Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-05-17
TIE RAIssARoUND RICHMOND.
SPECIAL coRRE5roNDEScE OF The EsqcIRER
HDQ'Es QoKpoN,s EElaApE.
BsooK 4;IuRcu, May 18th, 1861

the recent raid; that emerged from Grants
lines on tie Rafidan. Being one Of the pur.
| suing party, cut means, of observation will
not insure i se5s.ral detail Of the pursuit; as,
writing from tl.tspur of tho m9rlcnt, we shall
cosfne ouraelz.a mora particularly 10 the
ninutia OF tbe@operation Of our owu bri-
gaae.
While our csvhlry we're occupying tho re-
speotive positioH5 on Gen. Ls5's advance lines,
where We had for several days been engaged
actively with try sene,ny's advance. mostly
infantry, his csSs1-sssF seemed rather reserved,
I'D w.sa5sT IN Ist5''ss. i.5 apnv.:..nre :saa
promptly w'bipptl aud driven rack upon his
Infantry supports, which, in most instances
sc engaged With spirit and suc2eas, fighting
tncm with our carbincs in regular infantry
styll; which state OF facts, and the wild
| wooded nature Of tho country, had almost re-
solved our arm Of th9 service into infantry
Gen. Lee, tuylawing his successes, was closely
pressing Grant down In the dir cctitn Of treGc-
ricksbrrg, giving the caralry their share in
the immt,i ,ltc WORK.
II the meantime it seemed that q vastly or
Ianizcd force Of tile cncny's cavalry and al
.lllcry had concentrated aud moved round far
to his left, and made their appearance On
Monday, the 9th instant, sweeping far around,
and Tapping cur most extended caca!ry pickc.s
| on the right on the :clesra oh r"ai leading from
fredericksburg u Richmond. WiCkuam'5
cavalry brigaic--tilc nearest at hand---t Ok
up the pu,sui. about two hours behind the
rear ol their collnn, which was fitting
along at Is most sweeping pace and,
snm the hcst information, would cntitle
-, IL, how
raidcr5. From the most reliable sources their
fore" could safely be set down at between
5000 and 10000, and thirty-fre pieces of
artillery. At least from ono fact this dcdnc-
ton InaT be drawn--it took them four and i
hall hours, marching by fours, u: swcepin;
trOt, to pass given point. Lomas'5 brga,c
also Immediately join d in pursuit, fpllowed
few hours after by Gordon's. Wickham AMI
Lomax's overlook their rear II, Jarro!d's
Mills. They were punieIing AID destroying g
thoroughly that gcatltmar'S property, break
ing up his household furniture carr ying Il
lis bacon, and cInrtyinc his grain and llour
into the ri7cr. a shor. skirmish here ensued
,hc enemy retr%ating p,e3ipitately. lcavin,
the telegraph read, turning 70 the right, and
taking the Beaver Dam road. They were
closely followed, and orertaken late il, the
evening, on Mr.. Wynne'5 farm, where they
were So closely pressed that they gave battle.
i few gallant charges coon sons them adriif
down the read, leaving several. killed and
wouadcd, and sr?eral prisoners in our bands.
They made another sta"d about two miles
further on, ut Mitehcll'S shop ;.nd wore again
r5u:cd aud pursued closely to Swnnn's farm,
where their rear was strongly reinforced, aud
where hot fight was joined. The brave Vir-
s;iu;ans delved into their heavy colamS with
such vigor and spirit that that field was soon
:icareo, leaving many dead and wounde'i.-
Oar lnsa :-a- comparatively email in ih1aa
engagements. mostly in wounded. Here night
closat Oh the parties, Fitz Lee still following
.a1d harassing their rear till the enemy reach,
ed North Anna river, when, about daylight,
Il sharp fight was kept up, these two briSades
holding their own against vastly superior
numbers, and steadily driving the enemy
before them across the river whore the enc.
my protected their position ct the bridge, with
nuGerOus artillery, long enough 70 burn
it. Tas, then, gave them good start on US.
