The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-06-13
AN IMPORTANT CAVALRY RAID.
Col. Fitzpatrick ScOurs the Peninsula.
STUART OUT.GENERALED !

The cavalry raid Of Gen. Stoneman'.
command was concluded yesterday by
Colonel kilpatrick's brigade in one ofths
most brilliant Acts of the war. He left
Gloucester Point on Saturday last and
passing in northeasterly direction
through Gloucester county, crossed the
Dragon river at Saluta, and thence
through Middlesex county TO Urbana on
the Rappahannock crossing that river
TO Union Point Col. Fitzpatrick proceeded
through Westmoreland and King George
counties to near the, head quarters ofGen.
Hooker without the loss of a single man
OF his command. The rebels had OWNED
that this force was TO attempt to reioin
the command Of Gen. Stoneman. and
therefore took special pains TO capture it..
The command was composed of about
800 men in all the Second New York,
Harris Light Cavalry,) and the Twelfth
Indiana Cavalry. a alL
No difficulty whatever was encounter
ed in Gloucester county, but upon reach
ing Dragon river it was found that the
rebels had destroyed all the bridges, and
a superior force of cavalry under Gen.
Stuart had assembled at higher point
up the river with the intention, no doubt.
of forcing the command 70 cross the Rap
pahannock at Leeds, narrow place
where the enemy themselves have been
in the habit of fording without opposi-
ton whenever occasion required; but
COL Fitzpatrick was prepared for lust
such an emergency, and his pioneers
without any unnecessary delay con-
structed bridge over which the Dragon
river was crossed without difficulty.
The bridge was then destroyed. Here,
to foil the enemy, the command moved
forward in several columns. The prin-
cipal one on the right, under Col. Has
brouck Davis, took a sOutherly direction,
aud went to Pine Tree, in the lower part
Of Middlesex county.
The people of this hitherto unrivalIed
region were completely taken by surprise;
they did not dream il possible that the
much hated Yankees would dare visit
that spot in fact it was a place SO Sc
cluded that some Of the large planters
near Richmond had sent their negroes
here for safety, The house of Col. j Jones,
who commands and controls all the BUSH
whackers in that section Of the State, was
approached so suddenly that the redoubt-
able Colonel was himself captured, and
last night slept on one of the boats of the
Potomac flotilla, at Acquia Creek. lie
will probably extend his visit 20 the ma
tional Capital to-day. No opposition
whutcver was met with in this direction.
and but few armed men We're seen, and
these were bushwhackers, armed princi-
pally with double barrelled shot guns.
They fled precipitately, however, at sight
of the blue-c. OTIS, and as the country
whereabouts is covered withelA thick
growth of pines, they succeeded general
ly in making good their escape
i On che road the carrier of a rebel mail
was oyertaken. An inspection Of the
mail matter was forthwith instituted.
The letters, for the most part, were of q
private nature, and some OF them were
addressed 70 persons residing within the
loyal Estates Their cases will doubtless
be attended TO by the proper authorities
in due season. One letter, however. at
tracted particular attention. IL was
signed by the veritable General Stuart
and was addressed TO Col Jones. who.
few hours before, had been taken pris-
oner, in response 10 40 appeal of. the in
habitants 10 be protected from the very
cavalry force then in their midst. Gen,
Stuart in the letter promised the pro-
lection called for, and stated that he
would be there on Sunday, the day the
mail was captures, He was not there,
however, at all eVs1tg he was not seen in
that vicinity by our troops. He had laid
q trap, IS stated above, into which be
expected the Yankee colonel would fall
without hesitation, but In this he was
fortunately mistaken. This portion of
the command reached Urbana Sunday
evening, having captured large number
of horses and mules, and being followed
by motley group Of contrabands of all
ages and both sexes, Among the cap
tpres by this portion Of the command,
was confederate agent, with $4,000 in
Georgia and Missouri money. f.
The left wing of the command went In
a nOrtheasterly direction, and reached
the road north Of Urbana ON Sunday
evening. Here the picket Of the enemy
which was TO annihilate the whole force
was encountered. A detachment charged
and drove this force in nortbwesteriy
direction across the Dragon River. al
Ohurch's mill--the only bridge they had
not destroyed. They here fell back upon
their reserves, strongly intrenched. The
pursuing party having accomplished the
object Of their mission, set fire TO the
bridge and slowly retired They were
not pursued. Monday morning the whole
cOmmHnd was in front Of Urbana, ready
TO cross the river. To protect this part
of the movement, Lieut.. Com. McGaw, OF
the Potomac aOtilla, was present He
left Acquia Greek on Saturday evening
with the following vessels, and
was at the rendezvous the very moment
when ordered: Tallaca, Gerry boat,) Star,
William w. Frazer Long Branch, (light-
draft steamboats, 10 transport the troops
across the riyer) and the gunboats YAM
kee, Freeborn, Anacostia, Currituck,
Primrose Ella and Satellite.
% Capt. Mofet, OF the Saith N. York, with
one hundred picked men was also taken
down, and Capt, j. o. Paine, Chief signal \
officer stationed at Acquia creek. This
gunboais were Immediately put in readi-
ness for action. Captain Mohefs COM
mand was landed at UTbRna, and were
at opce depIoyed outside OF tho town 40
skirhishera. Capt Paine secured an ell
igible position just north Of the town
the direction from which an attack was
anticipated A detachment Of the 52d
New York volunteers (engineers) speedi-
ly constructed a bridge across tue mouth
Of Urbana creek, and repaired q wharf
on The opposite eide Of the Rappahan-
mock, 80 that boats could receive the