central railroad connecting
Gordonsville aud Rcbmond destroyed at different
points for miles, two trains of burnt, te esrsph
wires cut and DESTROYED and ssary stores
s.o app opriatrd During the nigh detachment of the
First Name Cavalry ding picket duty fvemls up the
iordoDsvlle foud, attacked and had two men kill d.
Tue Disappeared the NOM mt brigade advaDc. d,
aft firing few shots.
On the afternoon of the I'd the commsnd moved on
through Yanceysvlle to hompsons -Four Corners From
this point dolachments sent out in different direc
tons One party dest Dyed portion of the railroad be-
tween Gordunsvile and Cnaiottesvile another consist
ing of four hundred men, uuder Col Wyudbam proceeded
Columb4, the James river, where the Lynchburg
md Richmond canal the river An unsuccessful
attempt made ITO destroy the aqueduct Five locks
destroyed the banks Of the canal dug away at fer
pon three canal boats loaded with materials for the
rebel army and FIVE bridges were burnt A large guam
tty Of commissary stores, medicines, &c were also de-
stroyed, and several hundred horses were captured.
party under Captain DrummoDd, OF the Fifth Cavalry.
reached the river between Columbia and Richmond and
destroyed locks leves and set FIRE bridge The
James rver Gen Gregg proceeded to the Frrdericks
burg and Richmond raroud destroyed Ashland The
depot buildings, railroad track train of provisions
and Telegraph He sent detachment to burn the railroad
br dye the South Anna but II strongly guarded
1 by infantry, and the party sent out fell back
Gen Gregg reiurnedto Thompsons Four Corners, but
portion of his command undrr Col fitzpatrick, moved
eastward to the Central road destroyed the bridge that
road he South Anna captured and destroy train
of cuvers aud the railroad track for miles and then
passed wu to tie Peninsula. Another portion Of Gen.
Greggs command, under Col. Davis, Twelfth III inos
cr.ssed bth roads Richmond destroying railroads
telegraph bridge Brock river, and railway trains
detchmrnt # Gen. Greggs Command also burned all the
turnpike bridges the South Anna TO prevent the
enemy making fink movement and catching Gen. Stone
man 10 trap.
Monday morning the 4th, Hampton and D. H. Lee,
with BRIGADE attacked about sixty Of the Fifth
vslry picket duty Shannon Hill charge of the
rebels met by counter-charge; the rebr advance
temporarily repused but raypg cap ured seventeen
Of the Fifth cavalry Our force captured thirteen Of the
enemy Gen Buford advanced upon the enemy with bis
| command, but they fled.
| Tn the night OF the 1tn Zen. Gregg moved TO
Yanceyvle and followed to that point day by
! Gen. Stoueman with Gen Buford's command Near Yam.
ceyvle seventeen Confederate wagons with mules were
overtaken and captured
On the 5th the retrograde movement commenced and
crossing Racooon Ford, the whole command arrived at
K-ay's Ford Friday morning, the 8th
Thus the command If Gen. StoDeman renamed nearly
nine days within the enemys lines visited nine different
countless destroyed all lines Of communcat between the
rebel capital and the army the Rappahannock that
they cannot be used again for weeks come, destroyed
the Lynchburg al whose waters transported all
the provisions raised 10 the rich valley of the James, and
from which alone the rebel srmy 10 Virginia re-
ceves than half its supplies captu cd several hun
dred horses aud destroyed large quantity of public pro-
hty wounded aud prisoners But greater triumph than
ed have bad good look at live Yankees aud found them
neither sivages nor bandits
Tbsnk7 70 the good management OF the Commanding
General, the people whom he visited will have but little
cause OF Complaint at the invasion. Private property and
private persona Iowhere iutcrerrd WITH except in
such cases cognsed by all civilized nations The
people at the tune asounded aud gratfed as
founded 10 the first instance Yankee force in their
IN DIT, aud gratifed 70 fud u civilized people few
Union families met Nth These could not restrain
their tears when they the dear old hsQ again The
negroes joined the column IN cks aud begged TO be taken
away
THE NEGRO TROOPS
The New York Tribune prints the following letter by
Gov ANDREW respecting negro troops mustered into the
service Of the United States