Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-05-16
StOneman's Cavalry Raid.

StOneman's Cavalry lsafd.
From the Richmond Wing, Of Tuesday
We have some further accounts of the raid |
of the Yankee cavalry upon the Fredcricks- |
burg Railroad at Ashland. The engineer of
the ambulance train, which was captured !
discovered smoke ahead as he approached !
Ashland, and suspccting something wrong, |
slackened the speed of the train. A shower
of balls peltng against the side of the loco
motive and tender, soon convinced him that
the enemy were near. He ensconsed himself
in the tender and thus escaped the bullets
aimed at him, but was in n few moments
captured by several Yankees, who mounted
the engine and compelled him to move the
train on the village
Beside the sick and wounded soldiers who
were on the train, were Colonel s. Bassett
French Aid to Governor Letchcr, Mr.. Roy
o. Crowley. Government Electrician, and
several Others whose names we did not learn.
There were also two or three ladies. They
were all treated kindly by their captors, and
concur in attributing to Colonel Davis, COM
mander of the raiders, some gcntlemanly
and humane qualities not generally mani
tested by Yankee officers. From one infor-
mant we learn that Colonel Davis was COM
municative, and so far indicated his insensl-
bility to shame as to boast that he was
native of King George county, Va, and per-
fectly familiar with the country through
which he conducted his gang of marauders
1t must be said to his credit, however, that
he did not require the removal OF the sick
and wounded soldiers from the cars occupied
by them, contenting himself with the de-
struction of the locomotive, Thomas Sharp
and the tender. The locomotive "Nicholas
Mills" with the tender and wood train
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of the ambulance train, were also destroyed
When the passengers discovered that they
were at the mercy of the Yankees several of
them prudently cast several documents into
the stove of the car and applied match to
them. A package of Confederate treasury
notes, amounting to several thousand dol
lars, was transferred to the custody of lady
who kindly concealed il in the folds of her
skirts until the Yankees had disappeared.
We have not heard that the passengers were
searched. They, together with the soldiers,
were all parolcd by Col. DAVIS. Most of the
former walked to the city yesterday, on the
railroad.
The main body of the Yankees remained
for some time at Ashland, whilst a detach-
ment proceeded to Hanover Court House,
tore up the Central Railroad track at that
point, cut the telegraph wires, and, also, it
is stated, burned the Court House. This
was Yankee like. The detachment after
wards united, if we are correctly informed,
at Hungary Station, on the Fredericksburg
Railroad, and encamped during the night in
that vicinity. They destroyed several small
trestle bridges across the runs" and guiles
this side of Ashland, and also the water
tank at Hungary. Already force is enga-
ged in repairing the road, and it is hoped
hn rp. ta
to-day.
From Hungary the raiders proceeded in
squads to the Brooke turnpike, passing
| along unirequented roads and bride paths,
evidently guided by some one familiar with
the country. At the parsonage On the
Brooke road this person was recognized by
youth as an individual whom he had fre-
quently seen in Richmond, but had never
known his name A squad of them went to
Captain John b. Young's, and despoiled
that gentleman of three horses. A larger
squad ventured to Mr.. John Stewards farm,
four miles distant from the city, and stole
several horses. Other citizens in the neigh
borhood were doubtless served the same
way. They seem to have remained in this
vicinity for some time long enough for a
resolute body of mounted men to have killed
,, or captured the entire party; but, so far as
we are informed, no demonstration of the
kind was made, though any number of arm
ed men on horseback were galloping to and
! fro through the streets of the city, during
their stay on the Brooke road.
After the Yankees had cavorted around
on the Brooke pike to their hearts content
fed themselves and their horses, exchanged
their most jaded animals for fresh steeds,
and waited in vain for somebody to come
and take them, they crossed over into the
Meadow Bridge road, and visited the scene
rendered memorable by the opening of the
battles around Richmond, on the Goth of
June, last year. They crossed the historic
Chickahominy and prevented pursuit by
tearing up the planks of the short bridge
over this sluggish stream, which can be
easily replaced. unluckily, they captured
near this point a locomotive and tender
which had been sent out on a reconnaissance
in the morning. The Central Railroad
bridge or treste-worl crosses the Chicka-
hominy parallel with, and near the county
bridge, or bridges. The Yankees burned
one or two sections of this trest!e-work, and
then ran the locomotive into the gap, pre-
ciptating it, of course, into the mud and
water of the Chickahominy The injury
done to the railroad at this point is not so
serious that it may not be repaired in day.
After leaving the shades of the Meadow
bridges, the marauders, full of glee, no
doubt, trotted on to Mechanicsyille, and
thence towards the York River Railroad.
At Tunstall's Station they fortunately en-
countered a small portion of General Wises
Brigade, who gave. them a volley which
emptied several saddles, and sent the rest of
the party in the direction of the Pamunkey
River.
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