In the meantime, Gordon'5 Brigade came IN,
making three bT;gades, all told, not more than
four thousand men, already weGFied and
worn down by continual watchings and fight
ing for five days--to be thrown against the
ltOslS
Ye: thcso bravo troopers, with their noble tut
now fallen leader at their heaI-entirely Vir-
ginians and North C4rOlinians-fclt tho I'M
por,anoe Of each man acting well his part
| The road to their devoted Capital Was open;
many a little child had gone to beisrpperlcss
and wouli rise crying to helpless mother i"i
bread, whose cries ard earnest entreatics had
failed to influence the helish outaaot Fandai'
\ to leave her one dust of flour or meal. Barn
| ing fences, mills and houses liz up their belt
| sh course. A stream lay between them, the
| bridge across which was burned. This diff
| cu:y wa1 20 be oyerreachcd. Across the
river in front, two Ga:roH COW lords were DIS
| co1crei-onc below and the other above the
bridge 4 party from Oordon's Brigade were
dism2unted and engaged tic enemy in from
across the river, while Wickham and Loma2
led around below apd Gordon above Al
Gordon reached the point above, the cncmr''
nickcts were seen guarding the ford. Me1d
land skirted the banks. Col. Evans, Of tilt
j:h n. G. Cavalry, was ordered f"rward t'
charge aai take it at al hazards. Sabre:
were drawn. Capt. Galloway, with his com
Eoany, I'D in front. The Colonel gave tht
sorl, FORWARD, my brave boys" which
vas responded to vSi.h q deafening yell, and
onward they dashed to the ford, which wa,
almost impossible. Horses and riders ven
down in the stream, yet up they grapplcd, ,anc
| .oon reached the bank, which was renili
:lcarcd of the party holding it, and whict
gave the regiment an exciting chase for seve
| raj miles. Many of tho enemy's horses fei
dead in the road, while our horses got nca
enough occasionally to ley blue.coat in tn
dust aad take several Of tho hindmost in
W!tkham, by taking @ near route, REACHES
Beaver Dam in advance of Gordon, and jus
in time to pitch into this flying column, whicl
Jared but middling." lie killed and cap
trred {, large body of them.
Where Beav + Dam stood, nothing remain
Cd but charred and burning ruins of build
inss and two trains of cars, with their COZ
tents, that were not consumed, scattered pre-
fusey over tho ground. The farmers fen
cling far and wide lighted up the midday SIX
with lurid glare.
"Our evil deeds come home to U.s." struck
az most beautifully illustrated by the follow
ing incident: Along tho road where ou
Ycngeful troopers had cleaved down the thie'
inc villains the fencing had been fred by tn
more advanced fugitires. The main coluln
bad charged on after them through ths liv
flames that were almost tapping each o;hc
rom both sides Of the road flard-by the fenc:
Just in good roasting distance, lag wounde
raider unable to move himself; the flame
from the burning fence we're fast apprcaraia
him and the Wind from the contrary GlrecIo
seemed hurrying them up to the poor wretch
who was wincing and erirging at the horribI
catastrophe awaiting him FROM his comrNde
own tleyilish hands. But the benevolent r"li
ciple "if thy enemy thirst give him drink,
relieved him from bis awfully pending sci
wrought fate. Our loss at this point was "n'
few wognle1.
Here the enemy had divided his iHrees-
ono column going in tbs direction OF DGnoY'
Junction and tho other taking the Neg
foot road. Generals Stuart ard Fitz Lee, NJ;
tho brigndes Of W:ckham and Lomas, to
lowed on tho former route, and Gen. Go1to'
with mis- brigade, pursued the lattor. trI
Gordon followed on till late hour in Il
night, and bivouacked near Beach Ford,
the South Anna river, placing himself With
: a few miles of the Yankee camp. Early ne