The New York herald., 1864-05-03
TINE ARMY Of the POTOMAC.
~>>~~>-~~-~~~~>~-~~--~-~~~~~
The Rebel Forces Concentrating Near
Orange Ceurt House.
Lee Awaiting Our Attack on
the Rapidan.
>y>o.>,@~~~~~>~.o1N~~~c-~~~
Destrucs ton of Madison Court
House.
.-~-e->>~~-->>>0e-~e~~~~-~
THE WHOLE PLACE REDUCED TO ASHES.
WRY THE HOUSES WERE FIRED.
~>ys~~~~@~~>-~-c~-S-----,7->-~
Sketch Of the Rebel County Town
and Vicinity,
"a. &c.. d
THE WHOLE PLACE REDUCED TO ASHES.
WRY THE HOUSES WERE FIRED.
Movements OF the Rebel Forces.

Movement OF the Rebel Forces.
WARRINGTON May q 1864.
RRpov known that Gen. Lee designs our at
back 10 his deenoes The RspdaH instead OF retiring
b Richmond rumored
All Lee's available troops hGrryin up The v,cin
NY orange Court House from our eevated sgnai
stations busy preparation for approaching oooc.
bc distinctly seen.
The Destruction or Madison Ce~,t
House.
WASHINGTON, May 2, lse4
The expedition which out from here iaet week
destroyed Madison Court House
fhe expedition met no rebek unin about half mile
svon the Court House. when slight sklrmsh place
- which the rebel Iose eve and ours none.
The reses retreated In the ogecl,on Of The Court
BeGse.
Toe rebels suddenly disappeared bu; 90 our feroee On
Seng The towo they received with voDeys Dus-
setry fired from the windows OF boBeee and were con-
PEELED for lime 10 wbtSraw.
The officers Of reconnoferne party ordered another
svancs, when again a destructive Ere wsss poured m
hom the houses.
There being ether way OF smoking out the rebe.s
ORDERS were issued that The town should be bred.
The torch sppied to lumber OF houses al riding
cover for ,he enemy, whereupcn tho latter hastily
ssmpeo leaving our forces possession Of the place
Tie flames, however spread very rapidly, aud there
general coDhagraton result, and short
Almost sDe entire town 10 ashes.
fhe sei was certainly not wan,on one the para Of
abe Usor forces bu, rendered necessary by
sardy act OF the rebels VINO used the shelter q houses
Dor The purpose OF slausnteriDs our troops.
Sketch of Madison Court House aAd
Vicinity.
Madison Court House sometimes called EadisoDtown
was before is destruction the capital OF Madison county
Va was situated tue centre OF that county wac
seventy mllee from Richmond porthwesterly drec.
Son, and ninety elk from Washington, ID. c. II
wAs most beautifully located IN healthy stunt,on, or
high ground, nearly surrounded by kins and
hpe view Of ,he Blue Ridge. j contained 10 ls6O
population Of about eight hundred, several churches
snd among the houses many belonging u
the planters the vicinity Several s,reame possese nl
hoe water power 10 the mIned all
gave motion " about half dozen Touring mIls hes des
factories, &c Previous 70 Abe represented 10
small amount Of wealth and uy 70 the beginning Of the
present month bad free from the horrors
Shat attend u had been merely 40 OUTPOST Of tbe
sebei army ana of bot little value in sirsegica pobt
" view During the stonemsn cavalry expedition OF
lses ~ vas visited oy porIion Of Averne ocumu and
again during the early the present year part
Cas,ers cavalry force parsed through ~ On ro.ss for
eiannardsviIe Toe rebel General Fiiz HupG Lee
sme made The Court Hoose headquarters otberw zee
he place has been porapt annals OF The civil
war
Tbs farEs Be-, Of she county of Madison a,s reached
Gop The Court House by as several diyerr,ue
roads. Toe county has area ~ two nunssed and
eighty square miles, % cne hundred and seventy piue
tsoosand two hundred The Rapidsp river form.
~ boundary tbe fcuth, southeast southwest and
~ ksc dratrsd bv Tie Robertson ard Hazel ry-ers
Which rre witbo ~ bns9. These streams all fGfnisf
1ne vsler power. and drive several nsJs The Bloc
Ridge forms the cor,hw boundary c the county
The Whole scenery 81 which particularly noted ~,
Ms sutiimhy The col Of tbs valley extremely feI.
kne ana TIC plantsoas before TIE Of great valoe
Intensive redf Of coppar cad IL The Blue
Ridge of khe resico tui iney havs 30 yet been
worried 10 any advantage The oo1nty orssrlsed
eOrns the year 1Tp2 and ~ the o.
population of cign, thousand eight h0ndred and fty
1oor atooi ons bali Of whom we're s'sy@
cavalry Fighs aud Capture IS Twenty
three of Hosby's Gueriilas.