Daily national Republican., 1863-05-08

! by tearing up the plauks OF the snort Dnuge
over this sluggish stream, which can be easliy
| replaced. Unluckily, they captured near thls
| point locomotive and tender when hau peen
| sent out on a reconnaissance In the morning.
| The Central Railroad bridge or trestle-work
| crosses the Chickahomny parallel win an anu
near the county bridge, or rather bridges. the
Yankees burnt one or two sections OF thls test,e
work, and then ran the locomotive into the
qnp. prccipltating IT,, Of course, into the mud
and water Of the ChiCkahominy. The injury
done 10 the railroad at this point is not 80 seri-
ous that 1t may not he repaired in a day.
/ Amer leaving the shades Of the Meadow
/ bridges the marauders full Of glcC, no doubt,
trotted on 10 NIcchanicsville, and thence to-
wnrds the York river railroad. At TunstalPs
Station they fortunately encountered small
portion Of Gen. Wise's brigade, who gave them
a vollcy, which cmpted several saddles, and
sent the rest Of the party In the direction Of the
Pamunkey river.
The number Of men engaged in this bold
raid is vnriouSly estimated at from five hun
dred TO three thousand. Col. sherwin McRae
and Capt. BlaCkfOrd, who made q reconnos-
sance yesterday, close upon the trail OF the
enemy, report as their opinion that the force
did not exceed five or six hundred, and ron
| the best information they could gain there was
| no artillery in the expedition. General Pryor,
who reconnoitcrcd their camps on sunday night
reports, we understand, that the marnuders
/ numbered as well ne he could Judge about one
thousand or twelve hundred men. They had
evidently aimed At deception In this respect by
dividing their force into squads, and industri-
ously circulating the lie that they We're formi-
dable host-thc advance guard of terrible
army.
Lieut.. Robert W. Brown, Of Gen. Winder's
. staf. was captured yesterday morning, near
the Brooke road. He had been on a visit to
Mr.. Pucskc, and was riding along the road
with that gentleman when the Yankees came
] i -. l..Nh 81 NInV4, Mr Naua
released, and Lieut.. Brown was paroled. They
state that the column was divided in Louisa
county. one detachment proceeding 10 the
canal, and the other coming this way. We
| have nothing definite of the movements of the
party which went to Fluvnnna, for the sup
| posed purpose Of destroying the viaduct at
Columbia. Lieut.. Brown was Informed by his
! captors that Gen. Fitzpatrick commanded the
expedition.
Since the above was in type we have learned
that the Yankees destroyed seven car loads of
Government stores at Hanover Court House.
The Yankee cavalry which came into Louisa
county were ten thousand strong, under Gen.
Stuneman. The detachment sent to the canal
were driven back by Gen. FitZhugh Lee.
Stoneman was still in Louisa Yesterday morn
ing.
GFrom the Richmond Sentinel Of TueEdayI
The raid Of the Cnemy's cavalry upon the
railroads near this city was the local excite
mcut Of yesterday. They appeared lt first on
| the Fredericksburg and Brooke avenue roads,
/ hut subsequently portion moved around to
the Meadow Bridge road on the approach Of
/ our military they move oil across the thirlia-
honiny 10y Meadow Bridge. which they burnt
/ after them, and passed out of sight. The num-
her seen at this point was perhaps four hun
dred.
The party that appeared at Ashland on sun
day reached there at about three O'Clock and
staid until six. Their number was Pa, by ac-
tual count. Their conduct was very gentle
manly They respected private property. It
is a mistake that the village or any portion Of
1t was burnt by them. Il II "A mistake. even,
that they burnt the ambulance train (Which
consisted Of six Cars) or removed or molcStcd
ils two hundred sick and wounded soldiers.
whom, however, they paroled. They left them
in the cars. No one on the train or among the
enemy was killed or wounded in the capture
though several shots were frcd
Yesterday morning parties of these Graders"
were still employed in tearing up rails, &c., on
the fredericksburg railroad as near To the city
as Hungary station, eight miles out, where they
destroyed Il Culyort. The damage they did to
the road, however, was really insignificant,
and will, we understand, not suspend the trains
more than a day. No bride was burned on this
road, all Of them being guarded. only a few
narrow Culvcrts were destroyed and a few rails
displaced.
On the Central railroad yesterday morning
party Oi them set fire to the railroad bridge over
the ChickanOminy, hut we understand did IL 80
little injury that twelve hours will suffice to re-
pair it for the passage Of the trains. No other
damage was done to thai road Hs high up a. to
Auee's Station, nine miles out from Richmond
Beyond Aucc's there had been no examination
on yesterday evening.
From Columbia, on the canal, the mouth
of the Eivanna, official intelligence has arrived
that the expedition against that point for the
/ purpose of preaching the canal, failed in their
/ attempt and suffered a disaster. Gen. ". F.
II. Lee, 10y forced march, got there before the
enemy did, and FILLING upon them, rrpuIscd
them, taking forty prisoners, and causing the
rest TO n.y. The worn-down condition Of Gen.
Lees horses, consequent on their rapid march.
! prevented pursuit.
We learn too that the reported capture Of
| trains on the York river railroad is probably
without foundation. The enemy made their
appearance at Tunstall's Station, twenty miles
out from Richmond, but were beaten oil hy our
! forces stationed there.
We give this expedition credit for the activi-
ty and address which II exhibited, aud for the
good behavior which marked its proceedings.
Their department towards non-cambatauts and
their property was in the main very rreditablc
/ to them.