The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-05-14

how he liked the country. The fellow repll-
ed he didn't like it altogether; he feared it was
unhealthy for people from so far North. The
! Yankee horses were first rate and all in good
order. The sick and wounded on board the
train were Immediately taken into the houses
of the residents eff Ashland and the vicinity
and attended by the ladies. The only prop
erty destroyed by the raid makers was the en-
CINE of the ambulance train, an old engine ly-
ing at Ashland, and some two hundred yards
of the railroad track.
At eight o'clock a. N. a courier reported at
headquarters that the Yankee cavalry, to the
number of five thousand, were at Warwick's
farm five miles from the city. About the
same time another courier brought informa-
ton that the enemy had appeared at Hunga-
nv Station, a station ten miles up the trede-
ricksburg railroad. These announcements,
of course, produced some excitement, though
persons who have had any experience OF cour-
iers stories received the accounts with many
grains of allowance. All, however, believed
that the Yankees part or a whole of the same
who had been at Ashland on the day before,
were in the vicinity of the city, with the de-
sion. not of attacking the capitol, but Of in
Aicting still further damage upon our railway
COMMUNICATION VIII ll4C AlLAJ u ~ t1OiA1
Virginia.
At seven o'clock a. m, a telegraphist had
been sent, with an engine and tender, up the
road to repair the wires. Upon the
recent of the above news, much uneasiness
was felt for the safety of the above party
eleven o'clock, a youth who had ridden
in from Atic's. brought information that the
had been captured by the Yankees at
N -.J.,-J L.,1,n r,,nr +hn lH,JaBohpp,yny
five miles north Of this city, a locality made
memorable by the fact that near here, on the
2Gth of June, 1862, Gen A. p. Hill begun the
great battle of Richmond.
Between eleven and twelve o'clock yester-
day morning, Major. John +. Wrenn, with
about eighty men of his cavalry battalion,
who on Sunday started to Hanover Junction,
returned to this city by the Mechanicsville
turnpike. From one Of the men we learned
the adventures Of the company during their
brief absence from the city. On their way to
the Junction, when three miles on this side
of Ashland, they met on the mountain road
a considerable body Of Yankee cavalry. Ma
ior Wrenn at once drew up his Inen in line Of
battle, but the enemy showing no disposition
to make an attack, he advanced upon him.
A skirmish at long range ensued, i'll which
forty or fifty shots were fired on each side.
One Yankee was seen to fall from the saddle.
No one was struck on our side. Major Wrenn,
finding the enemy's force superior to his own,
fell back slowly toward Richmond. During
thenight, Gen. Pryor rode out from the city
and joined Major Wrenn. The men
remaining in the saddle all night, falling back
and watching the enemy. At 3 o'clock
this morning, the retreating party came in
sight of the Brooke bridge, on the Brooke
turnpike. three miles from the city, when, to
their surprise, they found it occupied by a de-
tatchment of several hundred YBnkees. See
his retreat III that direction cut off, and
the Yankees pressing on his rear, Major Wrenn
wheeled his column to the left, and made
across the country for the Meadow Bridges,
which, on nearing, he discovered to be also
in possession Of the enemy. Without loss of
time, he bore still farther east, and by dint of
his faded horses to their utmost, was
enabled to reach and cross in safety the Me-
chanicsville bridge, from wich point access to
the city was unobstructed. Gen. Pryor and
Major Wrenn at once repaired to the camp of
the battalion at the old fair grounds, and set
about collecting fresh horses with which to
resume the field.
Between one and two o'clock p. m, John
L. Philips and James Crone. the telegraph OPP
orator and engineer, who had started ovt in
the morning to repair the wires on the Cen
trail Railroad, returned to this city on foot
They give the following account of their ex-
petition They left the city at seven o'clock
m, with an engine and tender, having with
them two negro firemen. They proceeded as
far as Peake's, eighteen miles from Richmond,
without seeing any signs of the enemy. At
this place they were met by a section master
of the road, who informed them that the Yam
KEGS were at Hanover Court House, where
had staid all night. Upon the receipt
Of this information they Immediately reversed
the engine and started to return. On nearing
the bridge over the Chickahominy the engi-
neer discovered the Yankees employed in
burning that structure. Leaving the free ne
groes to shift for themselves, Crone and Philips
from the engine and plunged into the
dense underground of the Chickahominy
swamp. The Yankees pursued them a short
distance, and gave up the chase. They then
made the negroes put a full head of steam on
the engine, and run it into the stream over the
span of the bridge. Having done all
the damage they conveniently could to the
and railroad, they robbed one of the
of his hat and silver watch, and, Ieav-
ng behind them a couple of horses that were
90 much jaded to keep up with their hasty
movements, took up their departure in an
direction. The negroes jumped upon
he horses and rode into town.
The nearest approach to this city ever made
oy hostile Yankee was accomplished yester-
morning. When Mcclellan ~beleaguered
he capitol Of the Confedcracy twelve months
,, II Ia0n 70 piobp,opI', ,,-oc +Lo ,-o+,L,
word of his nulnberless legions five miles was
.he least distance ever between him and the
object of his hopes and ambition. But on
Yesterday morning. at 9 o'clock, three hund
red Yankee cavalry visited the farm of Mr..
John b. Young, on the Brooke turnpike, two
miles from the corporate limits. Their stay.
t is true, was brief, but they enjoyed one of
the finest views of the spires and housetops of
the city, and were rewarded by the acuisi-
ton of three fine horses, which they stole from
Young. One of the horses they took from
a buggy standing before the door. The first
Intimation Mr.. Young had of the proximity
Of an enemy, three blue coats galloped up to
his house from the rear and began to put a
halter on his buggy horse. He stepped out of
house and asked the man what he was do
ing. Thefellow replied that he was about to
Idht lliil IOISC ny DUCTS IIOll headquarters
Then the truth that the individual before him
was a live Yankee, for the first time flashed
his mind. He at once concluded that
Gen. Lee must have been defeated, and that
Hooker was marching on Richmond. Hav-
ing secured the horses, the Yankees reioined
the main body, who were drawn up in line on
the pike in front of the house. The Yankees
We're in much terror, evidently expecting ev-
cry moment to be bounced upon by the rebel
forces. The first explanation Mr.. Young re-
ceived of this sudden apparation of Yankees
upon his peaceful premises was from a regi-
mcnt Of our troops sent in pursuit of the enc
my.
Gen. Winder, attended by one of his aids,
was out on the Brooke pike yesterday morn
ma king a reconnaissance when he narrow
" csc aped capture by the Yankee freebootcrs.
lie saw approaching him a body of cavalry :;
mistaking them for Wrenn's battalion. he