Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-06-01
SHERIDAN'S GRAND RAID.
THE 9Th OHIO CAVALRY IN ADVANCE!
TURKEY BEND, JAMES RIVER. Va,
Nav II, 1864.

May IL, 1904.
DEAR LEADER Gould the letter l am
about to indite reach you in time for to-
morrow mornings issue it might be OF in
terest to your readers, but before its long
Journey is ended | fear it will have lost
much of its freshness.
The cavalry of the Potomac army have
been on a raid, a raid beside which all
former raids sink into trivial adventures,
both as regards the difficulties overcome
and the results accomplished.
On the 4th of May we crossed the Rap
idan, the 9th Ohio leading the advance ;
but little opposition was made to our
crossing, the rebel pickets taking to flight
at the first fire.
We rushed rapidly on over the blood
stained field of Charlottesville and es-
tablished our line on the extreme left Of
the army.
On the 5th our brigade first met the en-
envy IN force, and after a dashing fight OF
two hours duration drove him back some
two miles. At night we were ordered
back, as we had pushed our lines too far
in advance of the main army. On the
9th, though a terrible battle was raging
on our right we had but slight skirmish-
ing along our lines. On the 7th we made
another advance and found the rebel cav
airy strongly posted in a dense piece OF
woods ready to receive us. After some
severe skirmishing along our front the 9th
Ohio Cavalry were dismounted and sent
into the woods to turn the enemy's left
flank. The movement was entirely sue
~cessful. The boys dashed in with ring
ing cheers and the rebels fed in confu-
Lo-l.. 3Hwaa cfrann Enac Of
breastwoFks formed of fallen timber, be-
hind which a few resolute men might
have defied ten times their number
Night put an end to the contest, and our
sorely punished enemy withdrew, leaving
his dead and wounded in our hands, with
quite a number of prisoners. Among the
rebel slain were found the n OF he
! Colonels of the 18th and 9th Virginia
cavalry, who had fallen vainly striving to
rally their broken columns.
On the evening of the Sth we received
rations and forage and on the morning OF
the 9th the whole cavalry corps pushed
boldly out on the road from Fredericks-
burg to Richmond. Steadily we pushed
on all day, passed the right flank OF Lees
army. Rebel pickets, videttes and scout
ing parties fed before us and not till near
ly night did they succeed in gathering a
| force sufficient to make al impression
upon US. Then thoroughly aroused, two
brigades of rebel cavalry came thunder
ing down upon our rear. The 9th Ohio
held the rear and took the brunt OF the
onset. Our rear squadron under command
of Captain Northway, coolly reserved
! their fire till the first squadron OF rebel
cavalry was almost upon them, and then
with one withering Yolley wiped it almost
out of existence. Of the thirty men who
led the rebel advance but eight survived
that murderous fire. The second rebel
squadron met nearly the same fate, but
a third and fourth charged in quick
succession till outnumbered five to ouI
regiment was broken and driven back In
confusion. But by this time the LIST Penn
s~ylyania cavalry had come to our assist
ance. and squadron of rebels charging
down on our broken ranks were captured
to a man. Our artillery, too. had got in
TO position and a storm of fire sent the
rebels bowling to the rear. In this short,
sharp contest we lost u senior Captain,
lanes ). Abel, who fell while striving to
rally our broken lines. Orderly Sergeant
George Prior, of company ID, was killed
while fighting calamity, and Sergeant
Francis Baker of company A, was left
mortally wounded at a house near the
field. Many others were wounded, some
severely. but l refrain from sending a list
as your readers will get from other sources
long before this reaches you.
Southwark we pushed on and at mid
night we were on the banks of the North
Anna. Here we found the sky lighted
mn for miles with the glare of burning
property. General Custer leading the ad-
vance had dashed into Beaver Dam Sta
tion. had burned two trains loaded with
stores for Lees army and had torn up the
track and burned the ties for eight miles
in extent, besides releasing 3lS of our
prisoners who the rebels were taking to
Richmond. At dawn the next morning
we were awakened by the bowling of reb-
ell shells. but our batteries soon drove the
enemy to a respectful distance. Still con-
stantiy fighting the rebels from our rear
and TANKS we pushed on and at night
biyouacked within twelve miles of Rich
mond. Early next morning we made an
other dash on the Rail Road, at Ashland
burning the depot, destroying the cul-
yerts and tearing up the track. Here we
had a sharp fight with the rebel cavalry,
in which the LIST Massachusetts, cavalry
suffered severely.
Turning sharply to the right we push