Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-03-17
THE MOVEMENT ON RICHMOND.
Our Forces Enter the Fortifcations.
A Fight Inside the Rebel Works.
.5ai. Z ii Full Particulars. u
Correspondence of the N, Y. Times.

u
started on an expedition to the vicinity Of
Richmond with a considerable cavalry
force and some artillery is generally known
to tie reading public. The special and
most important part of that expedition is
not so generally known, and am not at
liberty here to state it., 1t is sufficient to
say however, that in every other respect it
was q complete success, resulting in the
destruction of millions Of dollars worth of
public property belonging to or used by
the Confederate Government of the social
ed seceled Subsequently,, some Of
which cannot be replaced at all, and the
whole of it valuable to the rebel Govern
ment as means of carrying on their infer
nal schemes against the United States-
Miles OF railroad track on the two princi-
pal roads over which Lee transports his
supplies for the Northern army of Virgin
ia, have been SO thoroughly destroyed.
that some time must elapse before the
roads can be put in running order again;
depots of commissary ordnance and quar-
termaster's stores were burnt or destroyed;
no less than six grist mills and one saw
mill. principally at work for the rebel ar
my. were burnt. six canal boats loaded
with grain, several locks on the James
River Canal and the almost invaluable
coal pits at Manikin's Bend. were destroy
ed. : 1t is proper to say what every one
with the expedition believes, that had it
not been, for the false information of
guide. the principal object in starting the
expedition would have been accomplished.
The man who thus dared to trifie with the
welfare of his country. when it became cv-
ident that one of the most important OBJ
jects would prove failure through his
wilful connivance, was Immediately hang
ed npon the spot, thus meeting fate he SO
richly deserved. Theicommand had mo-
we'd forward to far within the enemy's
lines long before any alarm was given to
the authorities at Richmond or Gen. Lee,
and wien it did become known in Rich
mond that force of Union cavalry had
crossed the Rapidan. so secret and we'll
planned had been the expedition by Gene
raj Pleasonton. and so well executed by
Gen. Kilpatl:ck, they had not the most
distant idea Of its whereabouts. when, in
fact. the command was at that time almost
within sight oil Richmond, and few hours
later was hurting lsaden messengers Of
death from battery placed inside the de-
fences of that city into its very suburbs.
DETAILS OF THE MOVEMENT. 80.
Tie details of this movement, so far as
i. may be proper. shall proceed to give
nearly in the order in which they transpir-
ed The command left Steyensburgh,
Virginia, on Sunday. night last, the 2Sth
ult.. and crossing Ely's Ford, on the Rap
idan-thence by rapid marches to Spott-
sylvana, Beaver Dam Station, on the Vir-
ginia Central Railroad. to the Notifications
Of Richmond, crossing the Virginia Gen.
trail Railroad and the Chickahominy river
near the Meadows. the White House Rail
Road little east of TunstalPs Station,
thence to New Kent Court House. and
Williamsburg Court House, where the
command arrived on Thursday last-hav-
ing been in the saddle nearly all the time
from Sunday night-a period of four days.
and during nearly all that time the men
were supplied by rebel lsrders and their
horses from rebel granaries. Nearly three
hundred prisoners were captured. several
hundred horses were pressed into the SER
vice, and hundreds of negroes svailed
themselves of this opportunity to come
within cur lines-thereby depicting the
producing class of the Rebel -Confederacy
Of just so many able bodied men.n
AS before stated the command left Ste-
vensburg' Sunday evening, and moved to-
ward Ely's Ford. Forty men, under the
immediate command of Mr. Hogan
well known scout-had the advance. The
first Of the enemy were met within one
mile Of the ford-a picket. to give notice
should any thing like an enemy approach.
This picket, composed of four men, by a
lttlesistrategy, was gobbled. with their
horses and accoutremcnts, without firing q
shot or doing any thing to alarm the re-
serve on the other side of the rivera force
consisting Of thirteen men, one Captain.
one Lieutenant and eleven privates. Ho-
tgan and his party gained the opposite
bank. and the night being cloudy. succeed.
ed in enveloping the reserve before they
discovered his presence, and captured all
but three. From these prisoners the i'm
portant fact was ascertained that nothing
whatever was known by the rebel authori-
tiles of the movement then on loot for their
discontinue. Col. Uric Dahlgreen, &C.
companied by, Major Cook. of the I'd New
York cavalry. and small party of picked
men took the advance after crossing the
Rapidan. and, as they had a special mis-.
sion to perform, some account ofiit will be
given elsewhere. The main command
moved along with rapidity, taking the
road to Spottsylvanis Courthouse. The
night was cloudy, and betokened rain
but the roads were good, and every ont
was pleasant and hopeful. "Let the storm
hold off "a hours, and thsn Idou't CARE
said prominent officer of the command
Spottsylvania was reached late at night
no halt was made, however, and the corp
moved rapidly forward to Beaver Dsm, OF
the Virginia Central railroad. q af
lsnCspt. Estes and Lieut. Wilson, with
party Of men dashed so suddenly upo,
this place that the telegraph operator wa,
prisoner before be had time to announc
tthe arrival Of the Yankees-much TO hi,
ehsgrin-for al the other telegraph line
had been cut. and JEFF Davis In his ankle
, Ity to know what was going on. had beel
ltelegraphing that station every hour in IN