, 1864-05-20
'G>iF35jhl<4Iul i: IL, e tlhI;i.E:s :
sTuARTs5 FORCES WELL
E3afbPEE1
Destruction CT ofEocor1otive5s
: Cars, Bridges. CuivoTts,
Tracks, Supplies, &C, .:
The Rebel CapltalR Reached
and its Outer Def6nses
Taken.
[F,cm tie New York Herald, Mey 1G.t
RESPONSIVENESS, CAyA1Rx ronte, i
nAxE.LI's IAAD1f0, OF JAMES .MyHE,
ay14-Y NJ


n4sn4'1's 1AaDEsG; r., q 331 J.fr; 8 i Nnvan'
wuAr HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
The ceyalry corpE Of the Army Of the Pe-
folnac. under tEs command of hnjor General
r. Il Sheridan, hare during thu past ton
days covered themselves with glory, md &C.
complished the nest decisive results Of the
war: They hare fought and defeated Stu
arts eecasttl ca7c1ry Tor nlce successive
day., ,fanlcdiaiu aru1y, destroyed ali his CON-
m2nic1tous wi:.. Richmond, captured and
destroyed three long trims 1oaded with COM
MisfarT stores, together with TWO flFst el,ss
engines; rccapturel 31S Union prisoners, In
rel, a2d several officers Of lover grade; cap
tCstd three pieces Of artillery, and about 900
rtieoEerF, takeu the outer line Of forti6ca-
1:cxe on the north eide Of Richmond, whip
ped their cayxlrr and in(antry within the
EoE1d ef the cl1nrc: bs11s Of their capital,
snd breuglt Tie command safely tlroIgh to
Tic James River, under the protection Of oar
Grn1cats.
ouR START FOR TIE uuE4T ExPBDITIoS-InE
REGELs ON OUR FLAMES AND REAR.
We moved at DAYLIGHT On tue 1th, march
ing in the direction Of Fredericksburg until
NE had arrived within foEr miles Of the eltg,
wI,en we struck of to tbs left Of Spottsylya-
and took the telegraph road to Richmond.
We had not advanced many miles beforo
we b:san to be annoyed on the Il nix and
rrer by rebel kharpshooters. Tie First d.
viesop had The advance, the Second the rear,
and the third the centre. We paid very little
attention to the firing, srpposing 1t to bo
nents. VI had 1ankers thrown ont each
side Of the road, while tho Sixth Ohio rcgi-
ment, Col. Vim. stedman, commanding,
were the rear guard.
ExEkL CHARGE ON QUE RRAn GUARD By r11z
HCGu LEE
About tho middle Of the afternoon the
F.rtt North Carolina cavalry made furious
charge rpcn eur rear guard, brcaEln. clear
through the Sixth Ohio, who we're somewhat
nnprerarcd for such vigorous movement;
used both pistol ind sabre to good advantage
anG captured quite number Of prisoners.
Cutie m amusing Incident occurred in c IN
nection with this charge. a section Of the
9Th New ork independent battery was In the
rear, supported by squadron Of the 9th
to Il. 1ear piece, and. putting his iiand upon
1t, cried out-s'Th is my p1ece+a Not by
4 damned sight" replied csnnonler, and 1t
the sumo time gave him blow under the
eIc IL Hecnan, knocked him from his horse
End took him prieoner. Considerable CON-
motion was created in the column for few
minutes when It was aecettslned that Fitz
Hugh Lee, with two hrig4des, was in the
rear Of US. The 1st New Jersey, Lieutenant
Colonel kcster commanding, vas ut once or
dcred to assist the 9Th Obi J, and from that
time till dark both small arms and artillery
We're In constant use Captain Walter 4.
ttcm the balance of his command; bnt,
!,lncinE himself at the head Of his squadron,
he pallantly cut hts way through, bringing
in several prisoners.
GEN. CUSTER In TnB 4DvANCE-TuE AFFAIR
At BEAVER DAM.
While these exciting events were trantplr-
Ing in the rear onr advance, composed of
was doing glorious work in the front. They
forded the North Anna River, charged into
Eea,er Da,n station, reeaptuTee three hnn-
drtd and scycnty-etght Union prisoners, IN
gliding Colone1s, Majors. Captains and
Lieutenants, belonging to the 5th Corps, and
taken prisoners while charging the rebel
breastworks at Tod's Tavern Their joy
| when they saw the flashing blades of the
Union cayalry approaching, knew no bounds.
| They Ect up deefening cheer, while the
rebel gnard, composed OF Lieutenant and
twenty-five men, skcdaddled into the woods.
The, Lad no inkling Of our approach, and
the Transition from state of despondeucy
to hope and joy Was 50 sudden that they
could hardly resllze 1t.
Reaching the station, Gen. Custer found
three long trains loadcd with commlsssry
stores, with two splendid engines. which he
at once destroyed, together with large ware
honse filed with an immense quantity Of
less than one million and hall Of ratfons
We're destroyed at thia polnt. They also
| thoroughly destroyed the railroad for miles,
| burning the ties and bridges. bending the
rails and damaging It In every conceivable
| manner. The road which passes here is the
Virginia Ct entral, running 6om Mchmond tt
! GoJdonesit1e.
