The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-05-16
Great Cavalry Roid--Details from
the Richmond PaDerS.


Great Cavalry Raid--Details from
the Richmond Papers.
On Saturday morning the belief became
general in the city that Hooker had suocee-
ded in throwing the main body of his ar
my across the upper waters of the Kappa
hammock, and had established himself on a
line running from Charlottesville, on the
Orange plank road, ten miles west of Fred
ericksburg, to Spotsylvania Court House,
point twelve miles southwest of the lat
ter place. Though it was clear our posi-
ton had been turned by this movement,
and our army deprived of the immense ad-
vantages it enjoyed in the famous battle OF
the 18th of Dec. 1852, the admission gave
rise to no uneasiness. Entire confidence in
the skill of our Generals and the indomi-
table valor of Southern troops precluded
any feeling of painful anxiety. Still the
public eagerness to hear from the army was
great. Nothing was talked of but the ''sit-
uation," and the demand for the latest
news was universal. The morning, how
ever, wore away without anything trans
piring beyond vague rumor that a des-
perate moonlight fight had taken place
somewhere, in which the enemy had been
driven from one to ten miles, according to
the fancy of the narrator of the account.
But about IL OF clock the city was electro
mense force, had taken possession of the
Central Railroad at Louisa Court House,
fourteen miles southwest of Spotsylvania
Court House, and sixty miles from the city,
and, being uninterrupted by our. troops,
were tearing up the track for miles. This
statement being made on the authority OF
the telegraph operator at Louisa Court
House, who had only escaped capture at
ter performing prodigies of Professionalism,
was currently believed and gave rise to
vague but grave apprehensions. On every
hand the questions were asked, "Where is
Gen. Lee?" "Where is our army?" In the
course of an hour the above story received
an addition, in the shape OF report that a
heavy detachment of the enemy had
appeared at Columbia, and, after cutting
the canal at that place, were making their
way to the high bridge on the South Side
Railroad.
AT O'Clock p. m. city paper issued an
extra containing the following:
The telegraph operator from Louisa Court
House arrived at Frederick's Hill Station,
twelve miles this side of the Court House,
at a quarter to II o'clock day saturday..
He walked from Louisa Court House to
Frederick Hall, bareheaded and without
a coat. He reports that the enemy, about
one Thousand strong, came into Louisa
Court House, at 8 o'clock this morning,an
have since that time torn up the railroad
track for distance of four miles in this
and are still at the work.
Their first inquiry at Louisa Court House
was for the operator, who made his escape
by the back door while they were search
ing the house for him. He states that rein
forcements were coming up very rapidly,
and presumes that by this time their force
must be greatly augmented.
At Trevillian-s, five miles higher up the
road, they appeared, it is reported, 10000
strong. This, however, may be an exag-
geration. The report comes, we understand,
from Gordonsville, via Lynchburg, and
was brought to the former place by
courier.
The mail train on the Central road is now
at Hanover junction, and will return to
the city. The freight train which left this
city this morning, at o'clock, is at Beaver
Dam, and will also return, we learn, as
soon as some stores there can be loaded.
All the trains at and welt of Gordonsville
have been stopped, and none are between
Beaver Dam and that point. So the enemy
cannot injure us much in the way of des
troying cars. We have also the gratifying
that all the stores that were at
all the railroad stations accessible to the
enemy, have been removed, in anticipa-
ton Of this raid. 1t will therefore prove to
them fruitless movement, except the in
Jury to the track, which can be repaired in
the rails. There are no bridges nearer
them than those over the Rivanna River
and Moore's Greek, which are about two
miles east of Charlottesville, end nineteen
west of Gordonsville.
The above, coolly translated, seems to
mean that the Yankee cavalry, no doubt in
force, left Spotsylvania Court
House on Friday night with the intention
Of tapping the Central Railroad at Louisa
Court House and Trevillian's, and arrived
at the former place about 3 o'clock in the
that the telegraph operator, be-
ing aroused from his slumbers by the an
that the Yankees were upon
him, slipped on his pantaloons Tor did not
slip them ON, and fled wildly for the next
station. His statement of the force of the
enemy and the damage done by them to
clear from his own account that he didn't
even wait to see whether the report Of the
advent OF the Yankees was true or false
He said he walked to Frederick's Hall. It
Is more likely that he ran the whole dis
lance. We believe that the Yankees reached
the railroad, not from the telegraph
mans story, but, because being near Spots
ylrania Court House, thrre was nothing to
obstruct their raid.-IRi-hmond Examiner,
May 4th.
The Confederacy has never received an
insult so notifying and provoking as that
which it suffered yesterday and the day be-
fore. The Federal army had reached and
taken possession Of Spotsylvania Court
House. From that point they have not on
ly attempted and executed the vancouver
suggested as probable in our last issue, but
a crest deal more. Leaving the body of the
army stretching in line from that point to
the Rapidan, their cavalry, under General
Stoneman, has pressed on to the Central
Railroad and cut it at Trevillian's; then
penetrated to the roads between Fredericks-
burg and Richmond, and cut that, too, at
or near Ashland, and at the moment we
write is believed to be careering unframed
in the open country ten miles from Rich
mond, in the rear Of Lees army, having
passed his communications with the city,
and shut off for the moment his source of
supply.
That this audacious raid will have any
serious effect on the great battle or battles
now fighting or fought, in Spotsylvania, is
not possible. The trifling damage which
these cavalry have done to the railroads
can be repaired sooneE than it was effected.
But the event throws an unpleasant light
on the improvidence of those who control
the military powers of the country. Its
SIlccaSS shows thew ara Hind tn tho har roc