The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-05-20
stoneman,s Cayalrv Ra;d.

ne coihihaho crossed the happahannoek at
Kelley's Ford on Wednesday, April 29th.-
A portion of the cavalry under Gen. Averill
proceeded along on the road towards Culpep-
per and Gordonsville, another force under
Gen. Buford struck to the left after crossing
the Ford.
On the morning of May 1st guide was |
wanted, and Major Falls foraged to supply |
the deficiency, and soon came dashing along
with reliable contraband" mounted behind |
him.
On Saturday, May I'd, in the night, the
force arrived one mile from Louisa Court |
House. Here was reached the Virginia Gen.
trail Railroad which runs from Gordonsville to
Richmond. This road, its track, culverts, and
bridges, We're destroyed for miles, and the
force entered the village of
LOUISA COURT HOUSE,
After being assured that lives would be
spared and property-save such as was neces-
sary to supply the actual wants of the caval-
ry-the people were communicative.
A breakfast-conssting of corn, hog, hohl-
my ard rye coffee-was obtained at the hotel
for So. For shilling calico, 50 so per yard
was asked at the stores; very poor whisky,
S32 per gallon, and everything else was pro-
like those of many others l have visited in
rebeldom. occupy humilating position
They are not innate Secessionists in fact,
but few of the people think for themselves
at all. To day the people of Louisa saw for
the first time Uncle SANS postal currency,
and offered any number of Confederate paper
dollars for Uncle Sans paper representative
of twenty-five cents. Greenbacks are held
| in high estimation. A pair of shoes for which
storekeeper demanded S29, were offered for
81 if paid in greenbaeks
4 On Sunday morning. May Sd, the several
expeditions started, in accordance with Gen.
Stoneman's plan, to cut the enemies lines.-
/ Col. Wyndham with 500 Main and New Jer-
sey Cavalry took Southerly direction, reach
ing Columbia on the James River at 8 a. M.
TAE CANAL CUT
! At this point number of boats loaded for
| Richmond were burned, so also the canal
bridges, and warehouse filled with commits
sary stores The canal bank was cut, at sew
eral points for five miles ard the locks des-
troyed Great efforts were made to destroy
the canal aqueduct which here crosses the
James River, but machine that was pre-
pared to blow up the piers was, while being
lowered into the water, lost by the breaking
of the ropes and could not again be rigged-
Hundreds of horses were captured, and a
drove of negroes followed the expedition.
Meanwhile the other expeditions under
Gregg, Fitzpatrick and Davis, cut the Virginia
Central at other points, destroyed all the pike
bridges and a number of trains of cars cap
tured horses and destroyed an immense
amount of property, and on Tuesday, the 9Th,
the whole force concentrated at Yanceyville,
| where religious services were held in the
Church. From there the expedition returned
to Kelly's Ford.
THE SUMMING UP.
To sum up-Gen. Stoneman moved about
within the enemy's lines at will for nine days,
with force not exceeding 5000 men dis
abled every line of communication between
the army of the Rappahannock and the Reb-
ell capital-and the canal through which more
than one-half of their supplies are received
80 that, in the opinion of competent Judges
neither line, provided the rebels have every
facility for the work, can be repaired in less
than four weeks destroyed millions of dol
lars worth of commissary stores, and other
supplies; obstructed travel upon the main
pixies, by destroying all bridges over large
streams gave the citizens of ten counties
viz: Culpepper, Spottsylvania, Grange, Han
over, Henrico, Louisa, Gooehand Fluoanna
King William and New Kent, an opportunity
to see for themselves that not only are the
Yankee soldiers confident and in good spirits
but are really human beings and not inhumar
savages, as represented by the Richmond chiv-
airy captured hundreds of horses, and above
, all met the one great objection made to the
: Emancipation Proclamation, so far as the
counties visited are concerned, by letting tht
colored population know that they are free
t and weakening the producing class in rebel
dom by the removal of hupdreds of able
J. bodied men, and sowing the seed of demoral
ization among the rest, so that the laborin,
, class, in fact as well as theory, becomes dan
I gerous element. All this has been accom-
e plished by the raid of Gen. Stoneman, will
# the loss probably, of less than 100 men, al
told-only two of whom were killed. As al
offset to this loss our troops killed numbe
! of rebels, and captured between one and twt
hundred prisoners.
o THE REBELS AT HOME.
It In the counties visited there were but few
. rebels found at home, except the very olt
and the very young. In nine days travel
did not see fifty able-bodied men who wer
not in some way connected with the army
IS Nearly every branch of business is at stan
Il still. The shelves in stores are almost every
where empty: tn shop of the artisan
: abandoned and in ruins. The people VIII
r are to be seen passively submit to all tina
n emanates from Richmond without murmur
i they are for the most part simple-minded, an
: ignorant of all that is transpiring in the gres
IS theatre about them. An intelligent lookin
e man in Columbia laughed heartily when tol
r that Union troops occupied New Orleans
60 jeff Davis would let them know it were sue
. the fact and l did not find man who woul
II admit that the Confederates had ever bee
g, beaten in a single engagement These pee
ot pie do not even read the Richmond paper
8. and about all the information they do obtai
4 is what is passed about in the primitive styl
= from mouth to mouth Of six churches see
le in one day, in only one had there been relis
l. ious services held within six months. One
p half at least of the dwelling houses are III
te occupied, and fast going to decay.
n ARE THE REBELS SHORT OF PROVISIONS a?
10 The fear of famine was everywhere e,
pressed; the Go ernment seizes upon every
- thing that can go to sustain the army, leavir
le those who are not in the army to shift as be-
D they can. Many have provisions conceale
to avoid the searching eyes of the Cover
ment agents Through the agency of NJ
C. groes, large quantities of provisions thus h
If away were brought to light for the benefit
m. Union soldiers. The farmers fold is regI
:. larly culled of all marketable sheep, swil
- and beeves, and what is left behind is not
'd' for the butchers stall. The larder of Il
Dr. largest planters contains little else than bacC
he and corn meal The wheat crep now cor
,ol ing forward, is immense-in fact little ell
has been put in the ground. The rich vale
nd wheat felds-more in fact, than can be gat
fhoa &c 4l;