The New York herald., 1863-05-18
THE sTONEMAM EXPEDITION.
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Official Report Of Lieutenant Colonel
Davis, of the Twelfth Illinois Cavalry.
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fHEIR OPERATIONS IN THE EyEMYs LINES
Capture Of Arms, Clothing and
Provisions Belonging to the
Rebel Government.
The Telegraph Cut and Rail-
roads Damaged.
Sharp Eight with the Rebels at
Tunstall's Station.
The Property Destroyed Estimated at a
Million Of Dollars,
&s., &e.. ks.
HEADouAarERs, TwnFm ILLINOIS CAvALRY.3
GLorcEIER POINT, Va May 10. 1868. }

ldLottt1Ilh fUIsIs va May Ao looo
To Brgadier General Rrrrs KSc, commanding at York
town. s ts4ses ras
GxsERAr.-In compliance with your request have the
honor submit the following report Of the operations Of
the Twelfth Illinois cavalry since leaving the main body
Of the cavalry corps the South Anna the morning Of
Sunday last Ny orders to penetrate to the Fred
srcksburg Railroad and, IL possible to the Virginia Cen
tral ard destroy Communications Should The
Virginia Central to make for Williamsburg, said to
be in possession Of our forces.
wsmarched before daybreak, passing down Vie bank
OF South Anna through region before occupied
by our forces We burned bridge, ard disperseda
party Of mounted guerias Who made poor attempt 70
oppose MS We struck the FIRST railway fine at Ashland.
Lieutenant Mitchell with about dozen men. was sent
ahead to occupy tho place He dasheh into the village
and took II without loss There were but few OF the
enemy there, and they escaped u.s. We captured their
arms, however, and DESTROYED them Words cannot
describe the atouisment OF the inhabitants at our a
pearance assured them 40 harm would be done their
persons or property, and soon became better ac-
quainted We cut the telegraph wires and tore up half
dozen rails, and pilng quantity Of boards oa some
mcnse fire, which consumed tho entire
structure. While at this work train OF cars
inspection II proved to be an ambu!ancc train from
fredericksburg Of seven led with two hundred and
nifty sick and wounded officers and soldiers, with guard
Among them aid Of Governor Letchcr and general
officers Of considerable rank We received their version
of the late fight and paroled them and let them eav
ting the for the benefit Of the fellows who
seriously injured. The engine and tender of the
train together with another found In town, were rem
dered completely useless by mechanic from the ranks.
We found here stable ed with rebel horses ard mules
Some Of them took with ms, but were obliged to leave
the most Of thon. We destroyed twenty wagons with
harness, &c.
We loft Ashland at six O'Clock p NJ Afew miles from
the town word brought In that train OF eighteen
wagons camped in the woods near ny. sent Capt.
Roder with Companies and CT destroy th IN. which
he did We struck the Central Railroad at Hanover sta
ton about eight 2 NJ Although weared aud exhausted
by our days labor Thought best TO complete the duty
assigned US, and break all the enemys communications
NOt q in efnvO
and paroed about thirty officers and men at the station
They made no resistance CAPTAIN Shears was oracre'
destroy the trcstle work. which reached about ten
rods to the south a the depot. Tho work was
efectualy dore by, the same process as at Ash
rebel guards passvey standing at the other end We
also burned culver and cut the telegraph wires. and
train Of cars all belon The Confederate government,
and nled with properly y would be impossible to give
enemy must have been great. There were more than
hundred wagons Thousand sacks OF Hour and corn, and
Sudnss and ors we're I Of property coli Collected for the
uso or The Southern army AL private property we re-
S $ Il s aas we @ s
and marched for the Court HoSse which had been
S!% Sy sn t acsn ssS
tain and four men prsoaors. We passed through tLe
Court House and marched down TO within miles of
Richmond, where bivouacxed TIL eight A. NJ. The
next morning marched for Williamsburg AZ Tunstas 3
Stltion (ncar the White House and the Richmond and
Yorktown Rairosd) train OF filed with infantry
and battery OF three guns out to oppose us
thought best 70 make an effort break through before
the could bc got out Of the or tho battery in po
stion therefore brought up my two foremost squad
and ordered charge which was executed by them
Captain Reames with Con laDes and taxing the e1d
and followed by Captain sheeres, with Companies II
and ]. This charge made most gallnntly. The
infantry flied tho cmbankment OF the railway
and poured upon lre but my men dashed up
to The cmbankments splendid style, and with carbncs
and pistols responded to tho nre with equal eject u
was however. Impossible 10 break through There were
formidable rife pits 20 the lett OF the road and the enemy
led them aud we wore forced to retire with loss
OF two killed and several wounded among the latter
Lieutenant Marsh, who among the foremost In the
charge and who received wound In the right
arm that obliged to leave him In one Of the
line ut this point, determined TO the Pamuuksy
and Mattapony rivers and make for Gloucester
Point In this movement l had nothing "a
Of virginia, and ! was in cntirc iynorance Of
tho poeitiou OF the crcmys force except that the line
before me was closed. NY Information was OF thai
ferry tho Pamunkcy and occupied IL after driving
away picket the other side, with whom we ex
changed shots We crossed in boat, holding fifteen or
eighteen and which was poled over the river
Our passage was disputed. In the same manner w
crossed the Matapony wolkerou after driving away
q picket, two or whom we captured.
under MAJOR Bronson became detached, and did oin
until the Ih inst They captured fifteen rebels, ono
destroyed quantity Of saddles a King and Queens Court
House.
From wolkcron we marched 10 Gloucester Point, hnv
ing travelled distance o two hundred miles, much
OF through Southern lands never disturbed by the pre-
sence Of enemy Not far from sauda captured
destroyed train Of eighteen wogo.S. lolded with corr
our total loss In the expedition has bcen commits
stoned officers aud thirty. three enlisted We brough
with us one hundred mnes and seventyve horses, cap
tured from enemy. We captured IN the OF
march much larger number which we could not brin
over one million dollars Respectfully submitted.
II. DAVIS, Lieut.. Col. Commanding.