Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-05-14
official report of the brilliant raid
of the Harris Light Cavalry.

The following was received at headquar-
tiers to-day;
Yorktown, May s.
To Major General Halleck:
have the honor TO report that by di-
rection Of Major General Stoneman, / left
Louisa Court House on the morning of the
Sd inst, with one regiment, the Harris
Lght cavalry, of my brigade, and reached
Hungary, on the Fredericksburg railroad,
at daylight on the morning of the 4th, de-
stroyed the depot, telegraph wires and
abroad track for miles, passed over to the
Brook turnpike, drove in the rebel pickets
down the pike across the brook, charged
battery and forced il TO retire to within
two miles of the city of Richmond, cap
tured Lieut.. Brown, aid-de-oamp TO Gen.
Winder, and ii men within the fortifca-
tlons, passed down 30 the left to the Med
ow bridge on the Chiokahominy, which |
burned, ran train of cars into the river,
retired TO Hanover town on the Peninsula,
crossed and destroyed the ferry Just in
time TO check the advance of the Pursuing
,'avalry force, burned a train of 30 wagons
loao,, ID with bacon, captured Is prisoners
and cam, ped for the night five miles from
the river. resumed my march at a.
m. Of the 9th, surprised force of 300
cavalry at Aylett's, c"aetared two officers
and 33 men, burned Sc wagons and the
depot containing upwards of 10000 bar
rels of corn and wheat, quantities of cloth
ing and eommissary stores, and safely
crossed the Mattapony and destroyed the
ferry again just in time to escape the adj
vance of the rebel cavalry in pursuit.
Late in the evening destroyed TIL i
wagon train and depot few miles -
and West of Rappahannock or ,hs " Pom
pahannock, and from that ;.,. y"o is@
forced march of 20 point | made a
i r,Io''oeoa ny sperior force of cavalry,
SuppoSoN % be portion of Stuart's,
it'ni sae Set that we captured few pris-
.necs from the LIST, 9th and 10th Virginia
cavalry. At shutdown discovered force
Of cavalry drawn up in line of battle
above King and Queens G. II. The force
was unknown, but advanced at once to
the attack, only to discover that they
were friends portion of the 18th Hi
inois cavalry who had become separated
fIom the command Of Lieut.. Col. Davis OF
the same regiment.
At 10 a. m. on the 7th | fonnd safety
and rest under our brave old flag within our
lines at Gloucester Point.
This raid and march about the entire
| rahal or,o1, ,naroh IF ,,aorly tvpn nun-
bred miles has been made in less than FIVE
days, with loss of one officer and 81
men, having captured and paroled up
wards of 800 men.
take great pleasure IN bringing 10
! your notice the officers of my staff, Capt.
Armstrong, Capt. McIrwin, DR.. Hackley,
and Lieut.. Estls, especially the latter, who
volunteered to carry dispatch to Gen.
Hooker. He failed in the attempt, but
with his escort of ten men he captured
and paroled one major, two captains, a
lieutenant and fifteen men. He was at
forwards himself captured, with his escort
and was afterwards recaptured by oul
own forces. He arrived this morning.
/ cannot praise too highly the bravery
energy and untiring fortitude of Lieut.
! Col. Davis and the officers and men of the
Harris light cavalry, not one of whom but
was willing to lose his liberty or his life
if he could but aid in the great battle now
going on, and win for himself the apprO
baton Of his chiefs,
Respectfully submitted,
! J. FITZPATRICK,
| Col. Commanding lst Brigade, Sd Di