Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-05-13
THE FEDERAL CAVALRY RAIDS.

T THE FEDERAL CAVALRY RAIDS. !.
On Saturday morning, about three o'clock, force
Of some twelve hundred of the enemys cavalry, hav-
ing crossedtt,s Rappahannock shove fredericksburg
during the previous night made descent upon
Louisa Courthouse, and forthwith proceeded to tear
away on the railroad track. Not being provided
sufficiently we'll with implements Of destruction for
the especial purpose their progress being necessa
ri,y rapid was fruitful of but little substantial dam
age Proceeding down tho track, they broke it up
in several places ss we'll they could, and at three
o'clock in the afternoon reached Frederick's Hail.
twelve miles from. the Court House. They thence
made dash for Ashland, on the Fredericksburg
Road. and captured our ambulance train, on its
way to Richmond OF this exploit the Ezamsnsr
says: :.
Gas the train neared the hotel at Ashland
couplc Of shots were fired at the engine which was
d once stopped. The Yankees were the 18th III
nos regiment, five hundred strong, and commsndea
by Col Davis, who said he was originally from
King George county, Va, and claimed kin with
President Davis. By order Of the Colonel the en-,
o;na was uncoupled and burnt All the sick and
Wounded and passengers were then paroled NO
interference was made with private property. just
as the train was first hailed by the Yankee cavalry
several persons who were in the back car, among
!, them bearer of dispatches from General Lee
jumped of and succeeded in escaping, and are sup
posed to have made their way to our lorces AZ 'le
| South Anna, or to Hanover junction. :
| The Yankee horses were first rate and u good
! order The sick and wounded on the train were
Immediately taken into the houses Of the residents
| of Ashland and the vicinity and attended by the
ladies' The only property destroyed by the raid
| makers was the engine of the ambulance train, an
old engine lying at Ashland, and some two hundred
yards cf the railroad track. 49,.
The Dispatch says:
From Ashland they proceeded to Hungary Sta
ton, nine miles from Richmond, and passed the
night in that vicinity. Here they destroyed some
railroad property. It il believed, however. that.
the connection through by this route will be very
speedily re established
Yesterday morning they made their appearance
on the Brook Turnpike, leading into Richmond,
and commenced series of depredations on private
property though their chief object seemed to be to
steal horses, to replace their own, which had be-
come much jaded. They took four horses and six
negroes from NJ. John Stewart and some from
others in the 'neghborhood Cox John b Young,
Commonwealth's Attorney for Henrico county, was
7 visited by q strong detachment, surprising him
while busiiy employed in the preparation Of legal
document for Judge Gregory. They took from him
three horses, but disturbed nothing else
1t appears that the expedition divided into de-
tached parties for hear Of them at various places
about the same time. We have Teen assured that
less than 800 we're engaged in the raid upon Ash
land while those who reconnotered their camps at
different points express the opinion that the entire
command was from IT, 800 to 2, 600 strong At all
events it would have been no very difficult task to
have captured considerable portion of the gang
after their first appearance on the Central road
Saturday. They seem to have expected this but
the golden opportunity was neglected, and the
thieves went on their way almost unmoested,
though it is reported that two Of them we're shot
H. -. u
serve, Also that three Others who had struggled
from their command, were captured and brought to
Richmond.
At Hanover Court House they destroyed consij-
cradle quantity Of government stores, . train Of
freight cars, and some buildings. At Psake's Sta
tion on the Central railroad they cut the telegraph
wires and probably inflicted some damage upon the
road.
They proceeded on yesterday morning to the IA
nous Meadow Bridges, on the Chickshomihy,- . 10
cality which their army evacuated in great haste on
. former occasion. The Chickahominy is here
crossed by the Central railroad, and it happened
that about the time of their visit Yesterday the 10
connective Augusta" with Conductor Phillips and
Engineer Crone, was approaching the spot OH a re
conno,tering expedition. The Yankees had the 10
comotivc nearly surrounded before they discov
ered but the conductor and engineer succeeded in
e6ecting their escape through the swamp. Two
negroes remained with the locomotive but after
WaTuS cSCapeU AnU got OaCk W lue Guy. Inc IAN
KEGS set fire to the bridge, which is an nconsdera
bic structure, and as it burnt the engine was pre-
cipitated into the water.
The Yankees burnt at Ashland two locomotive.
and tenders and some cars. They tore up mile o.
two Of road, destroyed all the bridges from Ashland
to within five miles Of Richmond, and cut the tee
graph. They injured no private property.
They got mail, and among other matter got
letter from a correspondent Of the Dnpatch, an
. nouAcng Jacksons successful mannuvre, and tn
capture Of 5000 Yankees in the Wilderness. Thi
information did not likely protong their soour~ il
the Siashcs
The Examiner, in summing up the damage W
Q have sustained from the enemy's cavalry, says:
The amount Of damage and property destroyed b!
the YANKEES cavalry, that VIC have certain iniorma
ticn Of, il ridcuousy slight considering the dia
lance they have traverscd TO effect IL that which
VIC have from time TO time heard Of is much NOR
considerable. We have heard that they tore vi
miles Of track about Louisa Court Hoilss, burnt 81
the buildings at Hanover Court House. aud the Csn
- trail railroad bridge and the South Anna bridges
besides doing incalculabe mischief nearer this city
But from several gentlemen who left Hanover Cour
House after the departure Of the enemy, We lear
. thst the only buildings burnt there were those b.
!" longing b the railroad. From detailed account
their proceedings we gather that tho mischief don
y by them was the burning Of thoss buildings, tesrih
= up piece OF trestle work, stsallng . humber I
T. broken down Confederate horses and mules an
l. drinking up oil Of tho shIsksy In Drills tavern
:" Our iniormsnts think that but for Bfills whske
they would not have fired any Of the houses, The
y sent squad up 70 burn the bridge evsr the bout
- Anna, Who being Aired on by four wAtehmsh ut u
On bridge rstrsatsd II Lssts and could ss b. pfeys
!. upon to return. We may here remark that our \
~ iormants states that ths whole party, except VIII,
ne drunk were under continual apprshsnsjea OF beif
" surprised and captured, statement earreberat,
% by all persons who have come IN contact with n
~ Of them during the raid. The damage done d
~ Chickshominy bridge Is merely nomlns1 and can
Id PA 49, w. 80 ~" ' e. nI ~ 'reassseses