Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-08-15
TIE CAVALRY EXPEDITION INTO PENEsYLyA-
MA
CIxp-, A NV,
August II, 1855

| brief soa7on OF leisure enables ma 10 jot down
some Of TIE movements of Sluars Cavalry within the
Las, month or two This record, brief as il must be,
NAV uroye interesting L. shall be truthful.
Ths battle of Fleetwood or Brandy Station, as il Is
gsn5ralv called occurred on the Oh OF Jtnc OF this
hard f,ht-thauks to some foolish caumBeS circulated
| IN regard to 1.-THE public knows every thirg, Our
cavalry opposed the enemy at every point throughout
tho whole day, and Hosily drove Peasartons entire
comma, d supported by division of infantry and seve.
raj ba,t.riee beyond the Rappnhannock. we had no
infantry supports; and this battle viii undoubtedly re-
main the greatest cavalry encounter OF modern times.
Abnut June 10Th. Gen. uart moved his command
beyond the Iappabsnnook, and taking posi- ion on Gen.
Lees fink, adyarc d northwNd. Proceeding az Jar
down as AIDE he had bloody fight there with G'eggS
division of cavalry aud succeeded IN driving them back
On successive days, he continued to engage the entire
for of Fedsrsl cavalry nfciing on them very heavy
damage About the l9:h, the enemy made fierce and
persistent attack, along fifteen miles OF ront empoing
all their available force with strong artillery al infant
rs supports The numbers Of the enemy we're so great
and the three lines OF infantry which they pushed io-
ward IN rear aud on the TANKS of their cavalry gave
them such an advantage that our force compelled
IN fall back THIS movement was however, executed
with great coolaess and every foot Df The ground was
contested wi cavalry, artillery, aud sharpshooers IL
took the enemy from morning Ii ght Employing their
whole force of cavalry infantry and artillery 10 drive
opr cavalry eight or nice miles and this rstro5rade
movement would no. lave been made st 81, but for
heir infantry aud the flank attacks which their i'm
mense superiority of numbers enabled them 10 make
This falling back" of the coolest ami most de-
lberate of the war. II was emneny skiltal and the
euemy's loss was exceedingly heavy.
T,a my advance beyOnQ
and the cavqry moved back slowly toward Paris, un
pursued Ga the next day, We advanced. IN tour aud
drove the Cnenv back over the same ground through
Ndilebu7g on their infantry camps near Aide, about
| seven miles beYold position on the day b'fJ,e
TIE acc IN, thus balanced Our loss in these en-
ssgements was CONSIDERABLE the enemys by tLeil Own
confession, terrible
About the 24rh, Gen Stuart with Gems. Fig LEES
Hamp.Og's and Z, II. Lees brgades, moved through
Gas,cock Gap in the Bail Ran mountain, below Tier
/ opchhre and attacked q portion of HoOkcr'i corps
which was pulrdng large wagon train near aaylnsr'
kar Artillery was used upon them with d-mas'ng
effect ard % The shell broke in their 90 unns, the; OK
the march they were stampedsd aud completely sc1t-
tered Their artillery replied and We disabled Cal san
and brass piece-so informed by d'sngu sled
officer of the division. could net Veri the repnit
| about the brass piece.
The enemy we're driven away, but carried their train
with Them much to the regret OF the cavalry division,
who took DO session of the field Of battle without re
1
that is, forage for theit horses.
On the next day the cavalry advanced 70 Fairfax S,a
ton where were sesn n6ar Wolf Run Shoals the enor-
NOUS deserted camps of the enemy Here brisk little
fight occurred with Yankee squadron, which bundered
into contact With our column; and being driven away
nearly ended for the present. the fcive military career
OF your correspondent. He was at baoksmiths slop
A mile East of the Station Wi!h two three friends
when thu firing enemy came, and, but for the speed Of
his horse and hose Of his friend1 would have "gob
| bled up" the whole party.
At Fairfax G. II tho enemy were driven CT and a
delch f variety Of suffers stores cheered the troopers
on their way TIE Shos command appeared to have
fitted itself out 6th neS straw hats and rhite cotton
gloves, and subsisted for time solely upon fig aud
cakes ard otEer captured stores Preceding toward
Dranesvile the column d verg to the right; on the
same night fOrded the Poom4c, there very vide a
quite deep) at Seneca, aud crossing the Chesapeake
| canal bivou4cked in Maryland.
On the next morning they sdy1nced straight toward
Washington and after brief bus soirted fights with the
enemy's picket iorceI entered Rockville, which WAS
taken possession OF, and mill arg governor appointed
Here the Confederate forces csiged with acca-
nations and the inhabitants testified the live,es joy at
sight OF them. In the midst of this pleasant scene,
news came that large train Of wagons was approaching
from Washington, aud Gen Stuart sent out squadron
TO Escort them in But they were f0rewarnrd Having
received intelligence of the awful advent of the Sc
cesson Cavalry the wagons wheeled round ia the road
the horses were whipped by the aghted teaDsers into
gallop, aud the train attempted 70 escape back TO
Wellington Fate however, decreed otherwise. Des-
tiny in the shape Of Stuart i,ertertd and the squadron
oveThaultd the train turned IL round and sent G back
inits frst direction at gslop AL we're captured ard
they turned cut 20 DE the Washington supply trains
excellent wagons each drawn by six sleek, ia red
rosetJed mules About twenty OF the wagons were over
turned smashed in The race and these were burned
TIE pursuit had ext5nd TO Teraytowu, three four
miles from GaorgetoEn--ard some of the men san the
dome of the u g. Capitoi
Having secured the tryos sEd brought them back to
Rockville, Go. Stuart again put his column In notion
ard proceeded In direction nearly due north. This
hr ught us about ten at night, BroOkeviP, where
hours spent resting and paroing the prison
ers-several bundle nnumber taken along the route
and back the canal where Col Wickham, of the 18th
Va. Cavalry had captured boat full Of officers ey
tired disheirened set when they reached Brooke
yia aud glad euough cir faces do the road
to Washington. From Brookevile, where the warmest
greeting was given ct Rockville, by the people,
and especially large number OF very pretty girls the
cavalry set little after midnight, going as before
nearly due north Cookesyilie reached, and taken
poes4ssion Of and the Bitimcre Ohio r. r crossed
at Hoods Mil about sunrise Here train expec,-
ed but the Batimr having doubtless heard OF our
Eher eabOuts the edule orruanng time, changed
| The lrAr pUg off lis trip.
7o.l E0t = Mir we went TO Westminster the
! 20. . aIja linz lere a squadron OF the enemys
I SUI . rs an 1 ieket These engaged our advance
. gr,' brief but warm encounter, but wero speedily
hiy.n of mary being killed Here sc losstwo gallant
spai!s Leu.s. Murray aud Gb!on. Having defoAted
and dispersed the force occupying Westminster took
poSsession of that place as captured town but were
no, as warmly welcomed as Rockville and esew where
Good friends we found but they spoke under their
breath-a veri;able Raign of Terror existed. Here
large u ,g was captured ard borne of trophy
the Union people having concealed n the vault Of the
Court House
The enem,s camps on lofty hill to the west where
splendid view was obtained, were captured aud r1sd
From Westminster The command advanced into Penn
sylvanja and at HanovertoWn, attacked heavy force
of the enemys cavalry The engagement after one or
two charges, changed to "arfilery duel" sld the
character cf the ground giving the enemy very great
advantage our force moved back to the crest If hills
overlooking the town. and drew up to await attack =
Tie enemys force was greatly larger than own but
they did not advance, aud toward evening column