TIRE soETu ANNA CHnssrn-ruR tvFAyn A.
! ASHLAND.
At four p. m. NC crossed The South Anna
| and utter n4urchlng tTo miles, hlvouackcd fu
the night At three o'clock oI The morning
Of tie 1lth. tue 1st brigade, I'd djvieion, va!
sent. Under Brfgaditr Gen. u. E. Davies, OF
special txpsduion.to Ashland, distance O
se.eu nIiitb, Tor tie purpuse of destroying til.
rnt1road and furElfer- Great caution ant
haste were essential, IS it Eus known ths1
Gen. Stuart. with hls rebel cavalry. wal
rapidly Ill, king for that p0int. Our forces
arrived iu sight OF the town at daylight, anl
formed in line OF battle. The 1st Massachn
sits ca, elr., Majur Sergeant commanding
nas selected 10 charge through the town
Witch tie men did sn gallant style, driving
| TeGiutn Mt Of EiEginiu0s, nnt3er Col. MumfOrd
ii Iitz Hugh Lrc's division, before then
They then dieu,ountcd, set fire to tho rail-
rcad depot, destro, Ing rolling stock. storeI
III sn} PLIES iu grus.t quantitles; also tearin,
| UP 1,.it of the trnvk of the Frrde1icksbu11
aId Richmond Railroad.
F4IlAG lELA ALL uUCsES-oPF1CERS WOUND
Ed AND cA1TCHED.
- they left the tow.s thcy saw several q
the cneu.y make their appearance, and IL Wa
decided to ulaIe auulter charge into th
town to tr.ve tle1n <.tE The rebels retre4Ie'
lilo tie houses. and as opr men paste,
Though poured 4 1nurdr5uus volleY lnts
Their ru1ks, Nonnding Captain Motley. Lieu
teua1t Smith ard Lieutenant E Payson Hop
Aine, son Of Professor Hopkins, of Williams
Col eye, Muse j, and who w~s left motioules!
il tie road, Gnd III fell inso the 4nds Of ths
| tntm>. We aleo lost about twenty five me,
in killed and wounded, Who likewise fell In
t" tie bands of the rrbe1s. It was ut l1rs1
intended b, General Dayies to shell the towr
IL retaliation, hut having accomplished eve
| II LiLg 1or Which tt had started, and gwart
OF the approach Of J. F. B. Stanrt, with
large forrc, retired to our main column.
APPROACHING RICHMOND uErwEEN rwt
FIRES.
We were now within ai1teen mica o
Richmond, and 1T once toox up the line o
1na1ch directly towards tAr city, the Firs
Division in ADVANCE ana the second In tn
rtar. We marched aud fought all day ant
uigLt, the tnemy being cvusIxntlyreinforce<l
u!sn at DAY lighe, wlaen within thEee tutles O
Icl uono, the force opposed To us lu fruu
rc1t two brf.adcs Of Infantry aud bHsAt
two hrigades Of cavulry, together with ever
| nun that could be rakcd up In Richmond
We now turned to the left on the Meadow
briEpc ruao, leading TO Mecbanicaville, press
is,s The sneiuy steadlly back.
TIE ouTEn pEFEhcEs OF TIE REBEL CAPITA
| GEN. CEsTEA CHARGES UPON AND CAP
TUREs TuEM.
When 1bout 1our miles on the road #
found the snemy strongly intsen.h,d bebin
, fo1tifcutiols, composing tho outer line {
the Richmond de1euces. The position was
str,ng uue, eeing situated upon Il hlll, tcon
nlEEding our Whole corI,H, aud our prrserVs
ton depended upon cur driving them ou1
| General Sheridan WIS equal 10 the emergEl
| cy. The eh.my Wins already closely pursuin
| VI in tLt rear.
The General ordered General Custer to tai
| Lib bgi 5ude I'D carry tbe POSITION Geuer,
| Custer plsce't himself at tue head Of b
c.uhan !, aud with drawn eabres aud deafr1
| irg cbct1 CHARGED directly tn the face Of
Hlthcittg fire, captured two pIcccs Of asti
1rry, upwards Of L hundred prisoners, ,togett
| tr witt cu'efous, ammunition and horae
which he br+ ught oil Ia safety. 1t was, witt
| out exception, ttte rncst galaut charge OF tt
rsid, aud y hen it becaus known among tt
ccrEs, clttr utter cheer rent the ,.1s. II
rrbtls re1Scatcc behind tho Cb1ckahomin,
destroying III their hight Meadow bridge
z1:p STUART III THE KRAk--nE Is wu1rrR1
In the rear Col Gregg's brigade, Of tt
Second division, and portion Of The rnlr
III, isiuu, uultr Een. Wilson, We're hotty et
ruc.d witu Stuart. Gen. Wilson seAt wo,
: 10 Gen. She1 IGau that the enemy were dri
i,g lsu elonl, buck Ten. Sheridan Sci
a ord that - he must mold the position 1t Il
l;ass4rds; that Le could and tnust whip Il
, enemy" Col. Grey:'s brigade, being rel
iurctd by regiment ffon the First brigad
charged The esesny, aud drove thsm en- nearly
mile. The day was now onrs Tie encu
Eud disappeared f5on orr front, and We en