Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-18

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watch and, leaving behind them couple of
horses that were too much jaded to keep up with
their hasty movements, took their departure in
an easterly direction. The negroes jumped upon
the horses and rode into town.
THE NEAREST APPROACH OF THE ENEMY TO THE
The nearest approach to this city ever made by
hostile Yankees, was accomplished on yesterday
morning. When Mcclellan beleagured the capi
tai of the Confederacy, twelve months ago. and
"On to Richmond" was the watch word of his
numberless legions. five miles was the least dis
tance between him and the object of his hopes
and ambition. But on yesterday morning, at nine
o'clock, three hundred Yankee cavalry visited
the farm of Mr.. John B. Young, on the Brooke
Turnpike, two miles from the corporate limits
Their stay, it is true, was brief, but they enjoyed
one of the finest views of the spires and house
tops of the city, and were rewarded by the acqui-
sition of three fine horses. which they stole from
Mr.. Young. One of the horses they took from a
buggy standing before the door, The first init
nation Mr.. Young had of the proximity of an
enemy, three bluecoats galloped up to bis house
from the rear and began to put a halter on his
buggy horse. He stepped out of the house and
asked the man what he was doing. The fellow
replied that he was about to take the horse by
''orders from headquarters" Then the truth
that the individual before him was live Yankee,
for the first time, flashed across his mind. He at
once concluded that General Lee must have been
defeated, and that Hooker was marching on
Richmond. Having secured the horses the Yam
KEGS rejoineo the main body, who were drawn up
in line on the pike in front of the house. The
Yankees were in much terror, evidently expect
ing every moment to be pounced upon by the
Rebel forces. The first explanation Mr.. Young
received OF this sudden appariton of Yankees
upon his peaceful premises, was from a regiment
of our troops sent in pursuit of the enemy.
NARROW ESCAPE.
Gen. Winder, attended by one of his aids, was
out on the Brooke Pike Yesterday morning when
he narrowly escaped capture by the Yankee free
booters. He saw approaching him a body of
cavalry; mstaking them for Wrenn's battalion,
he on the point of riding up TO them, when
his aid discovered their nationality. The Gener-
al and aid galloped off leisurey, soon leaving the
jaded cattle of the Yankees out of sight This
was the same purity who visited Mr.. oung's
| farm. A Lieutenant, James Brown, who had
been on a visit to Mr.. Paleskes, few miles up
| the pike, had a short time before been arrested
and paroled BIZ them, after being robbed of his
horse.
The circumstances of Mr.. Browns capture, as
reported to us, are interesting. Seeing number
of cavalrymen on the pike he rode up to them and
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know who he was. He replied that he was one
of Gen Winder's officers, giving them his rank.
One of the cavalrymen then told him that he was
an officer in the - New York cavalry and
that he (Brown) was prisoner and desired him
to dismouut. The men accompanying the words
of their officer by leveling their pistols at Mr.
| Brown, he acceeded to the demand. He was
then taken to the Colonel commanding the cav
airy. who gave his name as Fitzpatrick, by whom
he was paroIed. Mr.. Brown then said to the
Colonel that it was impossible that he or bis men
could escape; that their movements were known
in Richmond, and that they were watched and
would be captured. Fitzpatrick replied that he
didn't care whether he was captured or not but
that he would go on doing what mischief he could
until he was captured. Mr.. Brown, being de-
prived of his horse. walked into town.
RAID MAKERS CAPTURED BY CITIZENS.
Six of the Yankee cavalry were captured by
citizens. yesterday morning. Two, whose horses
were broken down, were captured by Mr. Garland
| Haines, in the vicinity of the CITY; another was
found asleep in one of our batteries on the Brook
Pike; and three others, who had lost their way.
were arrested at Mrs. Aliens, near Hungary,
and brought into this city by Major Thomas
Taylor and the Rev. John G. McCabe They
all stated that they expected to be captured,
when they started on the expedition, and did not
regret that their expectations had been realized;
that they would be paroled and go home, which
was considerable better than tearing over the
country without food or Sleep
THE NUMBER or YANKEES IN THE RAID.
If we were to believe the stories that since
Saturday have been brought to the city by couri-
ers. startled farmers. and telegraph operators we
should set down the number of Yankees engaged
in this raid, at not less than 10 600. But on
calmly reviewing all the facts before US,
not clearly account foI more than 600 or 700,
unless the story be true that a separate squadron
went across to Columbia. The Rev. James B.
Taylor; who was on the ambulance train captured
at Ashland, assures US that he counted the cav
airy at that point when they fell into line pre-
paratory TO leaving for Hanover Court house, and
that they numbered 274 Add to this twenty or
thirty that stationed pickets on the direct
road in the vicinity, and we have about three
hundred. The same force went direct TO Han0-
yer Court house, where they were at once magni-
fed into a thousand by the astonished natives.
This was the 18th Illinois regiment. Col. Davis.
The part"-Col. Kilpatricks regiment-who
visited Hungary and the farmers on the Brooke
Turnpike, for a time intercepted Major Wrenn,
and afterward burned the railroad bridge over the
Chickahominy, might have been 500 strong. One
of Wrenn'S troopers who them in a number
of different places, estimates them at 1000. But
to his imagination their numbers were distorted
from the same cause that never so small pistol
bore looks vast to toe man at whom it is point
ed These two regiments, amounting TO 500 or
900 men, are all that we have any authentic ac-
count of. There may have been more. but
certainly they have not been satisfactorily To-
Gated.
THE DAMAGE DONE BY THE ENEMY.
The amount of damage and property destroyed
by the Yankee cavalry that we have certain in
formation of. is ridiculously slight, considering
the distance they have traversed to effect it; that
which we have from time to time heard of is much
more considerable. We have heard that they
tore up miles of track about Louisa Court house,
burned all the buildings Ut Hanover Court house,
and the Central railroad bridge and the South
Anna bridges, besides doing incalculable mischief
nearer this city. But from gentlemen who left
Hanover Courthouse after the departure of the
enemy, we learn that the only buildings burned
there belonged to the railroad. From a de
tailed account of their proceedings we gather
that the mischief done by them, was the burning
of these buildings, tearing upa piece of trestle-
work, stealing a number of broken down Confed
crate horses and mules, and drinking up all the
whisky in Brill's tavern. Our uforulants think
that but for Bril's whisky, they would not have
fired any of the houses They sent a squad to
burn the bridge over the South Anna, who, be
ing fred on by the watchmen at the bridge, re-
treated, and could not be prevailed upon to re-
turn We NAV here remark that our informants
state that the whole party, except when drunk,
were under continual apprehension of being sur
prised and captured. statement corroborated by
all persons who have come in contact with any of
them during the raid. The damage done the
Chickahominy bridge, is merely nominal, and can
be repaired in few hours. On the Fredericks-
burg road, they have torn up few rails, burned